7 Best Fixes for Game Controller Acting Like a Mouse on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Steam Overlay can change the controller behavior.
• Misconfigured settings can lead to the controller acting like a mouse.
• Update the controller driver by downloading the files from the OEM.

Fix 1. Check for Hardware Issues

Checking for hardware issues should be your first call. You may be experiencing the problem because the gaming controller is faulty. This may be mechanical damage, particularly if the controller was dropped and landed hard. In such a case, you may need a new gaming controller to fix the problem. In some instances, a faulty mouse will also trigger the problem, and you may also need to replace your mouse.

Before purchasing a replacement, you may want to test the controller on a different computer. This is a good way to rule out other causes, such as malware infection.

Fix 2. Disable the Enable the Steam Overlay While In-Game Feature

Steam’s Overlay gives you access to many features in-game. You may access your chat, friends list, and the Steam store. However, some of these features may cause conflicts with gaming controllers as they are not always compatible with every controller, which may cause unusual behavior.

Step 1: Click the Windows Search icon on the Taskbar, type Steam, and click the Steam application.

Step 2: On the upper right, click Steam menu, and click Settings.

Step 3: Click the In Game menu and toggle off Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

Step 4: Restart the Steam application for your changes to take effect.

Fix 3. Enable the Disable Steam Input Feature

The Input feature allows the Steam app to customize gaming controller input. This is a valuable feature because it allows you to use controllers not natively supported by the game. However, misconfiguring the Steam Input feature may cause abnormal behavior and make the gaming controller act like a mouse on Windows 11. You need to disable this feature:

Step 1: Open Steam, click the Library menu, right-click the problematic game, and click Properties.

Step 2: Click Controller on the right pane, expand Use default settings, and click Disable Steam Input.

Step 3: Restart the Steam application.

Fix 4. Turn off Xbox Configuration Support

Xbox Configuration Support on Steam is another feature that allows controller customization. Since misconfiguration may cause the gaming controller to act like a mouse on Windows 11, you may disable this setting to prevent Steam from interfering with the controller’s inputs.

Step 1: Click the Steam menu in the upper-right corner, and click Settings from the menu that appears.

Step 2: On the left pane, click Controller, and on the right, click General Controller Settings.

Step 3: Untick Xbox Configuration Support, click Back, and click OK.

Fix 5. Tweak the Controller’s Desktop Configuration

Misconfiguration could be a significant cause of the gaming controller acting like a mouse on Windows 11. You may use the steps below to reconfigure the controller’s settings and change its desktop configuration.

Step 1: On the upper right, click Steam, then click Settings.

Step 2: On the left pane, click Controller, and on the right, click Desktop Configuration.

Step 3: According to your preferences, you may customize the settings and keep tweaking till the problem is resolved.

Fix 6. Disable the Controller as a Mouse From the Control Panel

When you use your controller as a mouse, actions taken on the controller are automatically interpreted as mouse actions on Windows. The solution is to prevent the controller from controlling the mouse cursor by disabling it as a mouse from the Control Panel.

Step 1: Click the Windows Search icon on the Taskbar, type control, and click the Control Panel option.

Step 2: Set the View by option to Category, then click Hardware and Sound.

Step 3: Under the Device and Printers section, click Mouse.

Step 4: Click the Hardware tab, select Mouse from the Devices list, and click the Properties button at the bottom right.

Step 5: Navigate to the Driver tab, click the Disable Device button, and click OK on both windows.