Is your Nvidia Shield controller not working on PC? Fix it here!

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Are you the owner of an Nvidia Shield controller, and have found that your controller doesn’t working properly with your PC? Don’t panic, it’s a common occurrence when it comes to the Nvidia Shield controller. We’re here to help you solve your problem and get things back in working condition.

What is an Nvidia Shield controller?

The Nvidia Shield controller was released alongside the Nvidia Shield TV Android Box in 2017, and its popularity has persisted throughout the years. Thanks to solid build quality, a vast amount of compatibility, a comfortable layout and some excellent controls, it’s a huge favorite among many gaming enthusiasts.

Even on release, the controller featured compatibility with PCs, and as such it instantly became an alternative to other popular PC gaming controllers like the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers. Unfortunately, since the controller was built from the ground up for Android, issues would occasionally arise, and because of a lack of information, it would lead to the device being misused and presumed broken.

We’ll be breaking down the most common reasons why your Nvidia Shield controller PC is not working, as well as how to fix them and make sure they don’t happen again. So, without further ado, let’s get into the list.

Nvidia Shield controller not connected via USB cable

It’s important to know that the Nvidia Shield controller does not work wirelessly on PC the way it does with the Nvidia Shield TV Box itself, at least not without going through a few hoops first. Many people don’t know about this, which leads to a lot of confusion when they get their controllers expecting them to pair up with their PCs seamlessly.

You’re going to need a USB cable to get the Nvidia Shield controller working with your PC, though from there it’s as simple as plugging the device in and making sure everything is running right. This is less of an actual problem and more of a basic thing to remember, so let’s move on to a more common issue.

Nvidia Shield controller needs to be unpaired before use

Now, let’s say you’ve got an Nvidia Shield controller and it’s all plugged in to your PC ready to be used. Despite that. it still refuses to work; despite how many buttons you press on it. In this case, you’ll want to make sure that the controller is no longer paired with the Nvidia Shield Android Box first, since that can cause issues and interfere with the inputs being registered.

Unpairing from the Nvidia Shield Android Box is thankfully easy, the same way it’s done on essentially any Android device. Head into the settings menu and search for the Bluetooth settings. In there, you’ll find your controller as one of the devices paired. Simply select it to bring up the options and unpair the device, then finally plug it back into your PC and it should function fine. If not, check the next listing.

Nvidia Shield controller not updated to latest firmware

If you’re eager to get to using the controller, you may miss the fact that you need to update it to the latest firmware before you can even get to using it. If you don’t, you’ll find that it runs into a plethora of different compatibility issues that it really shouldn’t have with no obvious solution. Thankfully this is a pretty easy fix.

If you have an Nvidia Shield TV Android Box, you’ll need to first pair up your controller with it. It’ll automatically update your firmware to the latest version, and from there it boils down to just unpairing it from the Android Box and connecting it to your PC. You’ll also want to make sure your PC is running the latest Nvidia software if you have an Nvidia GPU.

Nvidia Shield controller listed as mouse input device

This one is a fairly unique issue, though it’s appeared a bunch of times. The issue arises once you’ve plugged your device into the PC, but instead of working as a controller by default, it instead registers as a mouse, meaning you don’t get to use you Nvidia Shield controller as an actual controller. Thankfully, there’s a fix for this required a bit of knowledge but is otherwise quite simple.

First, you’ll want to head into your control panel and find the tab that brings you to the “Device and Printers” page. Look for the controllers setting and check out the properties for them. Inside, you should find a section that shows you what it your controller is being used as, with one of the options being a mouse input. All you really need to do now is right click it and disable it, then reconnect your controller.

Making your Nvidia Shield controller work via Steam

Now, if everything here doesn’t work, there’s one other option you can try, and that’s Steam. While most people just know Steam as a game distribution platform, it actually also works as a compatibility layer for controllers. Of course, you’ll need to install Steam, but if you’re a gamer of any sort then we’re sure you’ve already got it on your PC.

Is your Nvidia Shield controller not working on PC

To get it working, you need to boot up Steam and head into the settings pane to activate Big Picture Mode. Once you’re in there, you go to the controller settings and see if you can setup your controller to work for it. After that, boot up any game you want on Steam and see if your controller works.

Conclusion

If you’ve tried everything here and it still doesn’t work, it’s possible there’s a problem with your Nvidia Shield controller that needs to be fixed internally. Controller issues are quite frequent, so thankfully it’s not too hard to find people that are willing to help you fix your controller for a price.

We do hope that at least one of the solutions here worked for you. The Nvidia Shield controller is a fantastic piece, and a controller that deserves to be in any gamer’s cabinet.