Switch Pro Controller won't reconnect through bluetooth

[TeeSeal]

Recently bought myself a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for use with my switch and PC. When I tried playing on PC the first time I paired it through bluetooth, windows started "setting it up", steam quickly detected it and everything went fine.

However after turning off the controller/PC and attempting to reconnect later, it never does. While the controller attempts to reconnect the steam client freezes, and only unfreezes when the controller gives up (the controller does appear as "connected" during this period in the control panel). Even worse, if I attempt to reconnect the controller while in big picture mode, it causes steam to crash completely.

Connecting through USB works fine. Also I have a PS4 controller that connects and reconnects through bluetooth alright as well.

Never had any kind of wonky controller driver software, just plain steam.

Right now, whenever I want to use the Procon, I have to delete it from the devices in the control panel and re-pair it with my PC, as that's the only time steam seems to interface with it properly.

[Miles Elric]

Having a similar issue. It's recognizing the control, but the control is just acting like a mouse and not like a normal control should. It was working fine about a week ago. I find that just messing with all the control settings makes it work properly eventually, but I have no clue which setting actually fixes it. This seems like a windows/steam thing and not something we are doing wrong. This has been going on for almost a week now.

[HW Support]

Hello,

We would like to help resolve the issue you’ve encountered with the Bluetooth connectivity with your Switch Pro Controller.


To start the process I’ve created a ticket for you.

You should receive an email with further instructions on how to access the support ticket.


Once you respond to the ticket we will be happy to assist you further.

[Jungle Jim]

Anyone solved this issue yet? I've been having the exact same issue for months now.

[TeeSeal]

Originally posted by Jim:

Anyone solved this issue yet? I've been having the exact same issue for months now.

Nope, still have the same issue as well =/ I've just stopped using the switch pro controller with my PC, using an xbox one instead.

[Jungle Jim]

Steam Support got back in touch and said that they're investigating the issue and will release a fix in a future update.

[Catto]

I have this exact issue as well.

For years I have used both a PS3 and a PS4 controller, and pairing via bluetooth using it wirelessly (PS3 required third party software and some configuration) has worked flawlessly.

I believe this is an issue of the Pro Controller (which I prefer over any other controller I have ever used, the thing is damn near perfect except for this) and not something Valve can fix.

Looking in the devices menu in Windows 10, I can clearly see that the Pro Controller goes from "paired" to "connected" and then back to "paired" again when the lights are flashing on the controller after I try to start it up. The only way to make it connect properly is to remove it, and then re-pair it again, which isn't too big of a deal but I'd rather not have to for obvious reasons.

Pairing the DS4 to an android phone is very simple as well, and allegedly you should be able to do the same thing with the Pro Controller, but it doesn't work as well as it should there either. Inputs are laggy, and sometimes it doesn't connect at all.

I think it's on Nintendo's (or devoted PC-gamers via custom made software) end to fix this. I know that Nintendo can update the firmware on it's wireless controllers via the Switch itself, so I am hoping that there will be a patch that fixes this sometime in the future.

If anyone reading this knows anything that can help, please, put it in this thread or contact me directly on my email [e-mail], if I get any replies I will edit them into this post.

[tyoma53]

hi,
i have same issue, so decided to do little bit further investigation without steam.

i know that retroarch version prior to 1.9.0 (latest one) has pro controller support via bluetooth. unfortunately after RetcroArch infrastructure was hacked, no previous protable stable releases available for download now, so i downloaded x86_64/2020-03-07_RetroArch.7z from nightly chanel and replace retroarch.exe in my current retroarch installation folder with retroarch.exe from archive. then i executed retroarch.exe directly, with steam disabled of course, so there will be no conflict between retroarch and steam at battle for controller. i saw version 1.8.5 of retroarch, and this is what i need.

next, i paired pro controller with windows 10 via bluetooth using standard windows bluetooth settings, and could use controller in retroarch afterwards to move through menu in retroarch. so far so good. then i disabled pro controller with small button left from type-c controller input and anabled it again by pressing any other button on controller. it was enabled, it's name appeared in retroarch pop-up message, but retroarch didn't react to controller buttons and in ~20 seconds controller was disabled again.

so, i think it's either problem with drivers for my realtek 4.2 bluetooth adapter or in windows 10 itself, but not with steam.

btw, i found in internet, that nintendo released firmware update for pro controller, but it can be only installed from switch. maybe controller update will solve the issue.

[Kithrin]

This issue is still around.

But, here is what i have found:

The firmware update for the pro controller does not fix this issue. Which, I believe to be an issue with bluetooth.

I did not have this issue when using the bluetooth adapter on my motherboard. I'm not sure what version of bluetooth, but since the mother board is about 7 years old i'd say around bluetooth 2.1. Reconnecting the pro controller was not an issue. It worked fine. It just had really short range and could be blocked by my desk.

So i updated to a 5.0 usb bluetooth adapter. It has the longer range but now i have the reconnect issue.

With this in mind i believe the issue is with bluetooth 3.0 to 5.0 drivers. (It could be only the 4.0 and 5.0. I have no way of checking 3.0)

I have not checked a PS4 controller (yet) to see if that controller is also suffering from the same issue.

[TeeSeal]

I have both an XBox and a Dualshock 4 controller. None of them suffer from the same issue. This seems to be specific to the switch procon.

[tyoma53]

@Kithrin, @TeeSeal, thanks for your investigation

[Weshuzan]

Has there been any update on this whatsoever? Has anyone had their issue resolved?

I have used a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller with Steam on my upstairs computer with compatible games for over a year, it's always worked well and still does. But this week we bought a desktop for my wife and have been having issues.

The controller must be added manually for each session, if it disconnects in any way it will not automatically reconnect, and the manual addition must be done again. Plugging it in by cord only worked the very first time. When attempting to reconnect after a disconnect, the PC recognizes its signal showing 'Connected' rather than 'Paired', but the bottom light still moves left to right attempting to connect until it times out. Sometimes the attempt to reconnect crashes steam, as someone mentioned above.

I'm not sure what specs someone would need to know, but all the relevant pieces are functionally identical between our PCs. Windows 10, fully up to date. Controller firmware updated through Switch. The only hardware difference I can find is that my Bluetooth Adapter uses 4.2 and hers uses 5.1. If you read above, someone with 4.2 had been having this problem. However, MY computer upstairs is 4.2 and still operates with the controller PERFECTLY, so that can't be the culprit.

Based on the fact that the PC clearly recognizes the controller but Steam doesn't engage it leads me to believe it's a Steam issue, but I haven't the slightest clue how to isolate and repair that.

Any new information on this ongoing issue would be appreciated.

[Jungle Jim]

Still have the same issues even on a new computer I built with Bluetooth 5.0, I've waited a good year and a half with no updates from Valve, Microsoft or Nintendo. I've bought a Xbox Series X controller which works flawlessly and works natively on windows and selling off the Pro Controller

[JZ]

Have this issue with BTA-3210 2.1 and USB-BT500 5.0 adapters. I came across a similar post for the steam controller, but oddly my sc has no issue reconnecting. BT500 reviews said that pro controllers work well, so not sure what's going on.

Updated Fix: An 8bitdo receiver I had worked well but the range was poor, so ultimately bought a Sabrent BT-UB40 and have had zero issues since. Unrelated but managed to resolve a similar reconnection issue with a bluetooth mouse via drivers, but tried plug & play, rolling back the driver and then with the manufacturer driver without luck with the previous adapters.

[Catto]

My issue has been solved, either by itself via some form of update through something or maybe I was just hitting the wrong button all along.

If I just push literally ANY button except the home and pair buttons, it connects and stays connected to my PC like it should.

[caio_act]

I had a similar problem.

Try to uninstall and reinstall the bluetooth driver. It worked for me.
(google it or see link below)
https://www.intowindows.com/how-to-uninstall-or-reinstall-bluetooth-driver-in-windows-10/