Controller Not Working Fix

Here's the currently working solution for those that have issues with the game seemingly not recogninizing their gamepad.

Currently known solutions

Up-To-Date Solution: Enable Steam Input, launch the game and select the Steam Controller Settings, browse configs and apply a recommended official configuration.

Alternative Solution: Enable Steam Input, launch the game and select the Steam Controller Settings, browse configs, enabled Show other controller types and apply a configuration.

Old solution that should not be required: Opt out of Steam Beta, select Steam Input and apply a controller preset.
Follow from Step 1 to Step 5.
I've personally tested this method and it was the only one that worked for me.

Up-To-Date Solution

1. Change controller override to Steam Input

Go to game's Properties > Controller and set it to Enable Steam Input.

2. Launch the game and apply an official configuration

Launch game, go to options menu, select Steam Controller Settings.

• If you've never played the game, press New Game and you'll get options screen, where you can select Steam Controller Settings.
  
  
  
  
• If you've played the game press Continue. Then press Tab. Select Controls. From there you can open the config.
  
  

3. Browse Configs and then pick Official Configuration for Tales of Arise for your appropriate gamepad and click apply.

4. Restart the game

• Your gamepad should be already connected when the game is launched.
  
• Make sure the game is focused.

You will know the gamepad is working if you can skip intro logos with button presses.

Alternative Solution

1. Change controller override to Steam Input

Go to game's Properties > Controller and set it to Enable Steam Input.

2. Launch the game and apply any community configuration

Launch game, go to options menu, select Steam Controller Settings.

• If you've never played the game, press New Game and you'll get options screen, where you can select Steam Controller Settings.
  
  
  
  
• If you've played the game press Continue. Then press Tab. Select Controls. From there you can open the config.
  
  

3. Browse Configs, enable Show Other Controller Types and then pick a highly upvoted control scheme and click apply.

4. Restart the game

• Your gamepad should be already connected when the game is launched.
  
• Make sure the game is focused.

You will know the gamepad is working if you can skip intro logos with button presses.

Old solution that should not be required

Step 1. Opt-out of Steam Beta if you're using it

If you're already on a stable release of Steam and you're still having issues, skip to Step 3!

Settings > Account > Change > set to NONE > OK
Confirm Steam restart.

Step 2. Re-add SteamLibrary folder(s) if you're using more than one
If you're using multiple Steam Library folders then go to

Note that current Stable release now has the new download module and you don't have to re-add your games anymore!
Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders> Add Library Folder and point Steam to your games, then press Select.
Otherwise skip to Step 3.

Step 3. Change controller override to Steam Input

Go to game's Properties > Controller and set it to Enable Steam Input.

Step 4. Launch the game and apply an official configuration

Launch game, go to options menu, select Steam Controller Settings.

• If you've never played the game, press New Game and you'll get options screen, where you can select Steam Controller Settings.
  
  
  
  
• If you've played the game press Continue. Then press Tab. Select Controls. From there you can open the config.
  
  

Then Browse Configs and then pick Official Configuration for Tales of Arise for your appropriate gamepad and click apply.

Step 5. Restart the game

• Your gamepad should be already connected when the game is launched.
  
• Make sure the game is focused.

You will know the gamepad is working if you can skip intro logos with button presses.

(Optional) Step 6. Opt-in back into Steam Beta

If you want to continue to use Steam Beta then you can undo Step 1 and revert back to Steam Beta. You do not have to re-add Steam Library folders when on Beta.
Once your gamepad is working it will work even on Beta.

[Phoenix]

My Xbox360 controller works, but the directional pad buttons are not recognized. Even with other layouts. Any guess?

[Dfactor]

I can only guess that's either temporary error that would go away by itself or there's an issue with the Steam client.

[PixelMations]

I’m just here to ask why steam does this. So when I go into search tab for gamepad (big picture) I click on a result and it gives me an error message. How do I fix this?

[Rukir Gaming]

I find that I just have to apply the configuration every time I start up the game, and it'll work, even when I alt-tab to Chrome

[Dfactor]

This was written when gamepads were not working at all, during the launch of the game.
Unfortunately, it won't solve newly arisen problems or edge cases.

[Stanze]

The solutions here work if you're just trying to get your controller to function for the game. For me however, my problem is switching the default configurations to SHOW that a ps4 controller is being used. I have the issue where control tooltips are based on using keyboard controls and not the ps4 controls/buttons. Some buttons on the ps4 layout don't get binded like clicking a button to open the menu. It's been frustrating because all of this was working perfectly fine a few months ago and now the game is stuck with showing keyboard control prompts instead of controller prompts.

[؟؟͌̊̄Maj͈̾i͍̓K͛́ͅ?̈́͢͡?]

They took steam and steam deckified everything to the point where native steam controller support and gamepad support is essentially broken...

[Cpt_Falkon]

Until this last steam update, my controller worked perfectly, this last update completely ruined all controller functionality through steam. Still havent found a fix, and am now quite frustrated with steam all over again. I have always absolutely hated "big picture" mode being a requirement, and now I hate it more than ever. Just please get rid of big picture mode being a requirement for anything controller related please steam

[PocketNerd]

Seems I just had to turn on the Steam Overlay and then suddenly, controls!

[Dfactor]

Steam Input API through Proton layer ... Valve themselves should've made sure it works, since it's their own product. I guess they didn't.