Bunny from The First Descendant
Image via NEXON

How to Fix The First Descendant Controller Issues on PC

Definitely turn off vibration.

NEXON’s latest looter-shooter, The First Descendant, is finally available on PC and consoles. The Unreal Engine 5 title is available on PC through Steam and runs quite well for the most part. Some technical problems are expected at launch, and we hope NEXON continues to monitor these. If you’re running into any issues with your controller while playing The First Descendant on PC, here is how you can fix those.

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Fixing The First Descendant Controller Issues

To ensure your controllers work properly in The First Descendant, you must ensure that Steam Input is disabled for the game.

  • Make sure The First Descendant isn’t running
  • Open Steam, and navigate to your library
  • Here, right-click on The First Descendant and select Properties
  • In the Controller tab, select the Disable Steam Input (or Use default settings) under Override for The First Descendant

This will ensure that the built-in native profiles set up by the developers are used rather than Steam Input. If you use Steam Input, both types of controllers will still work, but you will not see the proper button prompts in the case of PlayStation controllers.

We have tested both the Xbox Series controller, as well as the DualShock 4, and both work correctly with the proper button prompts as well.

Use a Wired Connection for PlayStation Controllers

To avoid any connectivity issues, it is recommended that you use a wired connection while using a PlayStation controller like the DualShock 4 or the DualSense.

Check Detected Controllers

If you still can’t get your controllers to work, make sure Steam is detecting the ones you have plugged in. To check detected controllers in the Steam client, simply select Steam Settings Controller:

You can’t change the button prompts for specific controllers, but during our testing, even if you have multiple controllers plugged in, the game switches to the correct prompts if you start using a different controller.

The First Descendant has a few technical issues in its launch state, especially the DirectX 12 error. For more on The First Descendant, make sure to check out our dedicated section.


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About the Author

Ali Hashmi

Ali has been writing about video games for the past six years and is always on the lookout for the next indie game to obsess over and recommend to everyone in sight. When he isn't spending an unhealthy amount of time in Slay the Spire, he's probably trying out yet another retro-shooter or playing Dark Souls for the 50th time.