Game Error Fortnite

Switch Pro Controller Not Working with Fortnite on PC - Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 79 ⚡ Severity: 🔴 High

🎯 Quick Answer

Install the BetterJoy driver emulator, configure it to swap AB/XY buttons, and ensure Steam is closed to use a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller with Fortnite on Windows.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The error is a compatibility failure where a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is not recognized as a valid gamepad input device by Fortnite on a Windows PC. The game receives no controller input or misinterprets the controller as a keyboard/mouse. This problem affects the Windows PC platform exclusively. It occurs across all recent versions of Fortnite. The issue is classified as common for users attempting to use this specific controller. The severity is game-breaking, as it prevents standard controller gameplay. No specific error codes are generated by Fortnite; the observable symptom is a complete lack of functional gamepad input or incorrect input mapping.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The controller connects to Windows via Bluetooth or USB but provides no functional input within Fortnite. The game's settings menu does not detect controller stick or button presses for configuration. In some instances, the controller's right analog stick emulates mouse cursor movement instead of camera control. Button presses may trigger incorrect actions, such as the 'A' button functioning as 'B'. The system may also fail to maintain a stable connection, with the controller repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting. These symptoms manifest immediately upon launching Fortnite and persist throughout gameplay.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: The Steam client application, when running, automatically installs and applies its own controller configuration layer (Steam Input). This service intercepts the Pro Controller and presents it to games as a generic XInput device, which can conflict with third-party emulation software. Why this causes the problem: Fortnite receives conflicting controller signals or an incorrectly mapped virtual device, resulting in no input or incorrect button mapping.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller uses a different physical button layout (A/B and X/Y swapped) and a different communication protocol (DInput) compared to the Xbox-style controller (XInput) that Fortnite natively supports on PC. Why this causes the problem: Fortnite expects XInput signals. Without translation software, the Pro Controller's DInput signals are either ignored or misinterpreted.

Category: Driver Issue

Specific technical explanation: The Windows operating system lacks native, full-featured drivers for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller's HID protocol, particularly for advanced features like rumble and proper button enumeration. Why this causes the problem: Windows provides only basic keyboard/mouse emulation for the controller, preventing it from being recognized as a gamepad.

Category: Software Conflict

Specific technical explanation: Previous installation of other controller emulation software (e.g., DS4Windows, x360ce) leaves residual virtual bus drivers or services that claim exclusive access to gamepad input. Why this causes the problem: These drivers create device contention, blocking the correct emulation driver from forwarding controller data to Fortnite.

Category: Configuration Error

Specific technical explanation: The ViGEmBus virtual gamepad emulation driver, required by translation software like BetterJoy, is not installed or is an outdated version. Why this causes the problem: The translation software cannot create a virtual XInput device for Fortnite to detect without this foundational driver.

Category: Hardware Issue

Specific technical explanation: A faulty or low-bandwidth USB cable, or persistent Bluetooth pairing data corruption, causes an unstable connection between the controller and the PC. Why this causes the problem: Intermittent connection drops force Windows to re-enumerate the device, breaking the established emulation bridge.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Install and Configure BetterJoy with ViGEmBus

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access for driver installation. Steps:

Terminate the Steam client completely. Right-click the Steam icon in the system tray and select Exit.
Download the latest release of BetterJoy from the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/Davidobot/BetterJoy/releases. Download the BetterJoy_vX.x.x.zip file.
Extract the ZIP archive to a permanent directory, for example, C:\Tools\BetterJoy\.
Navigate to the Drivers folder within the extracted directory. Execute ViGEmBusSetup_x64.msi (for 64-bit Windows) or ViGEmBusSetup_x86.msi (for 32-bit Windows) to install the virtual gamepad driver.
Restart the computer to complete the driver installation.
Pair the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller via Bluetooth. Open Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices. Remove any existing "Pro Controller" pairing. Hold the sync button on the controller until the LED strip scans, then select "Add device" > "Bluetooth" and choose "Pro Controller".
Navigate to the BetterJoy directory (e.g., C:\Tools\BetterJoy\). Right-click BetterJoyForCemu.exe and select Run as administrator.
In the BetterJoy application, verify the Pro Controller appears in the "Connected Controllers" list with a green background.
Click the small > arrow to the right of the console output box to expand the configuration panel.
In the configuration sidebar, scroll to locate and check the boxes for SwapAB and SwapXY. Click the Apply button.
Restart the BetterJoy application as prompted.
Launch Fortnite. Navigate to Settings > Controller to confirm stick and button input is detected.

Technical Explanation: BetterJoy functions as a protocol translator. It captures the Pro Controller's native DInput signals, translates them into the XInput protocol that Fortnite requires, and uses the ViGEmBus driver to create a virtual Xbox 360 controller that the game recognizes natively. Verification: Within Fortnite's settings menu under the Controller tab, moving the controller's analog sticks changes the highlighted selection, and button presses are registered correctly with Xbox button prompts (A, B, X, Y).

Solution 2: Establish a Wired USB Connection

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: A known-good USB-C to USB-A cable. Steps:

Ensure Steam is fully closed and BetterJoy is not running.
Connect the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to a USB port on the PC using the USB cable.
Open Device Manager (press Win + X, then select Device Manager). Under "Sound, video and game controllers", confirm "Pro Controller" is listed without a warning icon.
Launch BetterJoyForCemu.exe as administrator. The controller should appear in the Connected Controllers list.
Configure the SwapAB and SwapXY settings as detailed in Solution 1, Step 10.
Launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: A direct USB connection provides a more stable and lower-latency data link than Bluetooth, eliminating potential wireless interference and power-saving disconnects that can break the emulation layer. Verification: The controller maintains a consistent connection in BetterJoy with no disconnection messages in the console log, and input latency in Fortnite is minimized.

Solution 3: Perform a Clean Re-pairing of Bluetooth Controller

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Close Fortnite, BetterJoy, and Steam.
Open Windows Settings > Bluetooth & devices. Under "Devices", locate "Pro Controller". Click the three dots next to it and select Remove device. Confirm removal.
On the Pro Controller, hold the small sync button (located near the USB-C port) for 3-5 seconds until the LED strip at the bottom begins scanning back and forth.
In Windows Bluetooth settings, click Add device > Bluetooth. Select "Pro Controller" from the discovered devices list.
Wait for the pairing process to complete. The controller will show as "Connected" under "Input devices".
Re-launch BetterJoyForCemu.exe as administrator, then launch Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted Bluetooth pairing keys or an incorrect device class assignment can cause Windows to enumerate the controller as a generic HID device instead of a gamepad. Removing and re-pairing clears this cached data. Verification: The Pro Controller appears in the Windows Bluetooth settings under "Input devices" and maintains a "Connected" status without fluctuation.

Solution 4: Disable Steam Input Globally

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 3 minutes Success Rate: Medium Steps:

Launch the Steam client.
Navigate to Steam > Settings (on Windows) or Preferences (on macOS) from the top-left menu.
Select Controller from the sidebar, then click General Controller Settings.
In the new window, ensure the checkbox for Nintendo Switch Pro Configuration Support is unchecked.
Additionally, uncheck any other generic controller support options like PlayStation Configuration Support or Xbox Configuration Support.
Close the settings window and fully exit Steam from the system tray.

Technical Explanation: This prevents the Steam client from automatically initializing its own driver layer for any connected controller, eliminating the primary software conflict with third-party emulators like BetterJoy. Verification: With a controller connected, launching Steam no longer causes the controller's LED to change or triggers Steam's controller configuration pop-up.

Solution 5: Run BetterJoy as a Windows Service

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Download the BetterJoy_vX.x.x.zip file if not already present and extract it to C:\Program Files\BetterJoy\.
Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter to open the Services management console.
In the Services window, check if a service named "BetterJoy" already exists. If it does, right-click it and select Stop, then Properties and set "Startup type" to Disabled.
Open a Command Prompt as Administrator (search for "cmd", right-click > Run as administrator).
Navigate to the BetterJoy directory: cd "C:\Program Files\BetterJoy"
Install the service using the built-in tool. Execute: BetterJoyForCemu.exe /install. A confirmation message appears.
Execute: BetterJoyForCemu.exe /start to launch the service.
Return to the Services (services.msc) console, find the "BetterJoy" service, right-click it, select Properties, and set "Startup type" to Automatic.

Technical Explanation: Running BetterJoy as a service ensures the driver emulation layer is active before any user logs in and remains stable across user session changes, preventing the need for manual application launch. Verification: The "BetterJoy" service shows a Status of "Running" in the Services management console before any user application is launched. The virtual controller is available system-wide.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, establish a consistent launch sequence: first, ensure Steam is not running; second, verify the Bluetooth connection is active or the USB cable is secure; third, launch BetterJoy; finally, launch Fortnite. Configure BetterJoy to run as a Windows Service (Solution 5) for automatic, session-persistent operation. Use a dedicated, high-quality USB-C cable for a wired connection to eliminate Bluetooth pairing instability. Before major Windows feature updates, create a backup of the C:\Tools\BetterJoy\ (or equivalent) directory and its configuration files.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the virtual Xbox 360 controller created by BetterJoy is functional in other games or the Windows Game Controller settings panel (joy.cpl), but remains undetected specifically by Fortnite. Before contacting support, gather the following diagnostic information: the Fortnite application logs located in %LocalAppData%\FortniteGame\Saved\Logs, the full output log from the BetterJoy console, and a screenshot of the Windows Device Manager under "Sound, video and game controllers". Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help page at https://www.epicgames.com/help.