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How to Fix a Controller Not Working in Hollow Knight: Silksong on PC

Try Silksong’s Controller Advanced Settings first, then check device recognition and use the platform-specific steps for Linux or Mac.
WorldHollow Knight: Silksong on PC Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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If your controller is not detected, has incorrect mappings, or sends stuck inputs in Hollow Knight: Silksong on PC, first check the game’s Controller > Advanced Settings. Team Cherry added platform-specific input options, including a way to switch back to the previous input system. If that does not help, verify the controller connection and follow the branch for your operating system and launcher; Steam players on Linux can also try Proton as a reversible experiment, though community reports are mixed.

Start with Silksong’s Advanced Settings

Team Cherry says the game moved to Unity’s Input System to broaden controller support, while noting that some controller setups still have limitations. Its help page says the Controller menu’s Advanced Settings provides additional platform-specific options for PC players with existing or newly introduced controller problems. Open the official Silksong help page for current guidance.

  1. Open Silksong and go to the Controller menu.
  2. Open Advanced Settings and review the available input-system options for your platform.
  3. If the controller stopped working or began behaving differently after the input update, compare the current system with the option to use the previous input system.
  4. Apply a change, then test movement, buttons, and triggers in-game. If you changed how the controller connects or changed launcher settings, restart the game before testing again.

Team Cherry’s help page describes these options as platform-specific; the exact choices may depend on your setup. The feature is documented, but it is not a guarantee that every controller combination is supported.

Check whether the controller works outside the game

Before changing more game settings, confirm that the controller powers on and is recognized by your operating system or launcher. If wireless input may be the problem, try a direct cable if your controller supports wired data, then restart the game and test again. A cable can help isolate a Bluetooth or wireless connection issue, but it will not fix a game-side mapping problem if the device is otherwise detected.

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  • Not recognized outside Silksong: troubleshoot the controller’s connection or device recognition in the operating system or launcher first.
  • Recognized elsewhere but not in Silksong: focus on the in-game Advanced Settings and the platform-specific steps below.
  • Detected but mapped incorrectly or sending stuck inputs: compare the input-system options, then use the Linux-specific Proton test if applicable.

Use the troubleshooting branch for your platform

Windows

Start with basic device recognition and Silksong’s Advanced Settings. The available evidence does not establish a single Windows-specific fix beyond those steps, so avoid applying Linux workarounds or launch flags as if they were universal.

Steam on Linux

Some Linux players in a Steam Community discussion report improvement after switching to Proton; others describe different results. This is an anecdotal, reversible diagnostic—not an official Team Cherry fix, and not proof that it works across distributions, controllers, game versions, or Steam Deck configurations.

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  1. In Steam, open Silksong in your Library and open its Properties.
  2. Open Compatibility and enable the option to force the use of a Steam Play compatibility tool.
  3. Select an available Proton version, launch the game, and test the same controller actions that failed before.
  4. If the behavior is no better or becomes worse, return to the Compatibility setting and undo the change.

A separate ValveSoftware Steam for Linux issue records one user’s 8BitDo Ultimate 2 mapping problem. It does not establish a universal fix. The issue also cautions against assuming that old launch parameters used for the first Hollow Knight will resolve a Silksong mapping problem.

Mac

Team Cherry specifically warns that a wired Xbox 360 controller on Mac may require an additional driver. That note applies to the named setup; it should not be generalized to every Xbox controller or PC. The caveat appears in Team Cherry’s Patch 4 post, which explains that the new input system adds controller types but still has limits around some wired and Bluetooth combinations.

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When the controller still does not work

If the official help-page steps and relevant platform checks do not resolve the issue, submit it through Team Cherry’s Bug Report Form. Include details that can distinguish an input-system issue from a connection or platform problem:

  • Your operating system and storefront or launcher.
  • Controller make and model, and whether it is wired or wireless.
  • What happens: not detected, wrong button mapping, stuck triggers, or another specific symptom.
  • Whether the controller is recognized outside the game.
  • Which Advanced Settings options and, if relevant, Proton setting you tried.

Team Cherry’s help page acknowledges controller reports but does not publish a count or failure rate, so there is no reliable basis for estimating how many PC players are affected.

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