Controller not working after alt-tab? Keep it in the game
The controller stops when you click your other screen because the game ignores input while it is not the active window. A few games and many emulators have a "Background input" setting; check for one first. Most games have none, because the behavior is compiled in. Second Screen Gaming can keep one Xbox-compatible controller driving the game while you use the other screen, with limits worth reading first.
Keep a controller working in the background
Second Screen Gaming's Keep controller input working while unfocused makes the game believe it is still the active window, and keeps passing it your controller while you click, type and browse on the other screen. It works with:
- 64-bit Windows games
- games that read the controller through XInput or Windows Gaming Input
- one Xbox-compatible controller at a time. With two connected, it steps aside rather than guess which one belongs to the game.
It is experimental, and it works differently from every other fix in the app:
Read this before turning it on. Controller assistance loads a small helper into the running game to intercept its focus and controller calls. That can break a game's terms of service or trigger anti-cheat, multiplayer restrictions or an account ban. Second Screen Gaming switches it off for games where it detects anti-cheat, but detection is not a guarantee. Use it with single-player games, after reading the developer's terms. The app asks you to acknowledge this before the switch can be turned on.
Turning it off, or closing the tray agent, stops its effect within a few seconds.
Why the controller stops working when the game loses focus
Windows tells a game when its window stops being the active one. Most games answer by ignoring controller input until they are active again, so a button press meant for another program cannot move your character. Games that read the controller through XInput are told to do exactly this: switch input off when the window deactivates, and back on when it returns. Windows Gaming Input, the newer controller interface, only delivers input to the app in front.
How to fix it without extra software
Most games offer no way around this, because dropping input on focus loss is compiled into the game. These are still worth checking:
- Look in the game's controls or accessibility settings for an option such as "Background input", "Pause when unfocused" or "Run in background". A few games have one.
- Emulators often have it. Dolphin, for example, has a Background Input checkbox in its controller settings.
- If you only need to read or scroll the other screen, skip the click. Turn on Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them in Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse, and the game keeps focus while you scroll.
Common questions
Why does my controller not work when I click on another window?
The game stops reading the controller the moment it is no longer the active window, on purpose, so a button press meant for another program cannot move your character. Clicking back into the game turns it on again. Controller assistance keeps it on while you click elsewhere.
Does it work with PlayStation or Switch controllers?
Only when Windows itself sees the controller as an Xbox controller. A game that reads a PlayStation or Switch controller directly, through DirectInput or its own support for that pad, is not covered.
Can it get my account banned?
In an online game, it can. It loads a helper into the game, which is exactly what anti-cheat looks for. Keep it to single-player games.
Why does it stop when I connect a second controller?
With more than one controller connected it cannot tell which one is yours, so it pauses until only one is left.