Android updates these days are generally pretty stable, but issues can still arise and go on for a while without a patch. With Android 11, some users have noticed issues with the game controller input being ignored by the system, and it still happens.
Update 9/8: Google says on its Issue Tracker that this issue is expected to be resolved with the release of Android 12, as the fix was applied in Beta 4. Although the error was widely reported in early 2021, it still affects users. from Android 11 to date.
A support thread on Google’s issue tracking dates back to August 2020, just before the final version of Android 11. The problem, in layman’s terms, is that Android completely ignores the game controller input, but only on the game controller. Android 11 devices. So far, reports of this issue have appeared on several generations of Pixel phones, the Galaxy S20 FE, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and other devices including some OnePlus models. This shows that the problem is in Android 11 itself and is not affected or fixed by OEM skins.
Obviously, this is a frustrating bug as it affects both locally run games as well as streaming options like Stadia, GeForce Now, and Xbox Game Pass, all of which rely on gamepad support. on Android. Notably, this issue will not affect the Stadia controller as it bypasses the connection to your Android device.
Like the people of XDA mention, Google recognized this issue prior to the final release of Android 11, but they haven’t released a patch or provided any updates yet. At this point, it’s not clear what the underlying issue is, but it also doesn’t seem to be affecting all apps or users to a large extent. In my experience, I haven’t had any issues with the gamepads on my Pixel 5.
A common thread for some users seems to be the apps installed on the device that use an accessibility service, such as a button remapper. Disabling apps like these or playing around with other accessibility options can fix the problem at least temporarily.
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