Support NeoGAF

[Vitacat]

I was having issues with vibration not working when I used my Xbox One S controller via bluetooth on my PC. It seemed to mainly happen with Microsoft's own games, like Gears Of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. For whatever reason, other PC games seemed able to reliably use rumble over bluetooth, but Microsoft's games were strangely random.

I downloaded a free app on the Windows store called "Game Controller tester" which has settings to test vibration, unlike the built-in test in Windows Game Controllers properties.

What I found was that sure enough, there was no vibration when I tested with the app. After some resets and trying different things, I found a fix.

Go to the Windows Game Controllers settings, and click on Advanced. If you don't see your bluetooth controller selected, then select it as the "Preferred Device." BUT, even if it is already selected, just do it again. Click on it, and select it, then click OK.

You'll find that vibration now works.

Somehow whatever flag is being set with that action gets reset sometimes. I don't know how or why exactly, but I have found that doing the above before playing a Microsoft PC game will reliably enable vibration over bluetooth.

Please try it and see if it works for you as well.

 

[Triforce141]

I would've posted sooner, but I had to get a bluetooth adapter for this computer.

Anyway, I tested it, both normal vibration and impulse triggers indeed work after following the guide.

 

[aka_bueno]

Seriously? If this works I'll love you so much. The whole point of this game pad was it's Bluetooth so I can use it for PC but when I found out trigger vibrations didn't work over bluetooth I was annoyed and had to plug it in via USB

 

[Izuna]

Hmm? I didn't even know this was a thing. Well, thank you!

edit: i wonder if this is a good idea... doesn't sound like a common issue

 

[aka_bueno]

Wait did you have no vibrations at all before or just not any trigger vibrations? Cause over Bluetooth I get normal rumble, just not trigger vibrations (need USB for that to work).

Are you getting trigger vibration now in-games?

 

[Dolobill]

Normal rumble over Bluetooth has been working for me, including in Gears 4. I followed the instructions but I'm unable to test any rumble using this app.

 

[Pons]

My Xbox One S controller I just got last week, was getting no rumble in GoW4 and FH3 about 95 pct of the time, it would work fine wired.

Verified I had latest controller firmware.

Tried the OP fix and it does in fact get the vibration working, but every time I turn off/on the controller I have to go through the quick process...

How can Microsoft have screwed this up so badly lol. Great controller but the whole point of giving it bluetooth functionality is to work over bluetooth, not partially work...

Thanks Vitacat!

 

[Broank]

I just got one of the new Xbox controllers couple days ago and I've been having a heck of a time getting anything to work over bluetooth on my PC. Drops out randomly for a few seconds then comes back, buttons firing off without getting pushed, rumble sometimes works sometimes doesn't, headphones don't work, says it's paired but it's not etc. etc. Might just get a wireless adapter and be done with it since it's so frustrating.

 

[aka_bueno]

Just tested this, this doesn't fix the no-impulse-triggers-over-Bluetooth issue sadly.

If you're having an issue where the gamepad wont rumble at all over Bluetooth (which can happen randomly) this'll fix it. But that's for regular rumble, impulse triggers wont activate over Bluetooth still. Only USB. Ugh.

FYI, testing impulse triggers over Bluetooth in this app will activate the regular rumble feature slightly (which you'll feel throughout the gamepad including the triggers ever so slightly) but don't confuse that with the Impulse triggers.

If you plug gamepad into USB and test it, you'll notice what Impulse Triggers are. The impulse triggers are actually stronger than the regular rumble. Impulse Trigger vibrations at 100% will vibrate the shit out of the your trigger fingers lol. The regular rumble is like a low speed rumble emitting from the grips of the lower controller and spread upwards, the Impulse Triggers however vibrate at fast speed at the triggers and at 100% you can hear them buzzing like a bee if you hold them down in this app.

So dumb that they wont work over Bluetooth, battery saving issue maybe?