All digital buttons suddenly died, but analog sticks still work (Series X controller)

tonofpudding · Sep 22, 2023

I was in the middle of playing Starfield when the game stopped and said the controller was disconnected. I look down and sure enough, it's turned itself off. I replaced the batteries, thinking maybe they died, even though they were fairly fresh.

When I turned the controller back on, the analog sticks, triggers and home button worked, but none of the face buttons worked at all. It seems like analog input types are working, but no digital button presses. They just spontaneously died in the middle of playing.

I've tried power cycling the controller, power cycling the console, connecting to the Xbox via USB, connecting to a PC via USB, every suggested troubleshooting step. They all have the same result: Analog inputs are read perfectly fine, but no button presses register at all.

Hard to tell if it's a hardware or software issue, either one probably has separate components dealing with analog sticks vs button presses, and whatever it was just broke randomly.

:)

tonofpudding

Hello ! I'm Kris and I'd be happy to help you with your question. Sorry to hear you have this issue. Sounds like you already have done a ton of triage to see what the issue is. I presume there are no software update for the controller waiting. How old is the controller, if its still under warranty, I would suggest triggering that.

No, there's no updates available. I installed the latest one about a week ago.

It's about a year and a half old (bought in April 2022), so the warranty conveniently expired a few months ago.

In true Microsoft fashion, going through the warranty service claim form ends in

"There are no service options available. For further assistance, contact us."

And going through that Contact Us link ends in

"Phone calls and chats aren't available for this issue." and 'Try the troubleshooting support page';

Which itself ends in

"If this doesn’t solve the issue, your controller needs to be replaced."

And takes you right back to the beginning of the cycle. It's just a loop of handing you off somewhere else without doing anything!

The_Last_DJ

Hello Tonofpudding! I'm Kris and I'd be happy to help you with your question.

Sorry to hear you have this issue. Sounds like you already have done a ton of triage to see what the issue is. I presume there are no software update for the controller waiting. How old is the controller, if its still under warranty, I would suggest triggering that.

SenS Alpha

I am also having issues with my controller analog stick. Mostly it happens when I play Overwatch and the stick "sticks". I am hoping it will be fixed with the controller design for the Xbox Series X.

TripleTopper321

Maybe you can try use this Guide -> How to customize an Xbox One Wireless Controller with the Xbox
Accessories app

Yes, I know t could work. You don't need an Elite conrtroller for it to work. Heck you don't even need a Microsoft-made controller.

I remapped buttons on the Power A "ring finger" Wired USB pad, where digital controls can be mapped to each other. Plus the ring finger buttons (as a function of the Power A controller) can be any button including a digitized version of a trigger.

(P.S. To any joystick hacker who doesn't know how to do analog to digital conversions: would maybe programming the ring finger buttons to be LT and RT and using those programmed digitized buttons to wire a fight stick come in handy? You don't need the analog
trigger to digital button conversion. That is as long as the memory feature of the ring finger buttons isn't destroyed n the stick making process.)

i

Heck, Even my PS2 Street Fighter 15th Anniversary Stick plugged into a PS2-> Xbox One controller adapter does work with the Xbox button OS.

But they are all limited by the same problem of only LT and RT are swappable with each other. The only way that can be avoided is to have a checkbox for "all digital/Fight Stick Mode"

Sorry. I just corrected spelling, grammar, and a couple ambiguous sentences.

SwankYeti843

I am sure there are plenty of materials to make it out of that would be sturdy. I am so sick of that jerky right analog stick. And having to switch back and forth between the stick and the buttons is stupid, an RPG nightmare. At least this design will free
the thumb. I am sure that another button would be able to act as the analog stick click.

I think trackballs died in the 90s, but maybe they could use infrared to track the movements? or a special finger cover to track the movements?

I just hope this controller gets made ASAP!

All digital buttons suddenly died, but analog sticks still work (Series X controller)