My controller stutters while playing games on pc

Hello Dear User

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

I understand that you are having trouble on controller shutters when playing games on pc, and I understand your confusion.

It sounds like you’re dealing with some annoying controller stuttering while gaming on PC. Let's try to troubleshoot this issue step by step to find a solution.

Check USB Port and Cable

Sometimes, the issue might be as simple as the USB port or cable you’re using to connect your controller. Here's what you can do:

• Try different USB ports on your PC, especially if you’re using USB hubs—directly plugging into the back ports of your PC (if possible) can help.
  

• If you’re using a wired connection, try using a different USB cable to see if the one you're using might be faulty.
  

Update Controller Drivers

Even though you’ve already reinstalled the drivers, it's worth double-checking if they're fully up to date.

• Go to Device Manager on your PC (press Windows + X, then select Device Manager).
  

• Look under Human Interface Devices or Sound, video, and game controllers to find your controller.
  

• Right-click your controller, select Update driver, and let Windows search for updates automatically.
  

If you’re using a third-party controller (e.g., a PS4 controller or an Xbox controller on a non-Xbox PC), try using the specific software or drivers from the manufacturer to install the latest updates.

Disable V-Sync / Frame Limiting in Game Settings

Controller stuttering can sometimes be caused by frame rate issues in games. Here's what to check:

• Go to the video settings in Fortnite or Apex Legends and try disabling V-Sync or frame rate limits.
  

• Check if the frame rate is locked at a lower value, which might cause stuttering when your controller's input isn't synchronized with the frame rate.
  

Disable Xbox Game Bar

The Xbox Game Bar sometimes causes interference with controllers, especially if it's running in the background.

• Open Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and disable it to see if that resolves the issue.
  

Turn Off Controller Settings in Steam (If Using Steam)

If you’re playing through Steam, it could be trying to manage your controller in a way that causes stuttering. Try disabling Steam’s controller settings:

• Open Steam, go to Settings, then navigate to Controller.
  

• Select General Controller Settings and uncheck any controllers you don't need active (like Xbox or PlayStation configurations if you're using a different controller).
  

Check for Background Processes

Sometimes, too many background processes can interfere with game performance and controller input. Try closing unnecessary applications:

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and look for programs that might be using up a lot of CPU or memory. Closing unnecessary ones might help smooth out the controller input.
  

Adjust Power Settings

If your PC’s power settings are set to Power Saving Mode, it can affect the responsiveness of peripherals like controllers.

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options, and set the power plan to High Performance to prevent power saving from interfering with your controller.
  

Test Your Controller on Another PC or Console

If possible, test the controller on another PC or console to see if the stuttering is happening there too. If the issue persists, it might be a hardware issue with the controller itself.

Windows 10/11 Controller Settings (HID-compliant Controller)

Try resetting the HID-compliant controller settings in the Device Manager:

• Right-click your controller in Device Manager > Uninstall Device.
  

• Restart your PC, and Windows should automatically reinstall the necessary drivers.
  

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it might be worth looking into game-specific controller settings or updates that might be required. Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks. 

Best Regards.

Lee-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Last night I tried connecting my controller directly to the console(with USB). Then I started streaming to my PC using the Xbox App Beta(Version 22.22.28020.00000). I played for about 2hrs, and I didn't see any major lag. There was a little stuttering every
once in a while, but not as bad as before. I then disconnected the controller from the USB(it was still connected to the console wirelessly), and I played for another 2hrs. I still didn't see any major lag; just the occasional stuttering every so often. Then
I proceeded to disconnect the controller completely from the console, and I connected it directly to my PC(with USB). I played for maybe about an hour, and the games seemed to run worse. I didn't see any major lag, but there was a lot more stuttering. I wasn't
able to continue playing to see if the major lag would appear again, but it seemed like it would've if I had played longer. So, it does seem like having the controller connected to the console directly while streaming runs better.

Tonight I was going to try connecting my controller to my PC, and stream until the major lag shows up again. I will then disconnect the controller from the PC, and connect it directly to the console; I will see if the lag persists after doing that. I will
post an update either later tonight or tomorrow morning on what happens.

Last night I tried connecting my controller directly to the console(with USB). Then I started streaming to my PC using the Xbox App Beta(Version 22.22.28020.00000). I played for about 2hrs, and I didn't see any major lag. There was a little stuttering every
once in a while, but not as bad as before. I then disconnected the controller from the USB(it was still connected to the console wirelessly), and I played for another 2hrs. I still didn't see any major lag; just the occasional stuttering every so often. Then
I proceeded to disconnect the controller completely from the console, and I connected it directly to my PC(with USB). I played for maybe about an hour, and the games seemed to run worse. I didn't see any major lag, but there was a lot more stuttering. I wasn't
able to continue playing to see if the major lag would appear again, but it seemed like it would've if I had played longer. So, it does seem like having the controller connected to the console directly while streaming runs better.

Tonight I was going to try connecting my controller to my PC, and stream until the major lag shows up again. I will then disconnect the controller from the PC, and connect it directly to the console; I will see if the lag persists after doing that. I will
post an update either later tonight or tomorrow morning on what happens.

So, I connected my controller to my PC and streamed for about 2hrs until the lag showed up. Then I disconnected the controller from the PC and connected it wirelessly to the console. The lag did continue, but there was no stuttering. The lag spikes seemed
to happen almost exactly every 5 minutes. The game would lag for about a minute, and then stop for 5 minutes; then it would start lagging again. I then connected the controller to the console through USB, and the lag seemed to go away. Then I connected back
to the PC and I was able to play for about another hour before the lag returned. So, it seems like when you connect the controller directly to the console with USB, then there is no lag. Also, the lag only impacts the games themselves; not the dashboard. When
the games are lagging I would hit the Guide Button, and the dashboard would have no lag whatsoever.

This also happens while using the controller wired pressing any button or moving any joystick makes the whole system stutter ingame and even on the desktop.

Doallyn try getting it to stutter exit the game and see if it also stutter in the desktop (ej. move your pointer to see the stutter)

Hey all, the teams looking into this issue have asked for those seeing this issue to try some unique steps to see if the problem persists.

Please try to disconnect any and all game controllers from your PC and instead connect the Xbox One controller directly to the Xbox One console. Then try streaming while the controller is connected to the console and not the Windows 10 PC. We're curious
to know if A. The connection and stream is more reliable and prevents any random disconnections and B. if the issue with stuttering and lag issues persist.

Could you please try that using both the Xbox App as well as the Beta Xbox App and let us know the results?

Thanks so much!

I tried this for about an hour tonight using the standard (non beta app) with pretty good results. No huge lag issues, it would "stutter" on an occasion (30-120 seconds) for just a very brief moment, maybe a few frames worth. Nothing like I was experiencing
previously where is was unusable.

Did have an issues though were my controller stopped responding while playing Overwatch, requiring me to force close the game and re-open it. Not sure if it was related to streaming while using the controller locally, just wanted to note it.