Input maintenance / Steam
Controller not working
Machine Party officially supports controllers, including DualShock through Steam. Detection problems are often caused by launch order, Steam Input settings, or multiple tools translating the same device.
Close the game, connect one controller, confirm Steam detects it, then relaunch. If it is still missing, test Steam’s per-game default first and toggle Steam Input only once.
Detection checklist
Controller does nothing
- Exit Machine Party completely.
- Disconnect extra controllers, racing wheels, virtual pads, handheld companion devices, and adapters.
- Connect the controller you want to use before launching the game.
- Open Steam Settings → Controller and confirm the device responds in Steam’s input test.
- Open Library → Machine Party → Properties → Controller and start with the default setting.
- Launch the game through Steam rather than a direct executable or third-party launcher.
If the controller works in Steam but not in Machine Party, return to the per-game Controller setting. Test one change at a time so you know which configuration solved the problem.
Steam Input
When to enable or disable it
Steam Input translates supported devices into a layout the game can understand. It is especially useful when a PlayStation-style pad needs a standard mapping. Machine Party’s Steam data lists full controller support and DualShock controller support, so the default configuration should be the first test.
If an Xbox-compatible controller double-inputs, skips menu items, or appears twice, another mapper may already be translating it. Disable DS4Windows, reWASD, emulator input layers, or similar tools before testing. You can also try Steam Input disabled for a natively recognized Xbox pad. Do not run two translation layers unless you have a specific reason.
Wrong buttons
Prompts and mappings do not match
- Reset the Steam layout to the official or default gamepad template.
- Remove community layouts while diagnosing the problem.
- Confirm the controller is not in a keyboard-emulation mode.
- Reconnect after changing Bluetooth, USB, or wireless-adapter mode.
- Read the in-game briefing because individual trials use different active controls.
A guide cannot override the live prompt. If a trial displays a different face button or trigger, follow the prompt shown for that round.
Several local pads
Why extra controllers do not add players
Native local co-op is not part of the July 30 launch build. Connecting a second, third, or fourth pad does not create additional local subjects in the intended launch mode. The developers announced a late-August local co-op target, but the final same-PC controller limit has not been documented.
Still broken
Report a reproducible device issue
Include the controller model, connection type, operating system, Steam Input setting, other input software, and the exact menu or minigame where input stops. State whether Steam’s own input test works. This separates a hardware problem from a game-specific mapping bug.
The Steam application data lists Full Controller Support and DualShock Controller Support. Troubleshooting steps are reversible configuration checks; they are not a substitute for a game patch when the issue is reproducible in the current build.