How to Fix Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Bluetooth Controller Disconnection Glitch and Steam Input Not Recognized on PC

There are games you install because they’re new, and then there are games you reinstall because they never really leave you. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag belongs in the second category for me. No matter how many modern open-world games I play, there’s something about sailing across the Caribbean while sea shanties play in the background that keeps pulling me back.

Unfortunately, every time I come back to Black Flag on PC, I end up fighting something before I even fight enemy ships—the controller.

If you’re using an Xbox controller, DualSense, DualShock 4, or even an 8BitDo controller over Bluetooth, chances are you’ve experienced at least one of these problems:

• the controller disconnects during gameplay;
• Steam Input refuses to work;
• the game ignores your gamepad completely;
• keyboard prompts appear even though the controller is connected;
• everything works in Windows, but not inside the game.

After spending way too much time experimenting (and reading countless community discussions), I found that Black Flag isn’t actually broken—it simply wasn’t designed for today’s controller ecosystem. The good news is that there are several reliable ways to make everything work again.

Why Black Flag Has So Many Controller Problems

Black Flag launched long before modern controller compatibility became as seamless as it is today.

Back then, developers mainly expected players to use native Xbox 360 XInput devices. Today we have:

Modern Windows also introduces extra input layers that didn’t exist when Black Flag released. Steam Input, Bluetooth drivers, virtual controllers, HID devices, RGB peripherals, analog keyboards, and controller emulators all compete for priority.

Sometimes the game simply picks the wrong device.

Solution 1: Experiment With Steam Input (It Really Depends on Your Controller)

This surprised me the most.

You’ll often see people saying either:

“Disable Steam Input.”

or

“Enable Steam Input.”

Oddly enough…

Both are correct.

The right option depends entirely on your controller.

For Xbox Controllers

If you’re using an official Xbox controller, Windows already recognizes it as an XInput device.

In that situation, Steam Input can actually interfere.

Try this:

1. Close the game.
2. Open Steam Library.
3. Right-click Black Flag.
4. Open Properties.
5. Go to Controller.
6. Set the override to Disable Steam Input.
7. Launch the game again.

For many Xbox users, that’s literally all it takes.

For PlayStation Controllers

DualSense and DualShock controllers don’t behave like Xbox controllers.

Steam acts as a translator, converting PlayStation inputs into something older games understand.

If you’re using one of these controllers:

• Enable Steam Input.
• Apply the default Gamepad layout.
• Restart the game.

This usually restores full analog stick support along with proper button mapping.

Solution 2: Bluetooth Is Often the Real Problem

One thing I noticed is that wired controllers almost never disconnect.

Bluetooth?

Different story.

Black Flag occasionally loses track of Bluetooth devices for just a fraction of a second.

Instead of reconnecting, it simply acts like the controller vanished forever.

That’s why many players think their controller is defective when it really isn’t.

Solution 3: HidHide Is Surprisingly Effective

This became my favorite fix.

HidHide hides the physical Bluetooth controller while allowing only the virtual controller to remain visible.

That sounds complicated, but here’s what actually happens:

Instead of seeing:

• physical controller;
• virtual controller.

Black Flag only sees:

• virtual Xbox controller.

The game stops getting confused.

Once HidHide is configured alongside DS4Windows or Steam Input, controller stability improves dramatically.

It’s one of those utilities that feels unnecessary until you try it.

Then you wonder why you didn’t install it years ago.

Solution 4: Emulate an Xbox 360 Controller

Older Ubisoft games absolutely love Xbox 360 controllers.

Fortunately, you don’t actually need one.

Programs like DS4Windows or x360ce can emulate an Xbox 360 controller perfectly.

DS4Windows works best for:

• DualSense;
• DualShock 4.

Simply:

• install ViGEmBus;
• create a profile;
• choose Xbox 360 emulation;
• launch Black Flag.

x360ce is useful for:

• generic controllers;
• older Bluetooth gamepads;
• budget controllers;
• non-Steam versions of the game.

It creates compatibility layers that older DirectInput games understand much better.

Solution 5: Disconnect Devices You Don’t Need

This one sounds ridiculous.

Yet it solved the problem for more people than I expected.

Black Flag has a habit of detecting every possible input device.

That includes:

• racing wheels;
• HOTAS flight sticks;
• USB steering wheels;
• VR controllers;
• macro keyboards;
• analog keyboards.

Some keyboards—especially analog models—appear to Windows as additional game controllers.

Black Flag occasionally decides that those are the controller instead of your actual gamepad.

If you’re using hardware like a Wooting keyboard, temporarily disabling its virtual controller can make a huge difference.

Solution 6: Turn the Controller On Before Launching the Game

This feels old-fashioned, but Black Flag behaves like many PC games from the early 2010s.

It scans available devices during startup.

If your controller connects afterward, the game often ignores it completely.

A simple routine works best:

1. Connect controller.
2. Wait until Windows recognizes it.
3. Open Steam.
4. Launch the game.

Not the other way around.

Solution 7: Force the Game to Remember Gamepad Input

Sometimes Black Flag keeps switching back to keyboard mode every time it starts.

If that happens:

Navigate to your Documents folder.

Open:

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag

Find:

Assassin4.ini

Inside the input section, make sure the game is set to use the gamepad.

After saving the file, changing it to Read-only prevents the game from overwriting your preferred settings.

It’s a tiny tweak that can save a lot of frustration.

Don’t Forget Ubisoft Connect

This isn’t talked about enough.

The Ubisoft Connect overlay occasionally interferes with controller detection.

If your controller randomly stops responding after notifications appear, try disabling the overlay.

Many players report smoother gameplay afterward, especially when Steam Input is also active.

Firmware Updates Matter More Than You Think

Controllers receive firmware updates for a reason.

Older firmware versions sometimes have Bluetooth stability issues that become obvious only in older PC games.

If you’re using:

• an Xbox controller, update it through the Xbox Accessories app;
• a DualSense controller, use Sony’s official firmware updater;
• third-party controllers, check the manufacturer’s support page.

It’s a five-minute job that can eliminate hours of troubleshooting.

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My Recommended Order of Fixes

If I were helping a friend today, I wouldn’t tell them to try twenty random solutions.

I’d go in this order:

Starting with the simple fixes usually solves the issue without touching anything complicated.

Final Thoughts

As much as I love Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, it’s definitely a product of its time. Modern Windows, Bluetooth technology, Steam Input, and newer controllers have evolved dramatically since the game first launched, and sometimes they simply don’t communicate the way they should.

The encouraging part is that the game itself is rarely the real problem. In most cases, it’s just a matter of getting the right input method recognized. Whether that means disabling Steam Input for an Xbox controller, enabling it for a DualSense, hiding duplicate devices with HidHide, or emulating an Xbox 360 controller, there’s almost always a solution that works.

Once everything is configured correctly, Black Flag plays exactly the way it should—with responsive controls, stable Bluetooth performance, and no unexpected disconnects in the middle of a naval battle.

And honestly, that’s when the game reminds me why I keep reinstalling it every few years. Few adventures still capture the feeling of freedom quite like standing at the helm of the Jackdaw, watching the horizon open up while your crew starts singing. Getting the controller working is a little battle of its own—but it’s one that’s absolutely worth winning.