How to fix Xbox ‘You Need a Controller for this Game’ error affecting Warzone & Apex Legends players

Ryan Lemay
Xbox revenue Game Pass

An Xbox error message after trying to connect a keyboard and mouse is a gaming nightmare for Warzone and Apex Legends players – but luckily for them, there’s a fix. 

One frustrating error has been plaguing Xbox users trying to connect a keyboard and mouse to an Xbox Series X|S.

The error message says “you need a controller for this game” and can pop up at any moment while playing, which is the last thing a Warzone or Apex Legends player wants to see.

Fortunately for those affected, there is an easy workaround for this problem and it only requires you to follow a few simple steps.

How to fix Xbox error: ‘You Need a Controller for this Game’

There are a number of steps you can take to fix the ‘You Need a Controller for this Game’ error on Xbox. These are the following:

  1. Fix 1 – Users should start by making sure the connected Xbox controller is still on. A powered-on controller is still required even though you are using a keyboard and mouse. A simple fix is using a USB chord so the controller has a constant power source.
  2. Fix 2 – Restarting the game is always a surefire way to fix errors that occur and if all else fails you may need to reboot the console. Sometimes turning it off and back on again actually is the solution to a problem.
Xbox Series X_S stock
The Xbox Series X is a powerhouse, but stock issues remain.

It may be annoying for players to ensure that a controller is still powered on while using a keyboard and mouse, but Microsoft requires it because the gamepad is used to interact with the keyboard and mouse inputs.

Keyboard and mouse users will have to wait before an eventual update comes where a powered-on controller is not required.

Until then, use these steps to at least guarantee there won’t be any disruptions while playing games such as Warzone or Apex Legends. It’s worth noting the issue is not limited to just these games, either, though players have reported the issue appearing while playing those two.

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About The Author

Ryan is a former games writer for Dexerto. Ryan graduated from Ithaca College in 2021 with a sports media degree and a journalism minor. He gained experience as a writer for the Morning Times newspaper before joining Dexerto as a games writer. He mainly writes about first-person shooters, including Call of Duty and Battlefield, but he is also a big FIFA fan.