use the Google Stadia controller

Stadia was launched on the market promising to be the future of video games, but it has fallen too short. The service has not convinced gamers and not even Google, which closed the studios that were going to make their games for Stadia. The best thing that this service has brought to the world of videogames is its remote control, which, admittedly, is ergonomic and of high quality. Plus, it works wonderfully with all kinds of games.

But does the Google Stadia controller only work with Stadia? Luckily not. If you are not enjoying the streaming games of the service, you can use the controller on your PC to play titles from Steam, GeForce Now, Epic Games, or any other. Of course, the correct way to connect and make the Stadia controller work on a PC is not very intuitive, so we will show you step by step how to use it right away.

2 ways to use the Google Stadia controller on your Windows PC

First of all, you should know that the Stadia controller can only be used on a wired PC to play on GeForce Now, Steam, etc. You will not be able to use it wirelessly. And it can be connected in two ways: by Steam (the easiest) or by emulating it as an Xbox 360 controller. We will explain both to you below.

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How to use the Stadia controller on PC with Steam (also works for GeForce Now, Epic Games, etc.)

This method will allow you to use the Stadia controller with practically any game or store that you have on your PC, through Steam. It’s very easy, you just have to follow these steps:

  • First, connect the Stadia controller to your PC with a USB cable.
  • The remote control logo should light up white. If it comes out orange, change port or cable.
  • Then open Steam. If you don’t have this app, download it here.
  • On Steam, tap on the Big Picture Mode icon next to your username in the upper right corner.
  • After opening this mode, the Stadia controller may start working without further action.
  • If this is not your case, then go to Settings (press the gear icon) using your keyboard and mouse.
  • Select Controller Settings.
  • If the controller is properly connected, Steam should display it in this section as “Generic Controller” or “Generic Controller: Stadia”.
  • Now click on the command detected option and then on Preferences. There, name it “Stadia” and tap on Send.
  • Next, click on Define template. In this section, you must verify that all the buttons are correctly assigned. If not, configure them yourself and finally hit Save.
  • Ready! Restart Steam and you can now use the controller to play the games you have on this platform.
  • Do you want to use the Stadia controller with games or services from other stores? Well, exit Big Picture Mode and follow these steps :
  • Press the Add a product button in the lower-left corner.
  • Then choose to Add a Non-Steam Product.
  • Now, choose the game, store, or service where you want to use the controller and add it.
  • Finally, go to your Steam Library and open the game. That is all! You can now play with the Stadia controller.
  • Didn’t you recognize it? So go to Big Picture Mode and open the game from there. This is how it should work yes or yes.

It is done! This way you can use your Stadia controller to play a wide variety of PC games that are not on the Google service.

How to use the Stadia controller with x360ce (for any game or platform on PC)

It is possible that with the above method you will not be able to play certain games that are not compatible with the Steam application. That is why we bring you this other method that will allow you to play absolutely anything you have on your PC. What we will do is force the PC to recognize the Stadia controller as one of Xbox 360, which has full compatibility with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc.

To use the Stadia controller in this way, you have to do the following:

  • Connect the Stadia controller to the PC via cable.
  • Download the x360ce program on your PC.
    • We recommend the “For All Games” version so you don’t get complicated.
  • Unzip the downloaded file and double-click on the program.
  • Then, press the Add button and select the Stadia controller (the only one that should appear). Add it by clicking the Add selected button.
  • On the next screen, make sure your Stadia controller is selected and the Enable 1 Mapped Device option is selected.
  • Now map the controller (assign an action to each button). To do this, click on each action displayed by the program and select Record. Immediately afterward, press the button corresponding to that action on the controller.
  • After mapping the entire controller, we recommend that you go to Devices and in that section only leave the Google Stadia controller connections selected. We do this to avoid conflicts with other controls or peripherals.
  • In addition, you must go to Options and activate the Allow only one Application at a time and Always on Top options. Thus, the program will not close in the middle of a game and will not open multiple times. Believe us, this will save you more than one headache.
Finally, minimize the x360ce program and… Let’s play!

I would already be. With this last method, it is impossible for a game or service not to recognize the Stadia controller on your PC. It will even help you to play NVIDIA GeForce Now from Chrome. Anyway, we hope this tutorial has been useful to you and if you have a question, let us know.