Phantom xbox controllers detected during MSFS start-up

[MSFS 2020] Questions & Community Discussions
1

I am experiencing a strange issue when my external app is started during the MSFS start-up period (i.e. before it arrives in the main menu).
When my application is started either before MSFS is started, or after MSFS has started and is in the menu system or with an aircraft loaded then I do not get this issue.

I am also not sure if this is an MSFS issue or is related to only the Steam version - I am also reporting this to Steam.

My application uses the standard windows API to acquire and use HID devices. It does this by scanning for HID joystick-type devices and also reading the registry (as well as previous user’ settings). This is an example of the (partial) output from such a scan/acquisition:

Good?, flags, VID, PID, Name, INIid, REGid, RegEntry, INIguid, REGguid, HIDguid, ValsOK?, ReadsOk?

,,, HIDscanning completed

N, x00, x044F, x0407, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x231D, x0200, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x044F, xB68F, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, Y, N

,,, REGscanning completed

N, x00, x044F, x0407, TCA Q-Eng 1&2, -1, 2, 0, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x231D, x0200,  VKBsim Gladiator EVO  R, -1, 0, 0, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x044F, xB68F, T-Pendular-Rudder, -1, 1, 0, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, Y, Y

When the same process is done during MSFS start-up, this is what is seen:

Good?, flags, VID, PID, Name, INIid, REGid, RegEntry, INIguid, REGguid, HIDguid, ValsOK?, ReadsOk?

,,, HIDscanning completed

N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x044F, x0407, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x231D, x0200, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, N
N, x00, x044F, xB68F, , -1, -1, 0, {NULL}, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, Y, N

,,, REGscanning completed

N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, 2, 0, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, 2, 0, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x044F, x0407, TCA Q-Eng 1&2, -1, 2, 0, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x231D, x0200,  VKBsim Gladiator EVO  R, -1, 0, 0, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8011-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x28DE, x11FF, , -1, 2, 0, {NULL}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, {951A5E90-EF8B-11EE-8001-444553540000}, Y, Y
N, x00, x044F, xB68F, T-Pendular-Rudder, -1, 1, 0, {NULL}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, {2D53E6F0-EF8B-11EE-8018-444553540000}, Y, Y

Notice the 3 additional controllers detected, with VID x28DE and PID x11FF (an xbox controller). These devices are also detected, both in the HID scanning and registry scanning sections, with the same GUID as an existing controller.

This is causing issues with my app (and for my users) as it then fails to acquire the correct device.

Is this something related to what MSFS is doing during start-up, or is this a Steam issue? This may also be related to another issue I have raised, with programs started via the EXE.xml method being started too early during the start-up process.

Any ideas on what could be causing this?

Thanks and regards,

John

2

I have received a reply from Steam which basically says that its nothing todo with them and I should contact the game developer, i.e. Asobo.

I least I got a response from them…

3

Steam, if I remember correctly, emulates an Xbox controller for its various features (e.g., game streaming). Have you tried turning off Steam Input for the MSFS title? (Right-click game in library > Properties.)

Example:

image
image870×348 57.5 KB

4

I have this setting set to default and do not get this issue, but I did suggest that to a user that was experiencing this issue and it didn;t help:

Thanks for the Steam suggestion - I have the same Steam settings as you but after a bit of experimentation I am convinced that it is Steam creating this problem. As well as your suggestions, I also right-clicked on MSFS in the games list, clicked Properties, Controller and then selected “Disable Steam Input”. I really felt this was going to work, however I still have the ghost controllers - but I now only have two, not three!

Thanks for the reply/suggestion though.