Hello GOG community. I have a problem with the controller support with GOG games. I only have retro games here, and I noticed that when my controller disconnects accidentally, it can't reconnect again. Same happens when I just plug the controller in after I already started a game up. The only way my controller works is if I plug it in before I start up the game, and it never disconnects even for a moment. Otherwise I have to quit the game and start it up again to make it work. This is not a problem on Steam, so I'm just curious that is this a thing on GOG in general, or this only happens with certain retro games.

It might help to know a few specifics:
Your controller, your OS, generally which retro games?

Two things:

1) it seems as if you know the solution to your problem already (in general at least):
- always plug in your controller BEFORE you start up a game, and
- DON'T disconnect it while you're playing.

2) a controller shouldn't disconnect "accidentally".
If yours does, then there's something wrong with your controller/your system.

I agree that a controller shouldn't disconnect on its own. Other than that what you describe seems pretty normal behavior to me. I'm not aware of games that support hot plugging controllers but I use mouse & keyboard 95% of the time so I might just have missed them.

It's pretty common, but probably not for retro games.

I only use a controller for Resident Evil 1 and 2, but I also tested it with Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and the same happens. I use a DualShock 4, but the problem is that I can just put the controller down for a few second and it can accidentally disconnect for a moment, and I can't use it anymore unless I restart the game. Like I said, this is not an issue on Steam at all, so I assume it's a GOG problem.

Check your Windows "power options" ("Change advanced power settings") and there e.g. "USB settings" => "USB selective suspend setting", and make sure that is Disabled.

Also check that your gamepad doesn't have similar "power saving" features that it shuts itself off or puts to low power mode if you don't use it, but I presume it doesn't unless it is a wireless gamepad with a battery. EDIT: Dualshock 4? Is it a wireless gamepad with a battery? Make sure it has no power-saving options enabled either, if it has such.

Also if you have your USB gamepad connected to an external USB hub, try connecting the gamepad directly to your PC's USB ports instead, just in case that hub may be disconnecting devices from time to time.

When you say it is not a Steam problem but seems like a GOG problem:

1. Are you using the Galaxy client to play your GOG games?

2. On Steam, are you playing similar old classic games that didn't have PC game controller support originally?

Yes it is possible Steam somehow overrides that Windows USB suspend setting or something. Steam possibly has its own game controller support system, while GOG/Galaxy lets the game and Windows handle the game controller support, not meddling with it.

As already stated: that should not (as in: never) happen. Way too many variables that can differ between the two, to come to a valid conclusion:

Are you playing the same games on Steam as you play on GOG?
Are you using the same controller on Steam, that you use on GOG?
Are you using the same PC for your Steam games, that you use for your GOG games (one may be stationary, the other a laptop, etc)?

Wired or wireless?

I don't play the same games on GOG that I play on Steam. I tried it with both my DualShock 4 and my Xbox 360 controller on the same PC. At this point I'm 100% convinced that this is a GOG related problem. Test it out for yourself if you want to. Try to plug in your controller after you already started the game up, and it won't work that way. Or unplug your controller during you play a game, and try to plug it back.

The problem is that my controller can just simply lose connection for a moment, reconnect and I need to quit the game and start it up again in order for my controller to work again. This is not an issue on Steam, so why can't GOG fix it?

Regarding the disconnect issue, while may be well and fine if one play on a well setup desktop, not every one play in the same condition and setup.
Many times, battery powered devices do disconnect due to low charge and seem increasingly popular. Also bad connections happens all of the time and with battery powered controllers like the PS4 and XBox, the micro-USB port is not exactly the most rugged connector out there, specially after a few years of use and/or a few drops.

I can't count the times the doggo got a bit too lively while playing with a toy and tripped on some cable, like the laptop charging cable.

That may not be a issue related with GOG but with the game itself. Plenty of games on GOG that you can unplug and reconnect the controller and still works fine.
I'm just speculating here but some old games use a emulator/wrapper to work (DosBox or similar) and the "emulator" is the program that is translating the controller input to keyboard keys.

As asked before, care to share what games have this problem?


Edit: just checked your profile and the list of games you play are mostly old like Resident Evil 1/2, Swat, Mortal Kombat etc. As mentioned, those are old games and the wrapper needed to make them work on modern windows, might not be able to "plug-and-play on the fly", it might be GOG's fault since they were involved with Resident Evil re-release, but not sure about other games.

I tried to play old games on Steam with a controller, and on Steam those games don't have these issues. If Steam can make it work properfly, why can't GOG make it work properfly in 2024?