Controller not working

Disconnect and reconnect USB

Often times simply refreshing the USB connection between your controller and the Polycade computer will fix controller issues.

1. Open the drawer on your Polycade

2. Unscrew the 2 thumbscrews located near the edges of the panel (see red arrows in image below). NOTES:

These feel like little metal knobs that are meant for your fingers (pictured below). If you find the rubber bumpers with a screw in the middle, you're too far back.

If you have a v2 Polycade (v2's have a metal cabinet and no camera above the screen), then there may be 2 additional thumbscrews 6" back from the front two (parallel with the front two. These will be tricky to reach. We recommend unscrewing the back left one first, followed by the back right one, then the front two, as removing each one can make the next one harder to remove.

3. Pull the control panel out by lifting the front of the panel up and sliding the panel toward you.

4. Find the USB connection. Disconnect the cable, wait 3 seconds, and reconnect.

If the above didn't resolve your issue, read on.

Disconnect & reconnect other USB connections

It's possible the issue is with a different USB connection. Try unplugging and replugging the connections in the USB hub (green circuit board) and the Mini PC. We strongly suggest removing the joystick controller first to make it easier to access these connections.

Bypass USB Hub

It's possible there's a problem with the USB hub. If your controllers are plugged into the USB hub, try plugging them directly into the Mini PC by removing the USB connections from the USB hub (green circuit board) and plugging them into the Mini PC.

Testing Controllers

Testing the controllers can help diagnose the problem you are having. See instructions here: https://polycade.com/pages/helphq-2#/collection/2975/article/11925

Check mode (LUX ONLY - does not apply to Sente)

If you have a Polycade from 2021 or before, you might have a mode problem. Basically, your controller boards have the ability to switch "modes", even though they only work in one mode. You can check the mode by following these steps:

On your keyboard, press WIN+R to open the "Run" box.
Type "joy.cpl" and press enter

3. You should see 2x XBOX 360 controllers like the image below shows. If you do not, keep this "Game Controllers" window open and change the mode by following the instructions below.

Change mode (LUX ONLY - does not apply to Sente)

Typically the Polycade AGS calibration screens will guide you through this process, but if for whatever reason that's not happening, you can try this method. Both the Player 1 and Player 2 controls on your Polycade's controller are seen by the computer as Xbox Controllers. It’s possible to change the mode of the controller by holding down the “Exit” button. This will cause the controls for that player to stop working.

In order to restore function, hold down the “Exit” button for about 10 seconds: