Alex Ruben
How To Fix Steam PS5 Controller Displaying Xbox Buttons in 2025 | PS5 Controller Compatibility on PC
Ever had your PS5 controller being all weird and showing Xbox button prompts when playing on Steam? Yeah, it’s kind of annoying, especially when you’re used to seeing the PlayStation symbols. This isn’t a rare thing, but the fix isn’t always obvious. So, here’s what’s worked for most people trying to get their PS5 controller to behave in Steam without showing the wrong button prompts.
Step 1: Open Steam Settings
Start by opening up Steam on your PC. Once it’s running, click Steam in the top-left corner and then pick Settings. This is where all the magic begins. Sometimes, on certain setups, Steam stubbornly defaults to recognizing your PS5 as an Xbox controller, so you need to tweak these settings.
Step 2: Disable PlayStation Controller Support
In the Settings menu, find the Controller tab on the left. Look for PlayStation Configuration Support. On some installations, it’s enabled by default, and that’s likely why your controller shows Xbox buttons. Set this to Disabled. This prevents Steam from trying to shoehorn your PS5 into Xbox mode. Why it helps? Because Steam defaults to recognize controllers as Xbox controllers unless told otherwise. When you disable this, Steam is less likely to mess with the button prompts.
(On my setup, turning this off took away the Xbox prompts immediately, but on another PC, it needed a restart for sure.)
Step 3: Close Settings
Hit the OK or just close the window. Don’t overthink it. This applies your changes. Sometimes, Steam doesn’t pick up the new setting instantly, so it’s best to restart Steam itself.
Step 4: Adjust Game-Specific Settings
Next, go to your Steam Library. Find that game you wanna play with the PS5 controller, right-click, then hit Properties. Sometimes, games override controller settings or have their own configs. It’s good to check there too.
Step 5: Disable Steam Input for the Game
In the Properties window, switch to the Controller tab. You’ll see a dropdown called Steam Input. Change this to Disable Steam Input. Why? Because Steam Input can override your global configs and cause the Xbox prompts to stay. Disabling it here often fixes the wrong button display for particular titles.
Sometimes, you have to do this for each game if you want consistent prompts across the board.
Step 6: Restart Steam and Test
Close Steam entirely — click Steam > Exit. Then reopen it and launch the game again. Voilà, most times, the PS5 buttons should show correctly now. It’s kinda weird, but this step often clears out settings that don’t update properly without a restart. Windows, of course, has to make everything harder than it needs to be.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
If the buttons still look funky, here are a couple more tricks:
- Make sure your PS5 controller is running the latest firmware. You can update it via your console or using the [Sony Software Updater](https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-updates).
- If Xbox prompts keep showing, double-check that you’ve disabled PlayStation Configuration Support and Steam Input for the game.
- Try rebooting your PC if nothing changes after tinkering. Sometimes, Steam or Windows decides to keep holding onto old configs.
Summary
- Disable PlayStation Configuration Support in Steam Settings
- Disable Steam Input per game if needed
- Restart Steam to make sure settings stick
- Update your PS5 controller firmware
- Reboot if strange prompts persist
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Because honestly, Steam’s controller stuff can be a massive headache sometimes. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on system configs, but these steps tend to sort out the majority of button display issues. Good luck, and may your PS5 prompts appear correctly without confusion.