Gamepad not detected in Chrome? Start here.

1. Check the physical connection

For Bluetooth, check that your computer’s settings show the controller as connected, not just remembered or paired. Make sure the controller has power and is not connected to a different device.

For USB, try a known data-capable cable and another port. A cable that charges a controller does not necessarily carry data. Connecting directly to the computer is a useful way to isolate a hub or adapter problem.

Reconnect the controller, then open Cloud Keys and press a button again. Avoid changing mappings until the controller is detected.

2. Give Chrome a controller input

Keep the popup open and press a face button. Browser gamepad access includes interaction and visibility rules; connecting hardware alone is not always enough to make it available to a page. The Gamepad API specification describes the browser’s device-exposure model.

Cloud Keys polls for available controllers while its popup is visible. Look for Controller detected beneath the input selector. If your old controller is selected but you have connected a different one, choose the correct device or use Auto-detect.

If the popup reports an unsupported layout, the browser sees the device but Cloud Keys cannot use its layout. This beta accepts standard browser gamepads; it does not provide a custom-axis editor. Changing a button binding will not resolve that limitation.

3. Finish any extension update

For an unpacked beta build, replacing files on disk does not necessarily reload all running extension code. A newer popup can appear while an older background component is still active.

If Cloud Keys shows Finish updating Cloud Keys, click Reload Cloud Keys, reopen the popup, and refresh the Xbox tab. You can also open chrome://extensions, find Cloud Keys, and click its reload icon.

Chrome’s extension reload guide distinguishes popup changes from background and content-script updates. Content-script changes also require reloading the page where they run.

An “Unknown action” message after updating a beta build can indicate that mismatch. It does not, by itself, mean your controller is incompatible. Reloading should preserve the settings saved in browser storage; uninstalling is not needed for this step.

4. Check whether the game receives the mapping

Once a controller is detected, select Gamepad and expand Test controller input. Press one button at a time. If the mapped output appears there, detection and the popup’s mapping preview are working.

If the game still uses the original buttons, check that Cloud Keys is enabled and activated, that you edited the intended game profile, and that remapping has not been bypassed with F8. Return focus to the Xbox tab: Cloud Keys deliberately neutralizes remapped inputs while the game page is unfocused.

Disable competing remapping extensions and refresh the Xbox page before another test. The popup tester alone does not prove compatibility with every game.

If the issue persists, record the controller model, wired or Bluetooth connection, operating system, Chrome version, game title, and the exact popup message. That makes a useful beta bug report. Never include your license key or Xbox credentials.