Which controller problem are you seeing?
Use this page for menu navigation, not for a fishing rod that will not reel, mouse sensitivity or a frozen multiplayer session. A button that works while moving around but does nothing in one menu is a different observation from a controller that never registers any input.
| Observation | First comparison | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Circle or another expected back button does nothing | Record the screen, displayed prompt and active layout. Try the same screen with a known-working input device. | Do not assume one physical button has the same binding in every layout. |
| The selected menu item is difficult to see | Take a screenshot before and after one directional press. Does the selected item change even though the highlight is subtle? | A visibility complaint does not by itself prove that input is missing. |
| One press moves twice or skips an item | Record every active controller/remapping path before testing one change. | Duplicate input is a diagnostic branch, not a confirmed cause of the cited report. |
| No controller input anywhere | Check device detection in Steam before investigating one in-game menu. | Do not start by deleting a campaign or changing multiplayer settings. |
| The whole game stops responding after joining | Use the multiplayer freeze guide. | A frozen game is not necessarily a controller-binding problem. |
What the player report and patch notes actually say
The Steam discussion TERRIBLE MENU UI begins with a September 13 report about menu-selection visibility and a Circle button that does nothing. September 22 replies agree with the complaint. The reviewed material supplies neither a developer diagnosis nor a demonstrated recovery. Those are the thread and reply dates, not a new September 25 patch.
The official announcement history lists a PlayStation controller glyph correction in Patch 1.0.8 and Steam Deck Verified status in Patch 1.0.11. Neither statement identifies a fix for every menu-navigation case. The latest patch identified in this review remains 1.0.12, released September 4; do not read the review date at the top of this page as the patch release date.
Testing boundary: the steps below are an editorial isolation checklist informed by Valve's controller documentation. They are not a reproduced How to Fish fix, and we have not tested every controller, operating system or custom layout.
Check the controller and layout without wiping anything
- Write down a baseline. Record the game version/build visible on your device, the menu that fails, your controller model and connection. Capture the current per-game layout before changing it.
- Confirm Steam sees the device. Valve's player documentation describes controller detection in Steam's controller settings and configuration for individual games. Use the current client interface; older documentation screenshots may use different menu labels.
- Compare menu and gameplay input. From a safe state, test one direction and the expected confirm/back action. Note whether only one screen fails. Stop before actions that could buy, sell or discard an item.
- Inspect the layout for this game. Compare the physical button with its assigned action. Save your custom layout before trying another layout, and restore it if the result is worse. Avoid changing settings for every game to investigate one screen.
- Keep remapping paths distinguishable. Valve notes that tools such as DS4Windows or InputMapper can expose a PlayStation controller as an emulated Xbox controller. If you already use such a tool, record that fact; a different displayed icon alone does not prove the controller is broken. A test with one remapping path is optional, not a required download or a guaranteed fix.
- Repeat the same small test. Return to the same menu after one change and record the result. If nothing improves, restore the previous configuration rather than stacking more changes.
Do not uninstall security software, download replacement game executables or remove the local save folder for this symptom. If the issue actually includes lost progress, keep the input investigation separate and read save-preservation guidance first.
A temporary way to navigate the menu
On PC: try an available mouse and keyboard in the affected menu. If they work, use them temporarily and include that contrast in your report. This is a way to test another input path, not proof that the controller hardware or game is at fault.
On Steam Deck or another configurable controller: Valve documents keyboard, mouse and gamepad output through Steam Input. After saving your existing layout, a per-game pointer/click mapping can be a reversible experiment for a menu that already responds to mouse input. This page does not supply a tested How to Fish layout or claim a specific trackpad binding will fix the report.
Only map a keyboard action after checking what it actually does in that screen. Do not blindly assign Escape, confirm or a purchase action to several buttons at once. Restore the earlier layout before returning to a difficult fight if the experiment changes your combat controls.
Copy a useful controller bug report
Replace the blank fields with your observations. The template stays in this page: the copy button does not submit it to this wiki, Steam or the developer. Review it before posting publicly; omit account details, save-file contents and private information. Edits are not saved after you leave or reload this page.
Edit the fields, then copy the report. Manual selection and copy also work without JavaScript.
Post a reproducible report through the game's existing Steam discussions. Include what failed and what worked, rather than declaring that a recent patch broke every controller. If a later reply demonstrates a recovery, keep its controller, layout and version attached to the claim.
Controller menu questions
Why does the Circle or back button do nothing in How to Fish menus?
A player reported an unresponsive Circle button and hard-to-see menu selection, but the reviewed discussion does not establish a universal cause or confirmed fix. Compare the exact menu, the active per-game layout and whether the same controller works during gameplay before changing settings.
Did the PlayStation controller glyph patch fix menu navigation?
Patch 1.0.8 listed a PlayStation controller glyph correction. A correction to button icons is not evidence that every menu-selection or back-button problem was fixed.
Should I delete my saves to fix controller menus?
No. This checklist does not require deleting saves, resetting the local profile or reinstalling Windows. Preserve the controller layout and use reversible input tests; a menu-input complaint alone is not evidence of save corruption.
Sources and review scope
- Player discussion: TERRIBLE MENU UI — symptom report and agreement, not a confirmed fix.
- Dazed Games announcement history — historical glyph and platform announcements.
- Official Patch 1.0.12 announcement — September 4 release, separate from this guide's September 25 review.
- Valve: Getting Started for Players — general detection, layouts and remapping context, not a game-specific workaround.