With regards to Stratus XL connected but not working, the cause could be a dumb mistake on your system which can be solved by restarting Windows. Additionally, you can think of unpairing and repairing, running the troubleshooter, updating your firmware, and updating Windows. To get an explanation of how to put these solutions into practice, to stay focused on this article till the end.
Stratus XL Is Connected Won’t Work: Reasons
Controller Firmware
All in all, for a device to perform to its full potential, its firmware must be up-to-date. The same applies to SteelSeries Stratus XL: if its firmware is obsolete, there is a good chance that it’s going to act up. Besides that, the performance of Stratus XL would suffer if its firmware is corrupted/damaged. From power outages to Windows updates, a lot of things could mess up the firmware of the SteelSeries controller.
OS
Nothing causes more trouble for PC gamers than running an old version of Windows on computers. An old operating system experiences all sorts of issues in the course of operation. Thus, it’s natural for a modern device like Stratus XL to go haywire when people make it run with outdated OS. In discussions about Stratus XL connected but not working, people deem the OS to be one of the leading causes too.
Hiccups
For your information, your computer may “forget” devices connected to it and won’t recognize their inputs on occasions. If you keep Stratus XL connected for long periods of time but don’t play games, your computer could have trouble remembering the controller.
Approaches To The Situation
Restart
Restart is a simple trick that enables computers to resolve errors that complicate operations. Hence, if your Stratus XL is connected but it won’t work, you should think about restarting your PC. Of course, you should save everything that you want to save so you don’t lose data.
Unpair And Repair
There is no doubt that Bluetooth connection is convenient but its stability still leaves something to be desired. If Stratus XL runs into issues all of a sudden, you may need to disconnect and then reconnect your controller.
- Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Step 2: Select Devices, visit Bluetooth & Other Devices and remove Stratus XL
- Step 3: Power the controller off and then on again.
- Step 4: Go back to Bluetooth & Other Devices, select Add a device and click Bluetooth
- Step 5: Hold the pairing button on the controller until all LEDs lit up. Allow Windows to complete the pairing process then test out your controller.
Troubleshooter
On your Windows PC, there is a purpose-design troubleshooter that could address issues with Bluetooth devices including Stratus XL. In the case that you notice Stratus XL connected but not working, feel free to give the Bluetooth troubleshooter a go.
- Step 1: Go to Search bar, type control then hit Enter to open Control Panel.
- Step 2: Select Troubleshooting, choose Hardware and Sound then pick Bluetooth
- Step 3: Hit Next to run the troubleshooter.
- Step 4: Assuming that the troubleshooter manages to identify the problem, click Apply this fix and wait for the process to get complete.
- Step 5: Restart your computer, connect your controller again and determine whether it works.
Update Firmware
- Step 1: Remove the batteries from Stratus XL then connect to your PC via a Micro USB cable.
- Step 2: Download SteelSeries Engine to your PC, launch it and click the red banner that says “Critical Update”.
- Step 3: Keep the controller plugged in as it receives firmware updates.
- Step 4: Once you see a window indicating the conclusion of the update, unplug the cable, put the batteries back and turn on the controller.
- Step 5: Go to Setting, select Devices and remove Stratus XL from Bluetooth
- Step 6: Connect your controller to your PC via Bluetooth.
- Step 7: Go to Setting, select Devices and add Stratus XL to Bluetooth.
- Step 8: Hold the pairing button on the controller until all LEDs lit up.
- Step 9: Give Windows a bit of time to wrap up the pairing process.
- Step 10: Press a button on the controller then see how things turn out.
Update Windows
- Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings
- Step 2: Select Update & Privacy then click on Windows Update
- Step 3: Click Check for Updates and if an update is available, it will be automatically downloaded and installed
- Step 4: Restart your computer
Can I Use SteelSeries Stratus XL On Android?
With Stratus XL, you can play games using all sorts of devices that run on Android and Windows provided that they have a Bluetooth connection. For Android users, the Android OS should be Version 3.1 and above. For Windows users, the Windows OS should be Windows 7 and above.
How Come My Stratus XL Is Not Pairing?
The controller may be already connected to another device. You may have used your controller to play on the phone and then forgot to disconnect it. You will need to turn off the phone’s connection and then try pairing again on your PC.
Recommendations
- To get the most out of your controller, change the batteries from time to time.
- For a smooth gaming experience, ensure that your PC meets the minimum gaming requirements.
Michael Kan has been with Ginno Security Lab since October 2017, covering a wide range of topics, including consumer electronics, cybersecurity, social media, networking, and gaming. Prior to working at Ginno Security Lab he was a foreign correspondent in Beijing for over five years, covering the tech scene in Asia.
Areas of Expertise: Michael Kan has been working as a journalist for about 15 years— He start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City. Amazingly he is still here. Lately, he has been following SpaceX’s Starlink network, emerging online cyber threats, and the PC graphics card market (which led him to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000). He is always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send he tips.
The Best Tech he has Had:
- First video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
- Sega Saturn despite PlayStation’s popularity.
- The iPod Video received as a gift in college
- Xbox 360 FTW
- The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone he was proud to own.
- The PC desktop he built in 2013, which still works to this day.
