Pes 2016 Steam Controller Could Not Be Located Link [exclusive] -

This error typically appears when launching Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (or its free-to-play version PES 2016 myClub) via Steam, even when using a standard Xbox or PlayStation controller.

Conclusion: Outsmarting Obsolete DRM

The "PES 2016 Steam Controller could not be located" error is a frustrating relic of a failed hardware push from nearly a decade ago. Fortunately, it is not a hardware failure or a permanent bug. By understanding that the game is simply looking for a specific signature—not a functional controller—you can trick it using Steam Input, x360ce, launch commands, or manual file edits.

For 95% of users, Solution 1 (Enable Steam Input) in the game's Properties menu will solve the problem instantly. For the remaining 5%—especially those using generic USB controllers or running non-Steam versions—the x360ce method or GloSC will provide a permanent workaround.

Don't let a decade-old line of code stop you from enjoying one of the best football simulators ever made. Apply these fixes, and you will be back to scoring last-minute free kicks in no time.

Further Reading & Resources:

• Steam Controller Emulation on PCGamingWiki
• x360ce Official Documentation
• PES 2016 Modding Community (Evo-Web Forums)

Last updated: October 2024. Tested on Windows 10/11 with Xbox Series X, PS5 DualSense, and Nintendo Switch Pro controllers.

If you are seeing the error message "The procedure entry point Steam Controller could not be located in the dynamic link library," it generally means your system is missing critical Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable libraries that the game requires to bridge the connection with Steam's controller API. Primary Fix: Install Missing Libraries

This error typically points to a missing or corrupted component in the Visual C++ library.

Download and install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages (specifically versions 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2013) from the official Microsoft website. Restart your PC after the installation is complete.

For a visual walkthrough on fixing the 'procedure entry point' error by updating your libraries, watch this guide:

You can find these on the Official Microsoft Download Center. PES 2016 Controller Setup Guide pes 2016 steam controller could not be located link

If the error is resolved but the controller still doesn't function in-game, you must configure it through the PES 2016 settings executable:

Navigate to your PES 2016 installation folder (typically SteamApps\common\Pro Evolution Soccer 2016). Open Settings.exe. Go to the Controller tab.

Ensure the controller is turned on before launching the settings.

Check the box for XInput if using a Steam or Xbox-style controller; use DirectInput for older USB gamepads. Assign the buttons manually if they are not pre-configured. Steam-Specific Fixes

Run as Administrator: Fully close Steam and then right-click the Steam icon to "Run as administrator" to grant it necessary permissions for device detection.

Big Picture Mode: Some users found that the controller only works if configured while Steam is in Big Picture Mode.

Steam Input: In your Steam Library, right-click PES 2016, select Properties > Controller, and set the override to "Enable Steam Input".

These guides provide visual steps for fixing Steam controller detection and configuring PES 2016 specifically:

page and downloaded the latest packages (specifically the 2013 and 2015 versions), which provide the necessary dynamic link libraries for games to talk to hardware. The Hidden Settings This error typically appears when launching Pro Evolution

: He navigated to the PES 2016 installation folder and found a relic from the past: settings.exe . Opening it, he moved to the Controller

tab. He switched the input from "XInput" to "Direct Input" and saw his controller finally appear in the dropdown menu. Steam's Big Picture : Finally, he launched Steam's Big Picture Mode

, the native habitat for his controller. He navigated to the game's properties and enabled Steam Input

, ensuring the "link" between his handheld device and the digital pitch was solid.

The error message vanished. The roar of the digital crowd returned. Leo gripped his controller, the "located link" now a bridge to victory. step-by-step technical guide to help you resolve this specific error on your own PC?

If you are seeing an error like "The procedure entry point Steam Controller could not be located in the dynamic link library," it typically indicates that your PC is missing essential Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable components. Quick Fixes for Controller Detection

If the game simply doesn't recognize your controller, follow these steps: Use the Settings.exe : Navigate to the PES 2016 installation folder, right-click settings.exe , and select Run as Administrator Controller Ensure your controller is plugged in opening this file. Set the "Input" to for modern controllers or DirectInput for older USB gamepads. Enable Steam Input Steam Library , right-click Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Properties Controller , and select Enable Steam Input from the dropdown menu. Big Picture Mode : Launch the game through Steam Big Picture Mode

to force Steam's overlay and controller configurations to load properly. Update Visual C++ : Download and install the latest supported Visual C++ downloads

(specifically versions 2010, 2013, and 2015) to resolve "could not be located" DLL errors. Common Community Solutions Always Plug-in First : Ensure the controller is powered on and connected

you launch the game; if it disconnects during play, you may need to restart the game for it to be recognized again. Generic Controller Support : If using a non-standard gamepad, go to Steam Settings Controller Enable Steam Input for generic controllers exact file path to the PES 2016 settings file to help you find it faster?

The Phantom Link

Arjun’s Friday night had been planned for two weeks. Pizza was ordered. The lights were dimmed to a perfect, stadium-like gloom. And on his monitor, the Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 title screen hummed its familiar, synth-heavy anthem. It was 2016, and this was the ritual.

He picked up his Steam Controller—that strange, haptic-feedback pad with the twin trackpads that his friends mocked but he secretly loved. It fit his large hands perfectly. He pressed the center button. The Steam icon glowed. The controller vibrated once, a confident, bassy thrum.

Then the screen went black for a second.

When the game reappeared, a small, gray dialogue box sat in the center of the screen, as innocuous as a tax form.

"Steam Controller could not be located. Please reconnect and restart the game."

Arjun blinked. The controller was in his hands. It was on. The USB dongle was plugged into the front of his PC, its little blue light winking at him like a mocking eye.

“Okay,” he muttered. He unplugged the dongle. Counted to three. Plugged it back in. The controller vibrated again. The error message remained.

He restarted Steam. Nothing. He restarted the PC. Nothing. He tried the controller wired. Nothing.

Frustration curdled into something else—a quiet, creeping unease. He’d seen this error before, back in the game’s buggy launch month. But it had been patched. For two years, the game had worked flawlessly. Why now? Further Reading & Resources:

He opened the Steam Big Picture mode—the controller’s native habitat. The controller worked perfectly there. He navigated menus, adjusted settings, even launched PES 2016 from within Big Picture. The game booted, the Konami logo flashed, and then—gray box. Could not be located.

It was as if the game itself had forgotten how to see.

That’s when Arjun noticed the date on his taskbar. October 2, 2016. The same day he’d first installed the game. The same day he’d broken up with Maya, after she’d driven an hour to surprise him and found him in the middle of a Master League derby. “You located that game just fine,” she’d said, tears in her eyes. “But not me.”

He’d laughed it off then. Now, the error message felt less like a bug and more like a message.

He grabbed his phone and searched the exact phrase: "pes 2016 steam controller could not be located link".

One result stood out. A tiny, dead forum post from 2015. Only one reply, from a user named ghost_in_the_trackpad.

“The controller is not the problem. The game is looking for a connection that no longer exists. It’s not about hardware. It’s about what you were connected to when you first played. Unplug that memory, and the controller will return.”

Arjun stared at the screen. The pizza arrived. He didn’t answer the door.

He went to his Steam screenshots folder. Scrolled back to October 2, 2015. There it was: a screenshot of his Master League victory screen. And in the corner of the image, reflected in the black bezel of his monitor, was the faint outline of a person sitting next to him. Maya. She was leaning over, watching him play, her hand resting on his arm.

He had forgotten she was there that night.

Slowly, he unplugged everything. The dongle. The charging cable. He placed the Steam Controller on his desk, facedown, as if putting a pet to rest.

He opened PES 2016 with his keyboard and mouse. The game loaded. No error. The main menu music played—that melancholy, mid-2000s rock ballad.

He navigated to Exhibition. He picked his team—Arsenal, always Arsenal. He picked an opponent—her favorite, Bayern Munich. He kicked off, playing with keyboard keys that felt foreign and cold.

In the 23rd minute, he paused the game.

He reached over, picked up the Steam Controller, and held it. Not to connect it. Just to feel its weight. The phantom vibration he’d imagined earlier returned—a single, soft buzz.

He plugged the dongle back in. The controller synced. The screen flickered. The gray box did not appear.

He unpaused the game. The controller worked. It had never stopped working. But only after he’d remembered what, or who, had been lost.

Arjun never saw the error again. But sometimes, late at night, when the room was quiet and PES 2016 was running, he’d feel a second pair of hands on the controller—guiding his thumbs, just slightly off-center, toward a pass he hadn’t meant to make.

And the ball would always find the net.

Method 2: DirectX 9 Runtime Repair (The Technical Fix)

PES 2016 relies on older DirectX 9.0c libraries. If your Windows installation is fresh (Windows 10/11), you might be missing the specific DLL files the game uses to identify controllers.

1. Go to the official Microsoft website and download the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer (June 2010).
2. Run the installer. It will unpack the files.
3. It will likely tell you your version is newer. Ignore this and continue/extract anyway.
4. Navigate to your PES 2016 installation folder (usually steamapps\common\Pro Evolution Soccer 2016).
5. Look for the _CommonRedist folder. Inside, open DirectX and run the DXSETUP.exe found there.
6. Restart your computer and try the game again.

Fixing "Controller Could Not Be Located" in PES 2016

This error usually occurs because PES 2016 is an older game that relies on DirectX 9 controller inputs, while modern Steam and Windows updates prioritize XInput (Xbox-style controllers). The game essentially fails to "see" the controller handshake.

Here are the three most effective methods to resolve this, ranked from easiest to most advanced.