Temporary Fix for Input Delay on PC (Xbox Controller)

NOTE: This is currently working for me, this may not be a temp fix for everyone. I have played with this for about 3 hours after the 1.0.3 update and had no issues even after restarts.

Issue: Input delay of 5–10 seconds when launching FC26 on PC, controller defaults to keyboard/mouse.

Goal: Launch FC26 with Xbox controller prioritized, reduce input lag, keep Discord open for voice chat

 Step 1: Prepare Your Controller
Use a wired Xbox controller connected directly to a motherboard USB port (USB-A or USB-C both work).
Make sure the controller firmware is updated via the Xbox Accessories app. Avoid USB hubs or long cables.

Step 2: Close Conflicting Programs
Close Steam, Epic Games Launcher, Xbox Game Bar, Nvidia overlays.
Keep Discord open if you want to use voice chat.

Step 3: Create Optimized Launcher
Open Notepad.
Paste the following code , replacing paths if needed (code at bottom of post). Save as: Launch_FC26_Optimized.bat (Save as type: All Files)

Step 4: Run the Launcher
Right-click → Run as Administrator.
EA App starts first, then FC26 launches automatically.
Controller is recognized immediately → input delay is almost eliminated (~1 second).

Step 5: Windows Optimizations
Game Mode ON (Settings → Gaming → Game Mode)
Close background apps (Chrome, Spotify, etc.)
Ensure USB controller is direct to motherboard
Keep overlays off (discord, XB game bar, Steam etc).

Step 6: In game settings
VSync OFF
FPS cap slightly below monitor refresh (e.g., 58–59 FPS for 60 Hz)
DO NOT use Alt+F4 to close the game, make sure you return to the main menu and press B, it will then ask if you want to exit the game. This will ensure the game closes correctly.

CODE (copy and paste into notepad and follow step 3 above, remember to Save as: Launch_FC26_Optimized.bat (Save as type: All Files)) - 

@echo off
REM --- Fully Optimized FC26 Launcher ---

:: Step 1: Kill overlay/launcher apps (keep Discord for VC)
taskkill /F /IM GameBar.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM GameBarFTServer.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM GameBarPresenceWriter.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM Steam.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM EpicGamesLauncher.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM EpicWebHelper.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM EpicOnlineServicesLauncher.exe /T
taskkill /F /IM UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe /T

:: Step 2: Restart EA background services
powershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-Process 'EABackgroundService','EAAntiCheat.GameService' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force; Start-Sleep -Seconds 1"

:: Step 3: Launch EA App
start "" "C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\EA Desktop\EADesktop.exe"

:: Step 4: Wait for EA App + Anti-Cheat to initialize
powershell -NoProfile -Command "& {
    do {
        Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
        $ea = Get-Process -Name 'EADesktop' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        $ac = Get-Process -Name 'EAAntiCheat.GameService' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    } while ($ea -eq $null -or $ac -eq $null)
}"

:: Step 5: Wait for Xbox controller to be detected
echo Waiting for Xbox controller...
:controller_check
powershell -NoProfile -Command "$Controller = Get-PnpDevice | Where-Object { $_.FriendlyName -like '*Xbox*' }; if ($Controller) { exit 0 } else { exit 1 }"
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 (
    timeout /t 1 >nul
    goto controller_check
)

echo Controller detected! Launching FC26...

:: Step 6: Launch FC26 in DX11 with High priority
start "" /high "E:\EA SPORTS FC 26\FC26.exe" -dx11

exit