Game not detecting XBox One controller in VR Mode

Product: Star Wars: Squadrons
Platform:PC
Please specify your platform model. PC
What is your gamertag/PSN ID/EA Account name? Gunship43
Are you playing in VR? Yes
Which VR Platform are you using? Steam VR
Which part of the game is the issue happening in? Game Menu
What were you doing when the bug occurred? Step by Step detail is helpful. Start game from steam - click start, select "Launch in Steam VR Mode"
Where did this issue occur? Please include menu name or in game location. Very first menu on game startup
When did this happen? (dd.mm.yy hh:mm) from very first time I tried launching game in VR
How often does the bug occur? Every time (100%)
How severe is your issue? Can play, but it's highly frustrating
What happens when the bug occurs? Unable to do anything in game - controller input has no effect in game.
What do you expect to see? Input on controller does something in game!
Which ship were you playing? If not applicable, just answer "no" or "none." None
What components were you using? Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (10.0, Build 19041) (19041.vb_release.191206-1406) Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz (8 CPUs), ~4.2GHz Memory: 16GB RAM Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 XBox One Wireless Controller for Windows 10
Which customizations (if any) were you using? None

‌

Game is not detecting my XBox One wireless controller for Windows 10 in VR from startup. No problem occurs if I launch the game in non-VR mode - I am able to use the controller normally and everything works. However in VR, after launching the game, the menu comes up but inputs on the controller have no effect whatsoever within the game - weirdly, I can hear Steam Menu options outside the game being selected instead. I am not able to select anything or launch a mission within the game, but Steam is definitely detecting the controller as I can hear Steam Menu options (from the steam interface outside the game) being selected as I move the controls (move sticks, press random buttons)

I can sometimes get it to work in game by pressing random keys on my keyboard (very difficult to do with a headset on by the way) - the game will switch to keyboard/mouse input (menu options change to: "press Q,K etc."), then any random input  on the XBox Controller switches it back to controller input (menu options change to: "press LB, RB, X etc.") and it works from that point within the game and I can use the controller to play the game normally in VR. However this does not always work and I have to force close the game and try again, or just play in non-VR Mode. Highly frustrating, does not make me want to play game at all.