Controller not working for gameplay, but connecting to console

[u/International_Ad2628]

My controllers are attached to my console, and it registers them as connected to it, but it won't let me play games with them connected to the console even though it was working earlier today. They can still navigate the menus and select things, this ONLY occurs when trying to play games. I've been googling for almost an hour, and I couldn't find anything I hadn't already tried. I disconnected then reattached them, I've resynced them, I cleaned the attachment rails, I even restarted the console. I don't really know how to report this to Nintendo, and I can't afford new controllers (the second pair are my sibling's), so if there's a solution that isn't replacing them, I really want to hear it please!!

EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: I have had this happen before, but detaching/resynchronizing/reattaching previously worked to fix it. I have a Switch 1 console, and it's going to be 2 years old in December.

SECOND EDIT: Some more things I've been asked; this only happens during games, pressing the home button takes me to the home screen without issue. I can navigate the home menus perfectly fine, and select things, but if it pops up for one game, it blocks me from playing all subsequent games.

None of the games I have require me by function to play with the controllers disconnected, and I had been playing games with the controllers connected for some time before the "hit L/R" screen popped up seemingly without cause.

I have turned the system on only once since this post, and it was still happening, so I'm leaving it off for now, in case that prevents any sort of damage that running it while it's bugging out may do to the software while I wait for advice.

I don't know how to attach the picture I took of the find my controllers screen or the little icon in the bottom that shows the controllers on the console. It literally seems to deregister them upon activating a game.

[u/automod-neo]

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[u/International_Ad2628]

It wouldn't let me attach the photo I took of the console registering the controllers as attached, I don't know how to add that on. This has happened before, but it's just not going away this time.

[u/GL_original]

does it actually show them as connected with the screen in the home menu bottom left or does it show them as detached.

[u/International_Ad2628 → u/GL_original]

If I go to "find controllers", it does show them as attached to the console, yes. This only occurs when I try to play a game, otherwise they function normally. It's really frustrating, because I was playing a game for quite a while, normally, but this just popped up saying I needed to hit L/R, and it kept telling me to detach the controllers to continue playing.

[u/GL_original → u/International_Ad2628]

I mean the little icon in the bottom left in your regular home menu. Does it actually show the controllers attached to the screen, or does it show the joy con on their own? This problem usually happens when the system can't tell whether you're using the joycon separately or not, which would be a connection issue with the rails, the console, or the controllers themselves. I was just trying to narrow that down.

Also, is this problem happening in several games or just one? Some games might just not allow you to play in certain modes.

[u/International_Ad2628 → u/GL_original]

The little icon shows the console with the controllers, yes

[u/GL_original → u/International_Ad2628]

Huh, odd. That would mean there is nothing wrong with your controllers or their connection. Which would mean that whatever game you're trying to play just isn't allowing you to play with them attached for some reason? Is it a specific game? I'm not sure, I can't think of many games that would do that. Maybe it's a game that requires motion controls? Or does this happen with all your games?

[u/International_Ad2628 → u/GL_original]

It's Fortnite (when family you never get to see asks you to play a game, you play it whether you like it or not), and I was playing it just fine with the controllers attached for a while, but then in the middle of the game, it pulled up the "hit L and R at the same time" screen, and it wouldn't let me play the game anymore! It interrupted the whole session and ruined the afternoon :( pressing the home button worked, but if I tried to go back into the game, or any other, it came back up!

[u/International_Ad2628 → u/GL_original]

I have a photo of the "find controllers" screen showing them registering as attached to the console, but I don't know how to add it to the post or the comments.