Windows 10 is the operating system BetterJoy grew up on. Version 7.1 was released in November 2021, when Windows 10 was still the default on most gaming PCs, and its documentation — including the official disconnect procedure — is written in Windows 10 terms. If your emulation machine still runs Windows 10, nothing about BetterJoy has moved away from you: the same v7.1 package, the same drivers, and the same pairing flow still apply. This page collects the Windows 10 specifics in one place, including the remove-device flow the README itself prescribes.
The setup, Windows 10 edition
Installation follows the standard path: get the verified package from the BetterJoy download page, extract it to a permanent folder, install the bundled ViGEmBus driver (the ViGEmBusSetup_x64.msi or ViGEmBusSetup_x86.msi in the Drivers folder), reboot, pair your controller over Bluetooth or plug it in by USB, then run BetterJoyForCemu.exe. Our step-by-step walkthrough of pairing itself is in the Pro Controller connection guide and the Joy-Con connection guide — the Windows 10 notes below are the parts those guides leave out.
Disconnecting properly: the README’s [Windows 10] flow
There are two ways to disconnect, and the difference matters when a controller later refuses to reconnect. For a quick disconnect, hold the Home or Capture button for about two seconds (or tap the Sync button) — the controller sleeps and will reconnect when you press a button. For a full removal — the flow the official README documents under its “[Windows 10]” heading — do this:
- Open Settings → Devices → Bluetooth & other devices.
- Look under the first category, “Mouse, keyboard, & pen” — the Pro Controller appears there, not under the game controller headings people expect.
- Click the controller entry and choose Remove device.
Full removal is the right move before re-pairing a controller that Windows half-remembers, before lending the pad to a Switch again, and as step one of the not-detected fix sequence. Most “it paired yesterday and now nothing works” cases on Windows 10 end here.
Driver signing on Windows 10
64-bit Windows 10 requires kernel drivers to be signed, and the drivers BetterJoy relies on are: the ViGEmBus installers (both the MSI bundled with v7.1 and the final standalone 1.22.0 release from the nefarius project) carry valid signatures and install without any policy changes. That has a practical consequence worth stating plainly: you never need to disable driver signature enforcement, test-signing mode, or Secure Boot to install BetterJoy. Tutorials that route you through those steps are either outdated or pushing a repacked driver from an untrusted source. If a ViGEmBus install goes wrong — BetterJoy starts but reports the bus missing — the clean repair (remove, reinstall 1.22.0, reboot) is written up in the vigembusnotfoundexception fix.
Is Windows 10 still a viable BetterJoy platform?
From BetterJoy’s side, yes, completely. The project’s supported world is Windows 10 and 11: ViGEmBus 1.17 and later officially target exactly those two systems, and nothing in v7.1 depends on services that have changed on Windows 10 since release. The separate question is Windows 10’s own lifecycle — Microsoft has ended mainstream support for the OS, so a Windows 10 machine’s exposure is about Windows updates and security, not about whether your controller works. Plenty of dedicated emulation boxes run Windows 10 deliberately, offline or on extended security updates, because everything in the chain — BetterJoy, ViGEmBus, the emulators in our Platforms & Emulators hub — is stable there. That remains a rational setup; just make the decision with your eyes open about the OS itself.
One expectation to set: because BetterJoy’s own development stalled after v7.1, Windows 10 users and Windows 11 users are in the same boat — same build, same known issues, same fixes in the troubleshooting hub. Nobody is missing a newer Windows 10-specific patch, because there isn’t one for either OS.
Windows 10 quirks worth knowing
- Bluetooth adapter limits are the classic bottleneck. The project’s wiki warns that you need a decent Bluetooth adapter comfortable handling three or four connections at once — two Joy-Cons plus other devices can saturate cheap adapters. The full diagnosis is in the Joy-Con Bluetooth lag fix.
- “Using USB” stalls. If plugging the controller in appears to do nothing, the wiki’s suspects are Windows still finishing device setup and USB selective-suspend power saving — give it a moment, try another port, and disable USB power saving for the controller.
- Administrator mode is conditional. As on Windows 11, elevate BetterJoy only if keyboard or mouse mappings fail to respond; it is not a default requirement. Our Windows 11 page explains the same evidence base if you are comparing the two systems before an upgrade.
FAQ
Which ViGEmBus should a Windows 10 user install — the bundled one or 1.22.0?
Either works on Windows 10. The bundled MSI matches what v7.1 shipped with; the standalone 1.22.0 is the driver’s final release and the better choice for a fresh install or a repair. Do not stack multiple versions — one clean install, then reboot.
My controller shows under “Mouse, keyboard, & pen”. Is that wrong?
No — that is exactly where the Pro Controller appears in Windows 10’s Bluetooth settings, per the official README. It is also where you remove it for a clean re-pair.
Will BetterJoy stop working on Windows 10 now that Microsoft ended support?
Nothing in BetterJoy or ViGEmBus checks or depends on Microsoft’s support status. The software will keep running; the consideration is the security posture of an unsupported OS, which is your call to make for a gaming machine.