Bluetooth Game Controller can no longer connect after upgrade to Parallels Desktop 26 for mac

Discussion in 'Parallels Desktop on a Mac with Apple silicon' started by KevinQ3, Oct 18, 2025.

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  1. KevinQ3

    KevinQ3

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    Before 26, we can toggle off and on Share Bluetooth option in USB & Bluetooth configuration. Now Bluetooth option is gone.
    Connecting the controller to Mac no longer make it available for Windows within Parallels (even though the new docs claim "Bluetooth is now automatically shared"). If I connect directly within Windows, it is registered as "Connected" but then automatically disconnect within 15s, making the controller unusable.
     
    KevinQ3, Oct 18, 2025
    #1
    KubaA likes this.
  2. MichaelL111

    MichaelL111

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    Best Answer
    They suggest using a Bluetooth dongle.... on an already notoriously port limited eco system... I would totally roll back the update. One of the biggest reasons to justify the license is to be able to casually play titles on the off time. And above that I know for a fact that many headsets will be affected. Any that use a proprietary app that needs to communicate hardware passthrough directly vs emulation. An explanation would be nice..
     
    MichaelL111, Oct 25, 2025
    #5
  3. KevinQ3

    KevinQ3

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    I did another attempt. This time erasing the bluetooth profile in Windows and Mac, and connect to Mac directly. After this, I can click "Add device" in Window's bluetooth settings and it can see the controller and connect to it. However, it is still not shown up in joy.cpl, and similarly after 15s, the status changed automatically from "Connected" to "Not connected"
     
    KevinQ3, Oct 18, 2025
    #2
  4. KevinQ3

    KevinQ3

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    I have tried all methods but to no avail. Is it possible to downgrade to v25 (which worked well)?
     
    KevinQ3, Oct 18, 2025
    #3
  5. MichaelL111

    MichaelL111

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    Read this.... I would LOVE to meet whatever Bird Brain at Parallels thought this was a good idea... Literally the majority of parephrials use bluetooth now. Even serial devices for coding etc. SOO STUPID.... https://kb.parallels.com/131014
     
    MichaelL111, Oct 25, 2025
    #4
    KubaA likes this.
  6. MichaelL111

    MichaelL111

    Messages:
    2
    Best Answer
    They suggest using a Bluetooth dongle.... on an already notoriously port limited eco system... I would totally roll back the update. One of the biggest reasons to justify the license is to be able to casually play titles on the off time. And above that I know for a fact that many headsets will be affected. Any that use a proprietary app that needs to communicate hardware passthrough directly vs emulation. An explanation would be nice..
     
    MichaelL111, Oct 25, 2025
    #5
  7. KubaA

    KubaA

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    1
    It also restricts users from integrating your VM with Android devices, like Samsung phones and tablets.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 20, 2025
    KubaA, Nov 13, 2025
    #6
  8. 7b_

    7b_

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    1
    After upgrading to Parallels Desktop 26 on macOS, my Bluetooth game controller no longer connects or is recognized within the virtual machine. The controller was working perfectly prior to the update, so this appears to be a regression introduced in the new version. I've tried reconnecting the device, restarting both macOS and the VM, and re-pairing the controller, but nothing has resolved the issue. It would be helpful to know if this is a known problem or if there's a workaround or fix available.
     
    7b_, Apr 1, 2026
    #7

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