If your mouse side buttons are not working in games, first check what the buttons are assigned to and bind that same input in the game. A thumb button sending the keyboard key K will not trigger an action bound to Mouse4. If it works on the desktop but stops when you launch a game, check whether the mouse software switches profiles.
Start with one button and one simple action. The checks below separate an assignment problem from a game-specific problem, a connection fault or a failing switch. They apply to Windows PC gaming; menus and supported assignments vary by mouse and software version.
Choose your starting point
| What happens? | Start here | What the result can tell you |
|---|---|---|
| The button works in a browser but not in a game. | Check its assigned input and the game’s binding. | Browser navigation alone does not establish that the game receives Mouse4 or Mouse5. |
| The button types a letter in Notepad but does nothing in-game. | Check the game profile and bind that letter. | The desktop mapping works; the game may use a different mapping or ignore that input. |
| Only buttons beyond the first two thumb buttons fail. | Check whether each extra button needs a keyboard assignment. | A numbered MMO grid is not necessarily exposed as Mouse6 through Mouse17. |
| The button works until you close the mouse utility. | Check software mode versus onboard memory. | The current assignment may depend on software running. |
| The same button fails across applications and computers. | Test connections and a known assignment before contacting support. | A device fault becomes more plausible, but this is not proof of a broken switch. |
1. Find out what the side button actually sends
Open the configuration utility for your exact mouse, select the device and inspect the affected button. Record its assignment before changing anything. Is it a standard mouse button, a keyboard key, a shortcut, a special mode or disabled?
Microsoft documents XBUTTON1 and XBUTTON2 as two additional mouse inputs commonly used for browser Back and Forward. Games often label these Mouse4 and Mouse5. The physical position of a button and the label printed beside it do not guarantee its current assignment.
For a mouse with a large thumb grid, check every affected control separately. SteelSeries explains that games may not recognise extra controls as individual mouse buttons and describes assigning keyboard inputs with supported software. Do not assume that twelve physical thumb buttons produce twelve distinct standard mouse-button inputs.
If a browser test displays raw MouseEvent.button numbers, note that its numbering differs: MDN lists 3 for the fourth button and 4 for the fifth. Those values do not mean you have accidentally pressed the middle button. A browser test reports what reaches the browser; it does not inspect the switch inside your mouse.
2. Try one direct in-game binding
In the game’s controls menu, choose an action you can safely test in a practice area. Select its binding field and press the thumb button.
- A mouse-button label appears: save it and test the action in gameplay.
- A keyboard key appears: the button is currently acting as that key. Either keep that arrangement or restore the desired mouse assignment.
- Nothing appears: check the active mouse profile, then try the single-key test below.
If the game records the binding but the action does not work, check duplicate bindings, whether that action requires holding rather than tapping, and whether it is available in the current game mode. Test another simple action before concluding that the entire button is unsupported.
3. Use a single-key test to locate the problem
This is an illustrative diagnostic, not a claim that K is the right key for every game. Choose a key that is available in your own setup and record any binding you temporarily replace.
- In your mouse utility, assign one thumb button to a single keyboard key, such as K. Avoid a repeating macro or key sequence.
- Open an empty Notepad document, click its text area and press the thumb button once. Check whether it types K.
- In a game practice session, bind a suitable test action to K. Confirm that pressing K on the keyboard triggers it.
- Press the thumb button and compare the result.
For supported Logitech G devices, Logitech’s G HUB instructions use the selected profile, the device’s Assignments tab and Keys. Drag the chosen key onto the button in the diagram. Use Default restores its default assignment; Disable turns the button off.
If the thumb button types K in Notepad but fails in the game while the keyboard’s K works, investigate the game profile or input handling. If neither K input triggers the action, fix the game’s binding first. If the button cannot type K anywhere, return to the mouse assignment and connection checks.
Restore your original settings after the test. A successful single-key assignment can also be a practical solution where the game permits remapping; check its rules before using automation or macros.
4. Check whether launching the game changes profiles
Compare the button’s assignment in your desktop profile and game profile. They may look similar while sending different inputs. A working desktop test therefore does not prove that the same mapping remains active during play.
G HUB offers a persistent profile setting that can hold one profile across applications. Temporarily selecting a known profile can help test whether switching is the cause. Record the previous setting and restore it afterwards if you normally use different layouts.
With other software, look for the equivalent application-profile controls in its official documentation. Change one setting at a time so you can identify which change helped.
5. Separate onboard memory from software assignments
If the button works while the configuration utility is running but fails after you close it, check whether the assignment is stored in the mouse or provided by the application.
Logitech documents onboard memory mode separately, and notes that some macros do not work in that mode. Available storage and assignment types depend on the device. Do not assume that a software profile and an onboard profile have identical capabilities.
When troubleshooting a software-provided key assignment, keep the required utility running. When testing portability to another PC, verify that your model supports saving that particular assignment onboard.
6. Check connections if the button fails everywhere
Following Microsoft’s mouse troubleshooting guidance, reconnect the mouse or receiver, try another USB port and temporarily bypass a hub. Check battery charge and visible cable damage. Install relevant updates through Windows or the device manufacturer’s official tools.
Test the same assignment on a second computer if possible, using the required configuration software where necessary. A comparison is less useful if one PC is sending a keyboard key and the other is using an unconfigured default.
If another remapping utility is running, temporarily close that extra utility and repeat the test while keeping the software required for your chosen assignment active. Do not remove all profiles or reinstall everything before recording the existing setup.
What to send support if it still fails
Record the mouse model, connection type, software version, game, affected physical button, active profile and assigned input. Add the results of the Notepad test, keyboard comparison and second-computer test.
“The rear thumb button sends K in Notepad, but the game ignores it while keyboard K works” is much more actionable than “the side buttons are broken.” If replacement becomes necessary, our gaming mouse side-button guide explains layout and software considerations. Console users should instead check our PS4 keyboard and mouse compatibility guide; PC profile instructions do not establish console support.
Photo by Ryan Putra on Unsplash. Illustrative photograph; no firsthand hardware testing is claimed.
