xinput1_3.dll is missing — what it means and how to fix it

xinput1_3.dll is the controller (gamepad) library from the DirectX 9-era runtime. Modern Windows includes newer XInput versions but not this file, so games built against it refuse to start — even if you never plug in a controller, because the game checks for the library at launch regardless.

The fix, in order

  1. Install the DirectX End-User Runtime from Microsoft (dxwebsetup.exe, the web installer). xinput1_3.dll is part of the package it adds.
  2. Or run the copy many games bundle: look for a DirectX or _Redist folder inside the game’s install directory and run DXSETUP.exe from it.
  3. Restart the game. No reboot is normally needed.
  4. If a different missing-DLL message follows (d3dx9_43.dll is common), it’s the same missing runtime — the End-User Runtime resolves the set, then verify the game’s files in Steam to be sure.
Do not fetch xinput1_3.dll from a DLL-download site. Wrong versions and bundled junk are the norm there. The file is one piece of a free Microsoft package that installs the whole matched set.

If it still happens

Brand-new games showing this error are usually packaged with an older engine or a mod that needs the file — the fix is identical. If the error names xinput1_4 or uinput instead, those ship with Windows; run `sfc /scannow` to repair them.

Common questions

I play with keyboard and mouse. Why does the game need a controller file? The game loads the library at startup whether or not a controller is connected. Missing file = launch stops, input device irrelevant.

Is xinput1_3.dll part of Windows? It was, in the Windows 7 era. On Windows 10/11 it arrives via the DirectX End-User Runtime or a game’s bundled installer.

Related errors

d3dx9_43.dll missing · Error 0xc000007b — unable to start correctly · VCRUNTIME140.dll missing