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I recently went through a massive headache trying to get a wireless GameCube controller (recognized as a Switch Pro Controller) working with Dolphin/EmulationStation on the Steam Deck. I ended up getting locked out of my own inputs and wanted to share the fix so nobody else has to panic.
The Problem

Button Swap: A and B were flipped because Steam Input defaults to "Nintendo Layout" for Pro controllers, which clashes with how Dolphin expects inputs.
Gyro Drift: The gyro was active even when disabled in the emulator because Steam Input was "capturing" it at the OS level.

I tried to fix this by disabling Steam Input for EmulationStation and "Forgetting" the Bluetooth controller. Result: The Deck stopped recognizing its own built-in buttons as Player 1. Without a keyboard or mouse handy, I was totally locked out. I tried to reinstall and updating EmulationStation and the same issue still occurred. This only occurs with EmulationStation and none of the Steam games are affected.

UPDATE: I managed to get it working again by deleting the input.xml file.

In December 2005, the original DreamWorks SKG was dismantled. The company sold its live-action library to Viacom (via Paramount Pictures) for $1.6 billion, leaving DreamWorks Animation as a separate entity (University Digital Conservancy, 2009). The entity acquired by Paramount was later known as DW Studios, LLC. Paramount sold a majority of DW Studios LLC to Soros Strategy Partners and Dune Entertainment II for $900 million, then repurchased it in February 2010 for approximately $400 million. As a result, Paramount currently owns the pre-2006 DreamWorks Pictures library (Marciszewski, 2021).

DreamWorks SKG was founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen (Hoover’s, as cited in University Digital Conservancy, 2009). Spielberg later revived DreamWorks as a prestige brand under his newer company, Amblin Partners, which was established in 2015 (Fletcher, 2024).

In September 2025, Paramount Skydance Corporation CEO David Ellison took interest in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery. In February 2026, Paramount Skydance won the bidding war, beating Netflix with a higher purchase. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and other international governments are inspecting the sale for monopolization. If the regulators stagger the acquisition, Paramount might perform a distress sale due to the $79 billion in debt and the regulator’s pressure. DW Studios LLC is a perfect sale for David Ellison, since it is a prestigious, high-value asset that is not “core” to the WBD or Paramount legacies.

The potential involvement of Amblin Partners and Comcast-NBCUniversal is significant because of their shared history with the DreamWorks brand.

The Spielberg Connection:

Universal is already the “spiritual home” of Amblin. Spielberg’s long-standing partnership with the studio makes them the most protective custodians of his early DreamWorks legacy. Universal currently serves as the multi-year distribution partner for Amblin Partners (Wherry, 2018).

Streaming Synergy:

Adding Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan, and American Beauty to Peacock would give Universal a “prestige vault” to rival Disney+’s collection or Warner’s Criterion-level library.

Brand Consolidation:

NBCUniversal already owns DreamWorks Animation, which it acquired for $3.8 billion in 2016 (Marciszewski, 2021). Universal also owns a minority stake in Amblin Partners (Wherry, 2018). Steven Spielberg, who founded Amblin Partners, co-founded the DreamWorks brand and studios with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. Amblin Partners currently owns the DreamWorks Pictures brand and uses the label for its "mature" or prestige content (Fletcher, 2024).

Bottom Line:

If the DOJ demands divestitures to approve the WBD/Paramount merger, Universal and Amblin are sitting on the sidelines with the checkbook ready.

References

Fletcher, K. (2024). The Family Dynamic as Enduring Form in United States Media Culture [Doctoral dissertation, University of Otago]. OUR Archive. https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/16432
Marciszewski, J. (2021). The Paramount Decrees and block booking: Why block booking would still be a threat to competition in the modern film industry. Vermont Law Review, 45(2). https://lawreview.vermontlaw.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Marciszewski.pdf
University Digital Conservancy. (2009). The new television masculinity in Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, The Shield, Boston Legal, & Dexter [Master's thesis, University of Minnesota]. https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/53110
Wherry, J. (2018). Contextual factors that influence corporate venture decision making [Master's thesis, Pepperdine University]. Pepperdine Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/2241

Will you watch Ross’s new pilot?

[HELP] EmualtionStation Input Problem

Paramount Skydance may have to sell the DreamWorks film and television library from 1996 to 2008.