The culprit: Windows' "is anyone there?" check only watches the keyboard and mouse — it's completely blind to game controllers (Xbox/PlayStation pads, Bluetooth controllers, anything running XInput). This isn't a PowerDoze bug; it's a Windows-wide technical reality. Any tool doing idle detection through system APIs — PowerDoze included — is naturally blind to controller input.
How does Windows actually know whether you're "there"?
Through GetLastInputInfo, a system-level API that only recognizes keystrokes and mouse movement/clicks — it has no visibility into a controller's XInput/DirectInput signals. This API has barely changed since early Windows, and controller input runs through an entirely separate driver stack that was never bridged into idle detection.
Is this a PowerDoze-specific problem?
No — it's a blind spot shared by every piece of software that leans on system APIs for idle detection. We checked our own engine code, and there's currently no logic that watches for controller input. Most power-saving and screensaver-style tools are in the same boat, unless they specifically integrate a gamepad SDK to listen for input.
Is there a DIY workaround?
Two options — extend the idle threshold, or run a small anti-idle tool that simulates keyboard/mouse input. Stretching the threshold is the simplest (say, pushing "screen dims" from 5 minutes to 60), at the cost of a slower response when you actually walk away; installing an anti-idle simulator means one more piece of software, plus its own compatibility and trust tradeoffs.
Can the exclusion list fix it?
Yes. Add the game you're playing to PowerDoze's whitelist, and while it's in the foreground, dimming and locking are skipped entirely — sidestepping the controller blind spot completely. This is the cleanest option available today: no guessing at the right threshold, the game just runs uninterrupted, and power savings elsewhere aren't affected.
Does fullscreen gaming get a free pass automatically?
Not currently. PowerDoze's fullscreen detection is used for preventing sleep — it's a separate, unconnected system from away-detection (dim/lock). So even running a game fullscreen with only a controller in hand, away-detection still only watches keyboard/mouse — the whitelist isn't optional backup here, it's the actual fix.
Input method cheat sheet
| Input device | Counted as "activity" by Windows? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Yes | Nothing needed |
| Mouse | Yes | Nothing needed |
| Touchscreen/trackpad | Yes | Nothing needed |
| Game controller (XInput/Bluetooth) | No | Whitelist the game, or extend the idle threshold |
| Wheel/joystick/specialty controllers | Mostly no | Same as above |
Frequently asked questions
Why does my screen dim while I'm racing with a controller?
Because Windows' idle detection only recognizes keyboard and mouse input — controller activity is invisible at the system level, so eventually it gets read as "nobody's using this."
Does PowerDoze plan to support controller-input detection?
Not currently in the engine (verified in the source) — it would need a dedicated gamepad SDK integration. That's a statement of where things stand today, not a promise of what's coming.
Any option besides the whitelist?
You can extend the idle threshold, but you'll pay for it with a slower response when you actually step away. Whitelisting the specific game is more precise and doesn't touch power savings elsewhere.
Is this a PowerDoze-only issue?
No. Any software relying on Windows system APIs for idle detection has the same blind spot — it's a platform limitation, not a vendor-specific flaw.
Where this stands, honestly
PowerDoze can't currently see controller input, and fullscreen state isn't wired into away-detection either. If you play with a controller, whitelisting the game is the one reliable fix available today. (One more thing, to be upfront: the away-detection that dims or locks your screen — and the exclusion list itself — are Pro features. The Free version has no away-detection, so it never hits this in the first place; this fix is for Pro users who run away-detection.)
Tired of your screen going dark mid-game, then having to wake it back up? Add the games you play to PowerDoze's exclusion list, and being "away" never gets misjudged while they're running.