diff --git a/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.cpp b/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.cpp
index baf7ed2165..7139a4c36d 100644
--- a/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.cpp
+++ b/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@ bool SDL_InitGameInput(IGameInput **ppGameInput)
     return true;
 }
 
+bool SDL_GameInputReady(void)
+{
+    return (g_pGameInput != NULL);
+}
+
 void SDL_QuitGameInput(void)
 {
     SDL_assert(g_nGameInputRefCount > 0);
diff --git a/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.h b/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.h
index d283831ff1..cf8a978a57 100644
--- a/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.h
+++ b/src/core/windows/SDL_gameinput.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ using namespace GameInput::v1;
 #endif
 
 extern bool SDL_InitGameInput(IGameInput **ppGameInput);
+extern bool SDL_GameInputReady(void);
 extern void SDL_QuitGameInput(void);
 
 #endif // HAVE_GAMEINPUT_H
diff --git a/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick.cpp b/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick.cpp
index f05c62c487..7456190615 100644
--- a/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick.cpp
+++ b/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 */
 #include "SDL_internal.h"
 
+#include "SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h"
+
 #ifdef SDL_JOYSTICK_GAMEINPUT
 
 #include "../SDL_sysjoystick.h"
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@
 #include "../../core/windows/SDL_gameinput.h"
 
 // Default value for SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_GAMEINPUT
-#if defined(SDL_PLATFORM_GDK)
+#if defined(SDL_PLATFORM_GDK) || (GAMEINPUT_API_VERSION >= 3)
 #define SDL_GAMEINPUT_DEFAULT true
 #else
 #define SDL_GAMEINPUT_DEFAULT false
@@ -81,10 +83,6 @@ static IGameInput *g_pGameInput = NULL;
 static GameInputCallbackToken g_GameInputCallbackToken = 0;
 static Uint64 g_GameInputTimestampOffset;
 
-extern "C"
-{
-    extern bool SDL_XINPUT_Enabled(void);
-}
 
 static bool GAMEINPUT_InternalIsGamepad(const GameInputDeviceInfo *info)
 {
@@ -242,9 +240,9 @@ static bool GAMEINPUT_InternalAddOrFind(IGameInputDevice *pDevice)
 #endif
 
     if (!GAMEINPUT_InternalIsGamepad(info) && raw_type == SDL_GAMEINPUT_RAWTYPE_NONE) {
-#if defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_DINPUT) || defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_XINPUT)
-        if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_DIRECTINPUT, true) || SDL_XINPUT_Enabled()) {
-            // Let other backends handle non-gamepad controllers to possibly avoid bugs and/or regressions.
+#if defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_DINPUT)
+        // Let other backends handle non-gamepad controllers to possibly avoid bugs and/or regressions.
+        if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_DIRECTINPUT, true)) {
             return true;
         }
 #endif
@@ -1055,6 +1053,15 @@ static bool GAMEINPUT_JoystickGetGamepadMapping(int device_index, SDL_GamepadMap
     return true;
 }
 
+bool SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers(void)
+{
+    if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_GAMEINPUT, SDL_GAMEINPUT_DEFAULT) &&
+        SDL_GameInputReady()) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 
 SDL_JoystickDriver SDL_GAMEINPUT_JoystickDriver =
 {
@@ -1082,4 +1089,11 @@ SDL_JoystickDriver SDL_GAMEINPUT_JoystickDriver =
 };
 
 
+#else
+
+bool SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers(void)
+{
+    return false;
+}
+
 #endif // SDL_JOYSTICK_GAMEINPUT
diff --git a/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h b/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..814166b63f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/joystick/gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/*
+  Simple DirectMedia Layer
+  Copyright (C) 1997-2026 Sam Lantinga <slouken@libsdl.org>
+
+  This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied
+  warranty.  In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
+  arising from the use of this software.
+
+  Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
+  including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
+  freely, subject to the following restrictions:
+
+  1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
+     claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
+     in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
+     appreciated but is not required.
+  2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be
+     misrepresented as being the original software.
+  3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.
+*/
+#include "SDL_internal.h"
+
+// Set up for C function definitions, even when using C++
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+extern bool SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers(void);
+
+// Ends C function definitions when using C++
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_dinputjoystick.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_dinputjoystick.c
index 62ffbb46ec..e9c818aa00 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_dinputjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_dinputjoystick.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "SDL_rawinputjoystick_c.h"
 #include "SDL_xinputjoystick_c.h"
 #include "../hidapi/SDL_hidapijoystick_c.h"
+#include "../gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h"
 
 #ifndef DIDFT_OPTIONAL
 #define DIDFT_OPTIONAL 0x80000000
@@ -238,11 +239,12 @@ static bool SDL_IsXInputDevice(Uint16 vendor_id, Uint16 product_id, const char *
 #if defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_XINPUT) || defined(SDL_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT)
     SDL_GamepadType type;
 
-    // XInput and RawInput backends will pick up XInput-compatible devices
+    // Some other backends will pick up XInput-compatible devices
     if (!SDL_XINPUT_Enabled()
 #ifdef SDL_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT
         && !RAWINPUT_IsEnabled()
 #endif
+        && !SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers()
     ) {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
index 7a69775e26..92c9e026a5 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "../../core/windows/SDL_windows.h"
 #include "../../core/windows/SDL_hid.h"
 #include "../hidapi/SDL_hidapijoystick_c.h"
+#include "../gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h"
 
 /* SDL_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT_XINPUT is disabled because using XInput at the same time as
    raw input will turn off the Xbox Series X controller when it is connected via the
@@ -1022,7 +1023,8 @@ static bool RAWINPUT_JoystickInit(void)
 {
     SDL_assert(!SDL_RAWINPUT_inited);
 
-    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT, false)) {
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT, false) ||
+        SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers()) {
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
index 6b74873a9c..f8840ac230 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "../SDL_sysjoystick.h"
 #include "../hidapi/SDL_hidapijoystick_c.h"
+#include "../gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h"
 #include "SDL_rawinputjoystick_c.h"
 
 #include "../../core/windows/SDL_windows.h"
@@ -586,7 +587,8 @@ static bool WGI_JoystickInit(void)
 {
     HRESULT hr;
 
-    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI, false)) {
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI, false) ||
+        SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers()) {
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_xinputjoystick.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_xinputjoystick.c
index d7a132e1d1..377defb07d 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_xinputjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_xinputjoystick.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "SDL_xinputjoystick_c.h"
 #include "SDL_rawinputjoystick_c.h"
 #include "../hidapi/SDL_hidapijoystick_c.h"
+#include "../gdk/SDL_gameinputjoystick_c.h"
 
 // Set up for C function definitions, even when using C++
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -46,7 +47,12 @@ bool SDL_XINPUT_Enabled(void)
 
 bool SDL_XINPUT_JoystickInit(void)
 {
-    bool enabled = SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_XINPUT_ENABLED, true);
+    bool enabled = true;
+
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_XINPUT_ENABLED, true) ||
+        SDL_UsingGameInputForXInputControllers()) {
+        enabled = false;
+    }
 
     if (enabled && !WIN_LoadXInputDLL()) {
         enabled = false; // oh well.