The Gilrs (game input library) crate allows the user to connect to a gamepad.

use gilrs::Gil;

let gilrs = Gil::new().unwrap();

Cargo compiles this and runs successfully. However, I’ve tried both my Xbox Series controllers yet gilrs.gamepads() is empty.

I’ve made sure the controller is connected through numerous ways:

1. The issue doesn’t persist when I test with FireFox’s devtools: running navigator.getGamepads() returns my controller.
2. The bluetooth menu for my Macbook shows that the controller is connected.
3. Running system_profiler SPBluetoothDataType in zsh returns my controller:

Connected:
   Xbox Wireless Controller:
      Address: 98:7A:14:BC:BA:F2
      Vendor ID: 0x045E
      Product ID: 0x0B13
      Battery Level: 100%
      Firmware Version: 5.9.2709.0
      Minor Type: Gamepad
      Services: 0x400000 < BLE >

4. With the controller plugged to my Macbook using USB-C, running system_profiler SPUSBDataType in zsh returns this:

USB 3.1 Bus:
  Host Controller Driver: AppleT8112USBXHCI
    Controller:
       Product ID: 0x0b12
       Vendor ID: 0x045e  (Microsoft Corporation)
       Version: 5.09
       Serial Number: 3039565831363736393234303336
       Speed: Up to 12 Mb/s
       Manufacturer: Microsoft
       Location ID: 0x00100000 / 1
       Current Available (mA): 500
       Current Required (mA): 500
       Extra Operating Current (mA): 0

However, even though everything else shows that my controller is connected, gilrs.gamepads() is an empty iterator upon running Cargo.

Question

• Why does this behavior occur? What can I do to fix this?
• How are controllers/gamepads detected anyway?
• Is there a way I can do this without any hardware abstraction libraries as a last resort?

note: I’m running on an M2 Macbook Air.