Considering USB flashdrives work, I'd hunch at the cable length of the game controllers is either causing a voltage drop at device end, or, the cables are introducing noise to the USB data lines (due to the cabling in the case).

I would boot a live linux distro, plugin a game controller, then look at dmesg (in a shell, 'sudo dmesg') .... that will disclose what the USB system is doing.

What if you plug them in, then ease them out like a millimeter ??

I'm finding some older USB gear doesn't like being plugged "too far in" to more modern ports.... IDK if it's wear or minor spec change making a tolerance stack fall off the edge or what. Stuff I have a problem with I don't really use on the machines that have a problem, so haven't really done a workaround, but something like cardboard gaskets might work.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! BitWrangler is onto something here. I wiggled the USB connector in the socket a bit and it started working, at least for a little while. Connecting the joypad and steering wheel via a USB extension cord did the trick, so I'll be using that as a temporary workaround I guess. All in all, mighty queer this 😐

I'd guess that it's wear. I have a flash drive that doesn't work on one computer unless it's only partially plugged in.

You could try cleaning the contacts. I've temporarily revived the USB ports on a laptop by just spraying contact cleaner in them and inserting and removing a cable a few times.