diff --git a/WhatsNew.txt b/WhatsNew.txt
index 1e91ba8cb..53eae9532 100644
--- a/WhatsNew.txt
+++ b/WhatsNew.txt
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@ General:
 * Added SDL_GetRenderVSync() to get vsync of the given renderer
 * Added SDL_PlayAudioDevice() to start audio playback
 * Added SDL_ConvertAudioSamples() to convert audio samples from one format to another
-* Added SDL_HINT_ANDROID_ALLOW_RECREATE_ACTIVITY hint to control re-creation of Android SDL activity.
+* Added the hint SDL_HINT_ANDROID_ALLOW_RECREATE_ACTIVITY to control re-creation of Android SDL activity.
+* Added the hint SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI to control whether to use Windows.Gaming.Input for controllers
diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
index 4df6dc078..f57a165f0 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
@@ -1043,6 +1043,15 @@ extern "C" {
   */
 #define SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_THREAD "SDL_JOYSTICK_THREAD"
 
+/**
+  *  \brief  A variable controlling whether Windows.Gaming.Input should be used for controller handling.
+  *
+  *  This variable can be set to the following values:
+  *    "0"       - WGI is not used
+  *    "1"       - WGI is used (the default)
+  */
+#define SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI "SDL_JOYSTICK_WGI"
+
 /**
  * \brief Determines whether SDL enforces that DRM master is required in order
  *        to initialize the KMSDRM video backend.
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
index a026f607b..27472054b 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_rawinputjoystick.c
@@ -559,6 +559,10 @@ static int RAWINPUT_UpdateWindowsGamingInput()
 }
 static void RAWINPUT_InitWindowsGamingInput(RAWINPUT_DeviceContext *ctx)
 {
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI, SDL_TRUE)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     wgi_state.need_device_list_update = SDL_TRUE;
     wgi_state.ref_count++;
     if (!wgi_state.initialized) {
@@ -874,12 +878,12 @@ static int RAWINPUT_JoystickInit(void)
 {
     SDL_assert(!SDL_RAWINPUT_inited);
 
-    if (!WIN_IsWindowsVistaOrGreater()) {
-        /* According to bug 6400, this doesn't work on Windows XP */
-        return -1;
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT, SDL_TRUE)) {
+        return 0;
     }
 
-    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_RAWINPUT, SDL_TRUE)) {
+    if (!WIN_IsWindowsVistaOrGreater()) {
+        /* According to bug 6400, this doesn't work on Windows XP */
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
index 1dbf97285..c1d648ad8 100644
--- a/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
+++ b/src/joystick/windows/SDL_windows_gaming_input.c
@@ -593,6 +593,10 @@ static int WGI_JoystickInit(void)
 {
     HRESULT hr;
 
+    if (!SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_JOYSTICK_WGI, SDL_TRUE)) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     if (FAILED(WIN_RoInitialize())) {
         return SDL_SetError("RoInitialize() failed");
     }