When I connect my own controller and press a button, it adds 2 more players for some reason. Steam is fully shut down, so I'm not sure what else it could be.
What controller are you using?
I'm using a PS5 Controller.
Don’t have a PS5 controller so I can’t help there. I imagine there’s a setting to fix it in DS4Windows.
I do have a PS4 Controller too, but it does the same thing. With DS4Windows, it makes three extra players, but I can control P1 and P3.
EDIT: I had to uninstall 2 vJoy Device Drivers