"Valve’s new Steam Controller has a major problem for PC games not on Steam"
(tech.sportskeeda.com)
BentiGorlich
Steam HardwareThe issue comes down to how the device interacts with your computer. Just like the original version, the new Steam Controller has no native Windows drivers. This means the hardware relies entirely on the Steam app to function properly. If you do not have the game running via Valve's storefront app, your shiny new gamepad turns into a useless piece of plastic.
Gamers Nexus also reported this and there are a lot of other news outlets also covering this. It is kinda the same as with the steam deck where I noticed that the inputs just don't work until steam is launched. I really don't like that I have to have Steam running for this controller to work. I don't know if it is a dealbreaker for me, yet, but it really put a damper on my enthusiasm about it
It is kinda the same as with the steam deck where I noticed that the inputs just don't work until steam is launched.
That's just the moment when Steam is launching and in the process of taking over the controls. You can try it by shutting down Steam. The controller will continue working like the default desktop profile.
By default it presents mouse and keyboard functionality. And when you hold down the start button it switches to the pure gamepad mode. I play plenty of none-Steam-games that way. All with the native Linux FOSS driver. Without Steam or any other additional userspace software.
Oh interesting 🤔 So yeah maybe this isn't actually a problem for me (using Fedora and the deck)
I don't have the impression that supporting xinput/directinput is a time consuming effort. Yeah extra buttons and trackpad wouldn't work, so what? The community will make something long term for Linux/Windows I have no doubt, but this was an easily avoided L on good will PR.
Personally doesn't matter much to me, I have 8bitdo controllers already. After owning Steam Deck for years now I really want the trackpads and gyro wherever possible.
a lot of the features of the controller are not supported by X input, I still think they should've added an X input switch somewhere somehow, ideally this device gets its own custom driver for windows, since it is fairly unique generic controller drivers just wouldnt provide full fearure set, hopefully valve makes a full open source in trww driver for it on linux which can be used as a basis for other devices like this,
hopefully valve also provides documentation on how provided ingame integration (basically the game turns on its own "steam" input) and a proper sdk, that would allow developrs to integrate natively the controller without needing steam
This should not be a problem on linux. The old controller has a basic linux driver included in the upstream kernel, and there is a userspace driver too called sc-controller which I have used.
Uh interesting 🤔 I will probably just wait and see if that is actually the case and working. Right now I have an xbox one controller with the wireless dongle for which I need to compile a kernel module to work and I'd like to get rid of that 😅
You should generally always wait and see with basically all tech products. There is never really a reason to buy freshly released products except for FOMO stupidity. Same applies to games.
Valve could easily release normal Windows drivers to fix this for everyone. There are doubts that they would do so, wanting to keep users firmly planted in their ecosystem.
Raise your hand if "your ecosystem" is built on free and open source software. Yeah. Literally no one else. STFU.
Steam isn't FOSS...
Linux, my guy...
The steam app is not foss.
Is there an echo in here?
Me running Linux does not make me feel better when I have to run a pre-compiled binary from some (currently liked) company, valve could do better on this particular instance. How many people will actually run using the fully open source drivers? I'm guessing not most since it's not the one valve provides (unless I read that wrong).
based on
whoosh
What are you trying to say? Valve gets a free pass because SteamOS is based on Linux? How d'ya figure that one out?
I'm saying there's no "free pass" required because they'll work on Linux.
Since the Linux drivers are open source wouldn't it be possible for anyone to write a driver for another OS based on those?
As far as I understand, the original Steam Controller presented as an un-useful pair of HID devices by default, and someone wrote a 3rd-party open source driver for it. So, a similar poorly-supported situation to other hardware that the F/OSS community consistently and rightfully criticises.
Yeah, that's true.
They got better with the Steam Deck. Without Steam running its controller acts like the desktop profile. By default you get keyboard and mouse controls and can switch to a generic gamepad mode by holding down the start button.
I expect/hope that it will be the same with the new controller. Maybe it'll just use the Steam Deck's driver. It has been upstreamed for quite a while now.
Yes.
How d’ya figure that one out?
It should really come with an XInput mode. That's pretty much a basic feature for any PC controller.
It's at least available with the generic Linux driver. When Steam isn't running you can switch between mouse/keyboard and gamepad mode by holding down the start button.
Ah, is it? I know that's the case on Steam Deck, but it doesn't seem to work on the old Steam Controller (just tried it) and I haven't seen any confirmation by reviewers that the new controller has this function.
Of course I don't know definitely if the new controller will work the same. But if I were Valve I would try to make it compatible with the existing Steam Deck controller driver since they are so similar.
Someone with energy could take a look at Valve's kernel sources and look for changes in the controller area.
Have there been any linux specific reviews yet? I only saw the one from GN and they are new to linux and are focussing on windows still (main audience, so its understandable)
The ones I've read so far have been quite unspecific in regards to the OS they used. So statistically, they probably used Windows.
I’m surprised people think this is odd since the original Steam Controller was the same - it’s a Steam Input device, not XInput.
If you consider what it was designed for, it makes sense. This isn’t another generic controller but a controller designed for a Linux/PC-based video games console (Steam Machine).
If you boot into a desktop UI without Steam running, desktop UIs don’t support xinput devices to navigate around them.
The Steam Controller thus defaults to presenting itself as a keyboard and mouse so that the UI can be navigated without Steam running.
If it was xinput, you’d be reaching for a keyboard and mouse to plug in just to click Steam and then immediately no longer need them.
That’s why it’s not an xinput device.
It makes sense for Valve trying to create a walled-garden ecosystem of the kind we all rightfully shit on Nintendo for creating. It does not make sense for the consumer.
If it needs to present a KB+M device for OS navigation, it can fucking well do so at the same time as presenting a game controller device and having a way, using its many inputs, to switch between the two. Then it would work on everything that works on Windows and Proton. Then it would work on XBox, and any console that works with standard USB HID devices.
It’ll have that on Linux like last time. You just need to set the uinput driver for the device. They had a generic gamepad one in the kernel for the OG. But not loaded by default as it’ll look like a kb&m out of the box unless you set a user-level driver config for the HIDs.
Valve were very supportive of Linux if people didn’t want to use Steam/Steam Input but other OS didn’t get their efforts beyond the Steam client.
The fact that this isn't a new thing doesn't mean that it's a good thing. Especially since nowadays there are good third-party controllers with remappable buttons that can also switch to a KB/M functionality at the push of a button. Also, I paid 5,50€ for my brand new original Steam Controller, so Valve kinda has to convince me to spend about 18 times that. I don't know if this is a dealbreaker for me, but I'd definitely consider it "not great".
You should definitely use those alternatives and they sound superior.
At the end of the day, this is the Steam Machine’s controller and it’s designed for use in the Steam and Linux ecosystem. Its behaviour and lack of generic xinput is intentional.
Well, at the end of the day it still has a bit of a killer feature that other controllers don't: the touchpads. If I buy it, it'll be my secondary controller for playing FPS, CRPGs etc on my projector.
You literally just make a shortcut in Steam to where ever it's from and it works fine. It even had a default desktop profile which you can set how you want. While it's no ideal, there is no problem.
There is sadly no workaround for in-home streaming. In my case, I connect controllers to my Android TV, which is easy because they (Xbox, PS, Nintendo) all use basic Bluetooth profiles. Then, I use those controllers to open the Moonlight or Steam Link app, at which point they’re forwarded on.
This wasn’t an issue when the Steam Link was a physical piece of hardware made to work with their controller, but that’s been discontinued.
Steam link works with the original Steam Controller through Bluetooth, I'd be surprised if the new one didn't.
Just to repeat myself:
Yeah you can work around it, but it is still intentionally restricting you from just using it with non-steam games. I don't want to have to play every game through steam, even though I intentionally bought it from GOG for example
Also: if you're playing every game through steam this way they can track whichever game you play and how many games you're playing that you bought from other platforms
I don't see it as a workaround as it's my preferred way of playing non-Steam games anyway.
I'm pretty sure Steam doesn't need to be connected to the internet to launch non Steam games. So your weird point about sharing game data with them is moot
Oh no.... They can see what games you play?! Like they can do anyway... And every other launcher can.... What a shocking development. Sarcasm
Yeah and if not from the launcher they get that info from infobrokers, unless you go the extra mile, nothing is private these days, esp not data on purchasing habits
there were community build userland drivers for the original steam controller i hope for something similar for the new one.
but valve support for such things would be great.
This is a dealbreaker for me. I was tempted by it despite the price, but fuck this. I refuse to run everything through steam
I wonder what's stopping them from releasing dedicated win drivers if the native ones are inadequate.
Yep, same. I had money saved up since the announcement to buy the controller when it launches, but this is seriously making me consider just buying and Xbox controller instead
You can add non steam games to steam, not sure if this works with the controller or not but possibly something to look into. No idea how that kind of thing works on windows though as I haven't used steam on windows
not sure if this works with the controller or not
It will, because of SteamInput
Yeah you can work around it, but it is still intentionally restricting you from just using it with non-steam games. I don't want to have to play every game through steam, even though I intentionally bought it from GOG for example
It's not a "work around" though, it's how it's supposed to be used
I guess it boils down to two options:
- Use the Steam controller and utilise workarounds to play games from other platforms. Is it the controller that much nicer to justify the workarounds and the cost?
- Use a different controller that is compatible with everything. No janky solutions required, which is nice, but is the controller so much worse than the Steam controller that you feel like you’re missing out?
I’m with you on it being a moderate sticking point. What controller(s) are you currently using?
xbox one with the microslop dongle. Works with the xone kernel driver, but that breaks occassionally and also prevents upgrades sometimes (not that actively maintained)
I’ve done that too. Also tried the ds5 but it needs a 3rd party app to work for almost everything.
What it really comes down to, for me, is whether I’ll use the gyro, grip sense, and track pads.
If those aren’t for you, there are a bunch of tmr controllers for different sized budgets out there. A lot of them even work with switch/2 and that’s nice bc the 1st party controllers are the worst.
Good i only buy my games on Steam.
Oh yeah right open source games are usually not on Steam.
u can add any executable to steam to use that overlay. this is how i play minecraft on the steamdeck for example.
i wanted to do smth like that cause its convenient having a browser you can pull up from a game,good idea though.
i dont play Minecraft (anymore?,i kinda dont like how Microsoft is controlling on custom servers/your own world, i prefer's TF2 way of the server owner is responsible.), but i occasionally play Open Source games.
Sounds like a Windows problem
Peak valve hardware.
$100 brick for nerds who want to stick it to the man by giving money to another billionaire.
Can't wait to see team foss wrap their heads around this one and continue to gobble gaden cock
I mean, so far all their controllers had native official FOSS drivers in the Linux kernel. This one will probably work with the Steam Deck's driver.
And there are community driven projects to implement all the Steam Input stuff in a FOSS way. I'm not at all worried about the future usability of their hardware.
