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"Valve’s new Steam Controller has a major problem for PC games not on Steam" (tech.sportskeeda.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/steamdeck@sopuli.xyz
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The 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

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[–] 56 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (6 children)

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.

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  • [–] 18 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 13 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

    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.

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  • [–] 12 points 6 months ago* (3 children)

    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".

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  • [–] 12 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago

    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.

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