this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026

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Steam Hardware

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"Valve’s new Steam Controller has a major problem for PC games not on Steam" (tech.sportskeeda.com)

submitted 2 days ago by BentiGorlich@gehirneimer.de 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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[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

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.

[–] KiwiTB@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago (4 children)

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.

[–] BentiGorlich@gehirneimer.de 8 points 2 days ago (4 children)

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

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

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

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[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 days ago

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

[–] eli@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I'm still buying it, because this will fix the biggest hurdle for PC couch gaming for me.

I'm hoping the reviews are just poor and fail to test things properly or if a software update can provide basic functionality if this is all true.

Majority of my games are on Steam anyway, but for the occasional emulator that I don't want to run through Steam...I'm hoping there'll be some input to be recognized and I can map inputs manually.

Definitely a sucky situation for all of the GOG/third party launcher games people don't have on Steam.

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft took their signing keys away, as they have been doing with other software, and Valve just shrugged it off instead of making it a big deal.

[–] Mwa@thelemmy.club 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Good i only buy my games on Steam.
Oh yeah right open source games are usually not on Steam.

[–] rivvvver@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

u can add any executable to steam to use that overlay. this is how i play minecraft on the steamdeck for example.

[–] Mwa@thelemmy.club 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

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.

[–] Zoldyck@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Sounds like a Windows problem

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