This release includes a variety of bug fixes and quality of life improvements for SteamVR.
We continue to focus on OpenXR as our preferred API for new games and applications. SteamVR’s official OpenXR subforum is here and we’d love to hear your feedback, as well as suggestions for new features.
SteamVR:
Fixed issue causing shimmering on the edges of the display on some headsets.
Dashboard: Resolved some memory leaks on AMD hardware.
Dashboard: Improved compatibility on some older (legacy) AMD hardware.
Fixed an issue with older AMD cards or drivers that caused a memory leak.
Streaming: Advanced settings UX now respects global toggle.
Improved version compatibility handshake when streaming.
Fixed HTC Vive users not being able to activate the laser mouse by clicking the HMD button after the dashboard is visible.
Add protection from hangs in vrserver on exit.
Speculative fix for Varjo headsets not having a display.
Fix regression in Chaperone behavior that was impacting some 3rd party OpenVR plugins.
Fixed an issue where SteamVR Home would drop frames on some systems.
Fix a bug where the SteamVR dashboard would not start, particularly when using hardware that creates many devices at startup.
Linux:
Fix a crash in SteamVR when a game crashes.
Fixed texture leaks when mirror window was visible.
Improved interop with gamescope overlay forwarding.
The vrcompositor process is always a child of vrserver now (instead of whatever process first uses the compositor).
Improved GPU synchronization implementation on Linux (now uses timeline semaphores).
Stop invoking `pidof` internally.
VRLink:
On Linux, pick the best GPU for VR and streaming rather than using first enumerated device. In particular, the NVIDIA open drivers enumerate in a different order and would not get selected before this change.
On Linux, work-around to enable 240 MBit/s streaming on NVIDIA cards.
Reduce performance overhead of Timing Debug Window.
Adjust packet timings to reduce latency spikes.
Fixed streaming certain OpenXR games on Quest (including Pavlov and Into The Radius 2)
OpenXR:
Added support for XR_EXT_interaction_profile_battery_state_display.
Fix OpenXR crash related to xrDestroyInstance.
Improved XrCompositionLayerProjection support (fixes distortion when scene projection and display projection differ).
Developer/Internal:
SteamVR won't kill UnrealEditor upon exiting VR.
Reduce the number of uninteresting vrevents, especially under VR streaming.
Cleaner driver shutdown sequencing.
As always, if you are interested, we encourage enrolling into SteamVR Beta by right-clicking on SteamVR in your Steam library, clicking on "Properties" and selecting "Betas" from the list on the left hand side and then clicking "Beta" under Beta Participation. Additionally, if you use Steam Link for Meta Quest, you can opt into the beta here or in-headset by going to your library, clicking the "..." on Steam Link, selecting Settings and clicking the button to the right of "Installed Version Information."
Help & Information:
The Steam Link for Meta Quest FAQ page is available here.
If you encounter issues with this update, please post in the SteamVR Bug Report forum. If possible, please include a SteamVR System Report to aid in tracking down your issue. Replies to this post are not tracked for bug reporting purposes. Please use the forum linked above to report issues.
We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Stable channel.
General
Improved the layout of the pair controller screen on Steam Deck.
Fixed an issue with joystick LEDs not working correctly on Legion Go in some cases.
Downloads
Fixed a bug which may have impacted download performance on some networks.
Remote Play
Fixed doubled input when the Steam Controller is connected via a puck.
Steam Controller Firmware
Controller FW update to address potential charging issue.
Added support for dimming the LED via settings in Steam.
Reduced internal deadzoning on the lower-range of the triggers.
Steam Input
Added support for dimming the Steam Controller's LED.
Added a potential workaround for an issue on Linux where gamepad emulation would break for Steam Controllers.
Reverted changes to trackpad momentum tracking that caused a deadzone around the edges of the Steam Controller trackpad.
Fixed some cases where returning to the "Edit Layout" screen from changing a binding or navigating from the "Preview" layout view could focus the wrong input.
Fixed an issue displaying the paired device serial on the Steam Controller Puck info page.
SteamNetworkingSockets
Fixed a bug causing connections to drop with the error "stop_waiting past sentinel gap".
A new Steam client has been released and will be automatically downloaded.
Steam Controller Firmware
Controller FW update to address potential charging issue.
Added support for dimming the LED via settings in Steam.
Reduced internal deadzoning on the lower-range of the triggers.
Steam Input
Added support for dimming the Steam Controller's LED.
Added a potential workaround for an issue on Linux where gamepad emulation would break for Steam Controllers.
Reverted changes to trackpad momentum tracking that caused a deadzone around the edges of the Steam Controller trackpad.
Fixed an issue with joystick LEDs not working correctly on Legion Go in some cases.
Fixed some cases where returning to the "Edit Layout" screen from changing a binding or navigating from the "Preview" layout view could focus the wrong input.
Fixed an issue displaying the paired device serial on the Steam Controller Puck info page.
Downloads
Fixed a bug which may have impacted download performance on some networks.
Remote Play
Fixed doubled input when the Steam Controller is connected via a puck.
SteamNetworkingSockets
Fixed a bug causing connections to drop with the error "stop_waiting past sentinel gap".
Tune in throughout the week for special livestreams hosted by publishers and industry figures. Featuring exciting game announcements, updates, and fun gaming news.
Explore the schedule below to see what livestreams are coming next, or explore each of the event pages to learn more about what each has to offer.
Note: This update is for the Steam Deck Beta and Preview channels, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel.
These notes contain all changes since the current stable SteamOS 3.7 release, with the new changes since the previous 3.8.5 Beta noted below
New in 3.8.6
Fixed an issue where "Allow Tearing" wouldn't have the intended effect in certain configurations
Added preliminary support for HDMI VRR for devices with native HDMI output
Fixed an issue where video output could become frozen while using Remote Play
Fixed a possible session crash when using Game Recording with certain "Maximum video height" settings
Fixed a regression with previous 3.8 builds where the "New!" badge would be incorrectly placed in Desktop Mode launcher entries
Fixed an issue on certain TCL TVs where the display may remain blank using the Steam Deck Dock
Add controller support for MSI Claw devices (A1M, 7 AI+ A2VM, 8 AI+ A2VM, A8 BZ2EM)
Add controller support for OneXPlayer APEX and X1 series.
Improved gyro response for devices that use AccelGyro3D (Legion Go 1, Claw A1M)
Fixed a system crash on international Asus ROG Xbox Ally models
General
Fixed a case where WiFi performance could become degraded until the device was put to sleep or manually reconnected
Fixed excessive trackpad sensitivity on certain early Steam Deck LCD models
Fixed a bug on Steam Deck OLED where rebooting would occasionally cause a loss of speaker output until rebooted again
Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware
Added support for waking from sleep via connected Steam Controller
Updated Arch system base
Updated graphics driver with performance and stability fixes
Fixed a case where per-app performance settings would intermittently fail to apply when launching a game
Substantially improved speed of future OS updates on high-speed connections
Improved support for the screencasts in Game Mode (e.g. OBS/Discord)
Fixed dropdown menus not appearing in some games
Improved VRR frame pacing
Fixed FSR badge remaining off in the performance overlay, even if it was actually active
Improved support for games that attempt to open PDF files in external viewers
Added missing graphics features needed for titles such as "Crimson Desert"
Fixed an issue affecting certain titles (such as "SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide") where the game window could have an incorrect position
Fixed closing certain titles (such as "STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™") and Starfield resulting in a session crash
Improved support for certain USB racing wheels and USB devices that boot in a non-standard mode
Frequently these are devices that appear as USB storage devices with a driver installer, and must be switched to their normal mode by the OS
Steam Deck controller firmware updates now display update progress on the splash screen
Fixes issue on specific Steam Deck revisions where firmware updates could render the left controller inoperative for that session
Fixes for experimental nested desktop mode
Numerous stability and security updates
Bluetooth
Re-re-enable Bluetooth Wake for Steam Deck LCD
Fix for more spurious wake issues that were present in earlier attempts
Audio
Detect HDMI channel count and expose surround configuration if available
Add a setting to allow using Bluetooth headset mics (Bluetooth playback quality will be worse while capture is active)
Restore internal audio device on reboot if set to "Off" in desktop mode
Increase suspend timeout for HDMI devices so initial audio isn't cut off after a few seconds of inactivity
Fixed a bug with switching input devices when a wired headset is plugged in
Fixed an issue where audio underruns could be experienced after sleep/resume
Accessibility
Added an option to force mono audio output
Desktop Mode
KDE Plasma updated to version 6.4.3 from 6.2.5, and now uses wayland by default
Fixes several cases of reduced performance in Desktop Mode compared to Game Mode
Improved support for rotated displays
Better scale factor out of the box on TVs
Adds support for external HDR displays
Adds support for VRR displays
Adds support per-display scale factor
For more information, see Plasma release announcements
The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:
General
Fixed an issue with joystick LEDs not working correctly on Legion Go in some cases
Steam Controller Firmware
Added support for dimming the LED via settings in Steam
Reduced internal deadzoning on the lower-range of the triggers
Steam Input
Added support for dimming the Steam Controller's LED
Fixed some cases where returning to the "Edit Layout" screen from changing a binding or navigating from the "Preview" layout view could focus the wrong input
Ship a potential workaround for an issue on Linux where gamepad emulation would break for Steam Controllers
Remote Play
Fixed doubled input when the Steam Controller is connected via a puck
We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Preview/Beta channel.
General
Improved the layout of the pair controller screen on Steam Deck
Fixed an issue with joystick LEDs not working correctly on Legion Go in some cases
Steam Controller Firmware
Added support for dimming the LED via settings in Steam
Reduced internal deadzoning on the lower-range of the triggers
Steam Input
Added support for dimming the Steam Controller's LED
Fixed some cases where returning to the "Edit Layout" screen from changing a binding or navigating from the "Preview" layout view could focus the wrong input
Ship a potential workaround for an issue on Linux where gamepad emulation would break for Steam Controllers
Remote Play
Fixed doubled input when the Steam Controller is connected via a puck
We have just shipped an updated Steam Deck Client to the Stable channel.
General
The 'Legacy Steam Runtime' compatibility tool is now an optional standalone download instead of being bundled with the Steam client.
Fixed an issue where the Steam Workshop would download an older version of an item if there were multiple versions of the item that were marked valid for game beta branch the user opted into.
Fixed a rare case where the Steam Controller welcome dialog could appear while updating the controller's firmware.
Fixed a crash related to the Steam Controller.
Fixed streamable non-Steam games showing in Library when Remote Play is turned off.
Fixed the "View friends list" link in the Big Picture home page opening the older non-QAM version of the friends list.
Fixed some startup movies failing to play.
Fixed option to clear custom backgrounds and logos not showing in library.
Library
Improved EULA scrolling behavior when using a controller.
Settings
Updated the layout and styles for client settings across desktop, Big Picture and controller configuration to improve readability and organization.
Notification settings has been updated to allow changing e-mail, client, and mobile notification preferences in one place.
Directly navigating to a specific settings page (i.e by activating the network icon in the header) will now focus the first setting in that section instead of the settings navigation menu.
Friends & Chat
Friend status will now update much more quickly after waking your device from sleep or toggling network connectivity.
Steam Input
Steam Controller: Minor improvement to gyro micro stutter (ignore clone packets).
You can turn off "Track Pad locking" - by default each trackpad is disabled while the corresponding joystick is either deflected or the joystick's capacitive sensor has been activated. This is to avoid accidental track pad touches when using a joystick. Find the setting in: Settings->Controller->Details->Calibration & Advanced->Trackpad Lockout.
Gyro to Joystick Camera: Defaulted Gyro Deadzone Speed and Gyro Precision Speed to 0 to aide tuning the correct Minimum Joystick Output - these settings would swallow the micro movements needed to check the minimum response to gyro movements. Also: added Minimum Joystick Output slider on the Configurator Quick Settings list.
Added an extra option to Gyro to Joystick Camera - Angle Catchup can be active while gyro ratcheting.
Fixed Gyro to Joystick Camera timing issue - should appear smoother across all controllers.
Removed several configuration options from incompatible inputs. Digital Buttons can no longer be set Press types that require Analog input and Gyro can no longer be set to incompatible Radial Menu or Hotbar. These options will still be available for all compatible inputs.
Fixed detecting the Steam Controller when it is charging on the puck at Steam startup.
Fixed an issue with doubled input when the Steam Controller is charging on the puck.
Fixed FlyDigi Vader 5 Pro in enhanced mode on Linux and macOS.
Fixed "Reset Camera To Horizon" action operating inconsistently in different engines - turn commands chunked into 2 to improve consistency.
Fixed quick settings Left Trackpad to point to correct settings, instead of toward Gyro.
Fixed not being able to use Grip Sense to activate Touch Menus.
Fixed Grip Sense sensor page Grip Range slider, and adjusted explanations.
Added Grip Sense rumble effect to Grip Sense calibration screen.
Fixed an issue where Steam Controller grip thresholds were loaded incorrectly in the device calibration screen.
Fixed an issue preventing the Steam button chord configuration from being edited for the Steam Controller.
Steam Controller Firmware
Fixes for trackpad 'dead zone' issues experienced by some Steam Controllers.
Fixed an issue with occasional stutter on the gyro polling rate.
Fixed IMU failures when using extended rumble.
Fixed an issue where continuous rumble would sometimes break Gyro input.
Remote Play
Added an advanced client option to enable microphone streaming.
Fixed the client disconnecting after a short period of time when doing non-local streaming.
Fixed the Steam Link app not showing the computer as online after pairing in some cases.
Desktop Mode
Fixed a case where dropdown windows and profile hover windows could get stuck on screen.
A new Steam client has been released and will be automatically downloaded.
General
Fixed an issue where the Steam Workshop would download an older version of an item if there were multiple versions of the item that were marked valid for game beta branch the user opted into.
Fixed a rare case where the Steam Controller welcome dialog could appear while updating the controller's firmware.
Fixed streamable non-Steam games showing in Library when Remote Play is turned off.
Fixed some startup movies failing to play in Big Picture Mode.
Fixed option to clear custom backgrounds and logos not showing in library.
Settings
Updated the layout and styles for client settings across desktop, Big Picture and controller configuration to improve readability and organization.
Notification settings has been updated to allow changing e-mail, client, and mobile notification preferences in one place.
In-Game Overlay
Fixed a case where Performance Monitor could over report frame rate if a game erroneously calls NVIDIA APIs to get new frame tokens at a much higher rate than their actual Present frame rate.
Fixed cases where the overlay may not immediately cover the entire screen when first invoked.
Fixed cases where the Big Picture mode overlay notifications may be positioned incorrectly until the overlay is first invoked.
Fixed a rare case where GameOverlayUI64.exe could stop responding and use too much CPU.
Steam Controller Firmware
Fixes for trackpad 'dead zone' issues experienced by some Steam Controllers.
Fixed IMU failures when using extended rumble.
Fixed an issue with occasional stutter on the gyro polling rate.
Fixed an issue where continuous rumble would sometimes break Gyro input.
Steam Input
Steam Controller: Minor improvement to gyro micro stutter (ignore clone packets).
You can turn off "Track Pad locking" - by default each trackpad is disabled while the corresponding joystick is either deflected or the joystick's capacitive sensor has been activated. This is to avoid accidental track pad touches when using a joystick. Find the setting in: Settings->Controller->Details->Calibration & Advanced->Trackpad Lockout.
Gyro to Joystick Camera: Defaulted Gyro Deadzone Speed and Gyro Precision Speed to 0 to aide tuning the correct Minimum Joystick Output - these settings would swallow the micro movements needed to check the minimum response to gyro movements. Also: added Minimum Joystick Output slider on the Configurator Quick Settings list.
Added an extra option to Gyro to Joystick Camera - Angle Catchup can be active while gyro ratcheting.
Fixed Gyro to Joystick Camera timing issue - should appear smoother across all controllers.
Removed several configuration options from incompatible inputs. Digital Buttons can no longer be set Press types that require Analog input and Gyro can no longer be set to incompatible Radial Menu or Hotbar. These options will still be available for all compatible inputs.
Fixed detecting the Steam Controller when it is charging on the puck at Steam startup.
Fixed an issue with doubled input when the Steam Controller is charging on the puck.
Fixed FlyDigi Vader 5 Pro in enhanced mode on Linux and macOS.
Fixed "Reset Camera To Horizon" action operating inconsistently in different engines - turn commands chunked into 2 to improve consistency.
Fixed quick settings Left Trackpad to point to correct settings, instead of toward Gyro.
Fixed not being able to use Grip Sense to activate Touch Menus.
Fixed Grip Sense sensor page Grip Range slider, and adjusted explanations.
Added Grip Sense rumble effect to Grip Sense calibration screen.
Fixed an issue where Steam Controller grip thresholds were loaded incorrectly in the device calibration screen.
Fixed an issue preventing the Steam button chord configuration from being edited for the Steam Controller.
Fixed Steam Controller input in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
Linux
The 'Legacy Steam Runtime' compatibility tool is now an optional standalone download instead of being bundled with the Steam client.
Fixed firmware updates failing on systems where libhidapi was not installed.
Fixed a case where dropdown windows and profile hover windows could get stuck on screen.
Fixed a crash related to the Steam Controller on Linux.
Remote Play
Alt-Enter now toggles windowed mode.
Window mode, position, and size are saved between sessions.
Added a windowed mode toggle and 1:1 resize button to the mouse/keyboard overlay menu.
Added an advanced client option to enable microphone streaming.
Fixed the client disconnecting after a short period of time when doing non-local streaming.
Fixed the Steam Link app not showing the computer as online after pairing in some cases.
The latest update to Steam Workshop has just wrapped up a beta test period and is now deployed for everyone.
The next time you visit the Steam Workshop for your favorite game, you'll see an updated interface for browsing, searching, and filtering, making it easier and faster to explore and find great user-created mods to enhance your gaming experience.
Read on for details of this update.
Updated Home For Every Workshop
The main Workshop page for each game has a fresh new layout, which can be customized by the game's developer.
By default, the page starts off with featuring the most popular mods based on user ratings in the past week.
Next, the page lists the available item tags to quickly browse relevant content, or you can flip through the tabbed section of "Most popular", "Most Subscribed", "Last Updated", and "Most Recent"
In some communities, certain items have become the foundation upon which many other mods are built, so we've added a section to highlight those important cornerstone mods that are required by other items.
And of course if you follow individual Workshop authors, or if your friends have uploaded items for that Workshop, the page will display sections for those too.
Reworked layout for browsing and filtering
We've reworked the browsing and filtering experience to make the whole thing faster and easier.
Applying filters now happens much faster and without a page refresh, so it's easier to keep track of where you are and what has changed as a result of the filters you set.
We've also redesigned the page to make better use of wider screens, allowing more items per row. Now, for most players, you'll find four or five items per row instead of the previous limitations of three.
Saved Searches
When you've applied desired filters to narrow down to a set of interesting mods, you can also save your search query to get back to it quickly from the "Browse" menu.
Powerful search: titles and/or descriptions
Now, the search within Workshop defaults to searching both the title and description fields to find your desired term. You can click the gear icon next to the search field for more options and details on constructing complex search queries to narrow in on exactly what you are looking for.
Filter by required DLC
Some mods only work with content available in specific items of DLC for the game. You can now easily narrow down your searches to exclude items that require DLC that you don't have.
New Quick View
When hovering over any item in the Workshop, you'll find a new magnifying glass icon appear. Clicking that icon will open a new quick view of the item, with key details such as dates, file size, screenshots, description and ways to immediately subscribe, rate, or add to your favorites. Plus, you can use the arrows on left and right of the quick view to quickly browse through the same list of items you opened the quick view from.
In addition to description of the item you are viewing, the quick view panel also includes sections for other items or DLC that are required. You can also easily jump to all of the items that depend on the item you are looking at, as possibly an interesting way to explore some similar kinds of content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What if I find a bug? How do I give feedback on the changes?
A. Leave us a comment by clicking the 'Discuss' button below.
Q. Do you plan to update other pages in the Workshop?
A. Yes, but we don't have an exact timeline for when. Once we wrap up this beta of the browsing page, we'll have a better idea of scope of work for subsequent pages.
Q. Got any random Workshop trivia?
A. Absolutely, we love random trivia. Did you know...
The mod with the most subscribers, is crashz' Crosshair Generator v3, which has been around since 2014. This mod helps players customize their crosshairs in Counter-Strike and has over 36M subscribers!
The mod that is most depended on by other mod makers: the eloquently-named CBA_A3 for Arma 3 is a toolkit that over 19,000 other mods depend on.
The Steam Workshop has 2,013 items with over 1 Million current subscribers. That is a whole lot of people customizing their gaming experience!
There are 41 different games on Steam that have at least one item in their Steam Workshop with over 1 Million subscribers. Wallpaper Engine, Garry's Mod, Project Zomboid, DayZ, and Counter-Strike 2 make up the top 5 of those.
Steam Deck itself hasn't changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes.
Read more about Steam Deck on its product page, and follow the Steam Hardware Blog to stay up-to-date on all Steam Hardware news.
Steam Deck itself hasn't changed; these new prices reflect the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges across the industry as a whole. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes.
Read more about Steam Deck on its product page, and follow the Steam Hardware Blog to stay up-to-date on all Steam Hardware news.
Note: This update is for the Steam Deck Beta and Preview channels, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel.
These notes contain all changes since the current stable SteamOS 3.7 release, with the new changes since the previous 3.8.4 Beta noted below
New in 3.8.5
Fixed a bug on Steam Deck OLED where rebooting would occasionally cause a loss of speaker output until rebooted again
Further improvements to video memory management on discrete GPU platforms
Fixed a bug in Desktop Mode causing previously open applications to not be remembered when using the 'Return to Gaming Mode' shortcut to logout
Fixed a regression from previous 3.8 builds causing controls to misbehave after resuming from suspend on the ASUS ROG Ally
Even more stability and security updates
General
Fixed a case where WiFi performance could become degraded until the device was put to sleep or manually reconnected
Fixed excessive trackpad sensitivity on certain early Steam Deck LCD models
Initial support for upcoming Steam Machine hardware
Added support for waking from sleep via connected Steam Controller
Updated Arch system base
Updated graphics driver with performance and stability fixes
Fixed a case where per-app performance settings would intermittently fail to apply when launching a game
Substantially improved speed of future OS updates on high-speed connections
Improved support for the screencasts in Game Mode (e.g. OBS/Discord)
Fixed dropdown menus not appearing in some games
Improved VRR frame pacing
Fixed FSR badge remaining off in the performance overlay, even if it was actually active
Improved support for games that attempt to open PDF files in external viewers
Added missing graphics features needed for titles such as "Crimson Desert"
Fixed an issue affecting certain titles (such as "SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide") where the game window could have an incorrect position
Fixed closing certain titles (such as "STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™") and Starfield resulting in a session crash
Improved support for certain USB racing wheels and USB devices that boot in a non-standard mode
Frequently these are devices that appear as USB storage devices with a driver installer, and must be switched to their normal mode by the OS
Steam Deck controller firmware updates now display update progress on the splash screen
Fixes issue on specific Steam Deck revisions where firmware updates could render the left controller inoperative for that session
Fixes for experimental nested desktop mode
Numerous stability and security updates
Bluetooth
Re-re-enable Bluetooth Wake for Steam Deck LCD
Fix for more spurious wake issues that were present in earlier attempts
Audio
Detect HDMI channel count and expose surround configuration if available
Add a setting to allow using Bluetooth headset mics (Bluetooth playback quality will be worse while capture is active)
Restore internal audio device on reboot if set to "Off" in desktop mode
Increase suspend timeout for HDMI devices so initial audio isn't cut off after a few seconds of inactivity
Fixed a bug with switching input devices when a wired headset is plugged in
Fixed an issue where audio underruns could be experienced after sleep/resume
Accessibility
Added an option to force mono audio output
Desktop Mode
KDE Plasma updated to version 6.4.3 from 6.2.5, and now uses wayland by default
Fixes several cases of reduced performance in Desktop Mode compared to Game Mode
Improved support for rotated displays
Better scale factor out of the box on TVs
Adds support for external HDR displays
Adds support for VRR displays
Adds support per-display scale factor
For more information, see Plasma release announcements
Steam Controller launched on May 4th, with all the inputs you'd expect plus advanced features (like trackpads) that let you game however you like. The trackpads make every game on Steam playable by providing a ton of functionality to play games of all kinds:
-Need to map 20 hotkeys to a virtual menu? No problem.
-Want a giant screen shot button? Sure.
-Looking for a button that automatically delivers your favorite food? Oh, um. It can't do that. But even if you don't need additional in game functionality, the trackpads can also serve as superior cursor control or aiming experience compared to thumbsticks.
We touched on the capabilities of the trackpads briefly in a previous blog post about Steam Input Configurator, but wanted to provide a deeper dive on everything you can do. Here is how to get the most out of the trackpads on your Steam Controller.
There are two primary use cases for the trackpads:
To control a mouse cursor or to aim. This is done two main ways:
As a mouse, you can use it as everything from a simple cursor that navigates UI buttons, to precise aiming in a highly competitive fast paced shooter. Utilizing both trackpads together can provide an even more complete mouse experience. We recommend this as a primary method. For games that do not handle mixed input (mouse/keyboard and gamepad at the same time causing performance issue or flickering input glyphs), set the template to a mouse/keyboard template. If seeing gamepad glyphs are really important, or a mouse/keyboard template will not work we recommend "as a joystick".
As a joystick, it's similar to above but used more often when games struggle with mixed input (mouse/keyboard and gamepad at the same time). This makes the game believe a joystick is being used, but the actual interaction feels like a mouse. This requires a lot of fine tuning to make a good experience.
As a way to provide mapping for various keys, buttons, shortcuts, or system level functionality that isn't possible with a traditional controller. This can be done many ways, but the two most common are:
As a button/button cluster/directional pad: You can assign each trackpad as one big button or each direction on each trackpad to a separate button, which gives you access to 4 more buttons per trackpad that are easy to press.
As a virtual menu: If 4 buttons per trackpad aren't enough (no judgment!), you can create a radial/touch menu so touching a trackpad pulls up a customizable menu with up to 20 options.
The above is not exhaustive (see the below in this guide for all of the options) but it is what we consider to be the most common use cases. This guide will explain how to set these different scenarios up.
The many options for your Trackpads
In the Steam Input Configurator, when selecting the Trackpad Behavior drop down, you will be presented with the following options:
Here's a breakdown of what each of these options mean:
None - The trackpad will be turned off
As Mouse - The trackpad will emulate a mouse. Note: If you select "As Mouse" and the game you are playing begins flashing controller glyphs and keyboard glyphs rapidly, or even crashing, please try setting the controller config to full mouse and keyboard using the layout templates. If you strongly desire controller glyphs, try "As Joystick" (see below).
Flick Stick - Turns a left/right/down swipe into a rapid, predetermined amount of pixel rotation. Typically used for rapidly turning (90/180 degrees) in competitive games, or for making large scale adjustments when using another input for fine aiming (gyro or other trackpad)
Mouse Region - Set the trackpad to emulate a mouse, but only in a rectangular subsection of the full screen. This can be useful if a game you are playing has a key UI HUD located in the same place the whole game. The dimensions and location of the rectangle are fully customizable.
Joystick - The trackpad will emulate a joystick: Press on the top part of the trackpad and the output will be like a fully deflected thumbstick pressed up.
As Joystick - The trackpad will emulate a mouse, but provide an output like a thumbstick. Works for games that do not handle mouse input and gamepad input at the same time. (Note: You may need to tweak sensitivity or deadzoning settings in the game for best responsiveness.)
Directional Pad or Button Pad - The trackpad will emulate a 4-way directional pad or button cluster (ABXY). Press on the top, bottom, left or right of the trackpad to get a direction, or button. You can map the output of each direction like you map any other button. (Note: Directional Pad includes the capability to press "diagonals" - i.e. top right corner will press Up and Right together)
Single Button - Make the trackpad a giant button by setting it to behave as a single button. Press down on it and get the assigned output.
Directional Swipe - Use directional swipe gesture to provide an output, Swipe Up, Down, Right or Left. You can map the output of each swipe like any other button.
Scroll Wheel - Rotate clockwise or counter clockwise on the trackpad. Great way to emulate the scroll wheel on a mouse to zoom in and out in a RTS game.
Radial Menu - The trackpad will pop up an on-screen menu over the game that can be customized to include whatever output you like.
Touch Menu - Similar to Radial Menu, except it provides selections in a grid format.
Hot Bar - Creates a virtual hot bar: Press down on the trackpad to bring it up; press right or left to cycle through options; then press up to select the item.
Many games on PC are intended to be used with a mouse: Older games, deckbuilders, point and click adventures, fast-paced FPS and many puzzle games are great examples of this. The right trackpad is commonly used as a mouse replacement for these types of games. You can build up functionality of a full mouse based on the games you want to play and how you want to play them.
Mouse control - FPS games, or games where you only need to "aim" with the trackpad
Select one of your trackpads to "As Mouse" in the configuration tool. This will make the trackpad behave as a mouse (movements of your thumb will directly move the mouse cursor).
Clicking the gear next to "Behavior" will give you several options:
Options to adjust settings, including:
Sensitivity - The higher the value for sensitivity, the more mouse motion you will see for a given swipe on the trackpad. Adjust this if you think you need to swipe too much (or too little) for how the motion appears in game.
Vertical Sensitivity - Changes the sensitivity ratio between horizontal and vertical motion on the trackpad. In most FPS games, you can move around horizontally forever, but vertically only until looking fully up or down. Because of this, you might prefer much more sensitivity horizontally than vertically.
Invert X/Y output - Toggle these to invert your output. Similar to using a flight stick.
Trackball Mode - In trackball mode, when you swipe and let go, the swipe will have momentum (like a ball rolling) and will continue to move the mouse in that direction for a while. If you prefer the mouse to stop as soon as you release your finger, turn this off.
Adjust these to your preference.
Tips for using in FPS gaming:
Mapping left/right mouse click to the left/right trigger makes the layout feel more like a traditional gamepad layout. Depending on the game making the left trackpad a directional pad as a short cut for various equipment, or a virtual menu to help with inventory management or quick chat events.
Protip: Shooting, jumping, reloading, etc while aiming is important in fast paced FPS games, Mapping A, B, X, Y to R4, R5, L4, and L5 allow you to continue aiming while doing actions typically mapped to the ABXY button cluster.
Mouse + Click - Casual point and click, deckbuilders, etc.
Adding click to mouse control gives you ease of moving a mouse and clicking and dragging. By default the left click behavior for when you set a trackpad "As Mouse" will be pushing the same trackpad in (click). However if a game requires any kind of drag and drop behavior or has small targets, it is advised to map left click to a separate input. In many templates it is set to right trigger.
We have found one of the most interesting ways to do this is to set the opposite trackpad to left and right click. On most templates the left trackpad is set to a directional pad, and we can just leverage that to turn it into a left and right click. In the drop down make sure Directional Pad is selected:
If you just want the trackpad to be left and right click, you will need to disable the up directional and down directional input. You can do this by clicking in the gear settings and then select remove command.
Then map the left directional to left click and the right directional to right click.
With this layout, you can comfortably play any game that requires mouse and clicking/dragging. We've played this way in a lot of deck builders and casual point and click games.
Mouse + Click + Scroll Wheel - Strategy games, RTS, games that need zooming
In many games the mouse scroll wheel is used to do several things, including scrolling through long lists of items or zooming a camera in and out. Building on the directional pad method for left/right click mentioned above, we have found mapping the up direction and down direction to "Scroll Wheel Up" and "Scroll Wheel Down" works well. Click in each box like the previous section, navigate to mouse, and assign scroll wheel up and down.
One important note: if you want it to behave as a continuous scroll, you will need to click the gear icon → Settings → Turn on "Hold to Repeat (Turbo)". You can change the "Repeat Rate" to tune how fast the scroll command repeats
If you need middle mouse click (for rotating or panning), you can set right trackpad click to middle mouse click. Or, if you don't like pressing and dragging at the same time, you can put middle mouse click on one of the grip buttons (L4/L5/R4/R5).
While this above set-up works great for us, you may find a better one for you, Feel free to experiment and share your configurations. That is one of the most exciting parts about how the Steam Input Configurator works - you can map it how you like!
What if I just want more buttons?
If you just want more buttons, you can always set both trackpads to directional pads, button pads, single buttons, or even button swipes. All of these give you the ability to add more easily accessible buttons to your game, up to 8 if you use two trackpads as directional pads.
While you could do this for gamepad buttons, it is also powerful when remapping keyboard keys.
Mapping Keyboard Keys
Depending on how many keys you need for a game you have several options. If you only need a couple of keys then setting the trackpad to a "Button Pad" or "Directional Pad" would work as well.
Mapping keyboard keys is similar to how you map other buttons, in this example you can set the left trackpad as a "Directional Pad" and then select "Add Command".
Select Keyboard from the input options and then select the key you would like to emulate.
Many games require a ctrl or shift press for an input, to act as an modifier. One example is in RTS control is often used to select or modify a group. To set an input chord to be control + 1.
Select the settings of the Control Key.
Select "Add Extra Command"
This creates a chord for Ctrl + 1.
Not enough - more buttons please!
If 8 additional buttons aren't enough (we've played MMORPGs, we know how it goes), then virtual menus are another place where the trackpads shine. You can set the trackpad to bring up a virtual menu that can give you quick access to your own custom action menu within a game. Radial menus can have up to 20(!) options built in; touch menus up to 16; and hot bars up to 16.
Radial Menu - A circular menu will pop up on screen that point or move in a direction to select:
Touch Menu - Similar to radial menus, except the outputs are arranged in a grid or list format:
Hotbar - A virtual hot bar that can be navigated and selected, similar to inventory slots in a game:
Other Ways to Use Your Trackpads
If the game you want to play already has good controller support, the trackpads can still provide additional functionality. An example is using the trackpads to system level functions, like the volume buttons or capturing a screen shot.
Using Directional Swipes to Change Volume
We've found one intuitive way to change the volume is to use the "directional swipe" trackpad behavior option.
From the trackpad behavior dropdown select Directional Swipe:
For Swipe Up, select System → then Volume Key Up:
For Swipe Down, select System → Then volume down.
To make the swipes more responsive (move the volume more positions with one swipe): select the gear next to the Directional Swipe drop down and in the Scroll Wheel Mode drop down select Vertical Only.
Using the Trackpad to Invoke the On-Screen Keyboard
Another usage is to bring up the on screen keyboard. This is super handy because interacting with the on screen keyboard, for a controller, can feel challenging. We've designed the trackpads to be a simple and fast way to type.
In the trackpad behavior drop down, select Single Button.
Select Click, "add command." System → Show Keyboard.
We find this interaction is best while setting the button behavior to "Start Press". Select the gear to the right of "Show Keyboard", select Regular Press and then Select Start Press. This will make the keyboard appear as you press down.
With the power of the two trackpads and the Steam Input Configurator, virtually anything is possible with the Steam Controller. We encourage you to explore different ways to use the trackpads for how you like to play.
Learn more about Steam Controller on its product page, and keep an eye on the Steam Hardware Blog for future how-to guides and closer looks. We also have this video on our official YouTube channel that takes you on a quick-start tour of Steam Controller.
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