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Steam Programming Fest is here!

Steam's Programming Fest is here! Flex your tech skills, and program/hack/fix your way through all kinds of programming games on sale.

Do your family members always call you for tech advice? NOT NOW, GRANDMA, I'M BUSY! Busy applying your savvy skills to fun games, that is.

See you NOW for Steam Programming Fest, on through September 14th at 10 am PT.

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Steam Client Beta - September 9th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Homescreen - Big Picture Mode

  • Added a new 'Big Art Mode' option for the home screen. This can be enabled in Settings > Home.

  • Added Personal Calendar to the Recommended tab on the home screen

    [carousel][/carousel]

Screensaver - Big Picture Mode

  • Added a new screensaver feature, accessible in Settings > Customization. There are two screensavers available:

    • The default is a game art slideshow that can be configured to show artwork from recently played games and your recent in-game screenshots.

    • A retro inspired bouncing logo screensaver

  • Big Picture mode can also load custom screensavers. Similar to startup movies, they can be placed in the config\\uioverrides\\screensavers directory in your Steam install directory (e.g. C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam or ~/.steam/root). You can use the bouncing logo screensaver (in the steamui\\screensavers directory) as an example to get started.

    [carousel][/carousel]

General

  • Improved Steam Client startup performance

  • Fixed a case where after server maintenance some users might fail to auto-reconnect to Steam

  • Fixed bug where being prompted to refresh credentials more than once could trigger an immediate restart

  • On Windows, using the systray menu to exit while the Steam window is minimized will no longer flash the window visible briefly

  • Dialogs that appear for serious error conditions now stay above the main window

Game Recording

  • Fixed some cases where playback would jump to an unexpected point in the timeline when reaching the end of a play session or clip

  • Decreased performance impact of game recording for some D3D12 games on Windows

In-Game Overlay

  • Fixed frame rate hitches in D3D11 and D3D12 games when taking screenshots on Windows

  • Fixed rendering the overlay and using other overlay related features (screenshots, game recording, etc.) in Vulkan games that create multiple windows.

Big Picture Mode

  • Added explicit warning text to power menu confirmation dialogs when proceeding will shut down an active game

  • Updated default artwork when an app does not have library or hero artwork

  • Reorganized the idle timer settings when on battery and AC power

Steam Input

  • Improved CPU performance at runtime and in configuration loading

  • Added information about which configurations are compatible in the configurator browser when using a game that requires Steam Input API

  • Fixed the controller support widget showing "This game doesn't support controllers" for unreleased games that don't have controller support information yet

  • Fixed controllers not using the desktop configuration on the desktop UI login window

  • Added the missing settings for adjusting emulated joystick adaptive centering on trackpad

Linux

  • Improved download speeds on high latency connections.

  • The "Select compatibility tool" dropdown is now always visible.

    • The recommended compatibility tool, or steam runtime for native games, now shows at the top of the list as the "Default" option.

    • Compatibility tool aliases, e.g. "Proton Stable", can now be selected from this dropdown.

  • The SteamOS compatibility dialogs will now show in desktopUI when installing games not verified for that HW

  • On Desktop Linux we will now show the SteamOS unsupported dialog when installing games that are known to not work with Proton

  • Improve distro information collection for hardware survey, preferring data from /etc/os-release.

SteamRT3 Experimental Beta

  • Fixed "Add a Non-Steam Game" showing an invalid list of applications.

  • Fixed the "Run Steam when my computer starts" toggle.

Remote Play

  • A PIN is no longer required to download an app to a remote device. A PIN is still required to Install and Stream from a remote device.

  • Adding Download Complete notification for a remote download if you initiated the download on your current device.

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Steam Beta Client Update: September 9th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

Home Screen

  • Added a new 'Big Art Mode' option for the home screen. This can be enabled in Settings > Home.

  • Added Personal Calendar to the Recommended tab on the home screen

    [carousel][/carousel]

Screensavers

  • Added a new screensaver feature, accessible in Settings > Customization. There are two screensavers available:

    • The default is a game art slideshow that can be configured to show artwork from recently played games and your recent in-game screenshots.

    • A retro inspired bouncing logo screensaver

  • Custom screensavers are also supported. Similar to startup movies, they can be placed in directories at ~/.steam/root/config/uioverrides/screensavers/. You can use the bouncing logo screensaver (in the steamui/screensavers directory) as an example to get started.

    [carousel][/carousel]

General

  • Added notification about the current user when waking from sleep, if there have been multiple recent users. The notification can be activated to switch users and dismisses immediately on any other input. This notification can be toggled from the Notification Settings.

  • Added confirmation step to "exit VR" and "switch to desktop mode" power menu actions, and removed it from "sleep".

  • Added explicit warning text to power menu confirmation dialogs when proceeding will shut down an active game.

  • Added confirmation dialog/user switching ability when waking from sleep would require kicking an active session elsewhere.

  • The SteamOS compatibility dialogs will now show in desktop mode when installing games not verified for that HW.

  • The 'System Report' dialog is now more responsive when displaying and uploading the gathered system report.

  • Added "Default to Desktop Mode" toggle to System settings.

  • Fixed a case where Windows games would show as 'Not Compatible' in the library view until a manual Proton version was selected for this app.

  • Improved download speeds on high latency connections.

  • The "Select compatibility tool" dropdown is now always visible.

    • The recommended compatibility tool, or steam runtime for native games, now shows at the top of the list as the "Default" option.

    • Compatibility tool aliases, e.g. "Proton Stable", can now be selected from this dropdown.

  • Updated default artwork when an app does not have library or hero artwork.

  • Reorganized the idle timer settings when on battery and AC power

  • Pressing the controller's system button will request the TV to switch to the Steam Machine as the active source (the connected TV must support HDMI CEC)

Game Recording

  • Fixed some cases where playback would jump to an unexpected point in the timeline when reaching the end of a play session or clip

  • Decreased performance impact of game recording for some D3D12 games on Windows

Steam Input

  • Improved CPU performance at runtime and in configuration loading

  • Added information about which configurations are compatible in the configurator browser when using a game that requires Steam Input API

  • Fixed the controller support widget showing "This game doesn't support controllers" for unreleased games that don't have controller support information yet

  • Fixed controllers not using the desktop configuration on the desktop UI login window

  • Added the missing settings for adjusting emulated joystick adaptive centering on trackpad

SteamRT3 Experimental Beta

  • Fixed the Performance Overlay slider.

  • Fixed "Add a Non-Steam Game" showing an invalid list of applications.

  • Fixed the "Run Steam when my computer starts" toggle.

Remote Play

  • A PIN is no longer required to download an app to a remote device. A PIN is still required to Install and Stream from a remote device.

  • Adding Download Complete notification for a remote download if you initiated the download on your current device.

In-Game Overlay

  • Fixed frame rate hitches in D3D11 and D3D12 games when taking screenshots on Windows

  • Fixed rendering the overlay and using other overlay related features (screenshots, game recording, etc.) in Vulkan games that create multiple windows.

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Steam Beta Client Update: September 6th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

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Steam Client Beta - September 6th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

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Steam Client Beta - September 9th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

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Steam Beta Client Update: September 9th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

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Steam Client Beta - September 2nd

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Remote Play

  • Fixed Steam streaming client failing to launch on Windows 10.

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Steam Client Update: September 1st

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client update to the Stable channel.

Note: This client was re-released September 6th with the following additional changes:

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

General

  • Allow changing account while a game is running. In this case, the change account dialog shows a warning that proceeding will close active games.

  • Added "Ask which account to use on startup" toggle to startup account chooser.

  • Eliminated "change account" confirmation dialog in most cases. Changing account while Steam is running now brings up the account chooser directly, then restarts as the chosen account.

  • Steam shutdown now waits for just-exited games to finish cloud sync.

  • In the Web Browser, the left trackpad of Steam Deck/Steam Controller is now bound to scroll wheel for navigating non-Steam websites.

  • Fixed issues where some Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

  • Fixed requesting a PIN reset while signed in as a different account restarting with the wrong account signed in.

  • Fixed a bug where a single pixel line would sometimes appear above the header on the home screen.

  • Fixed a issue where sometimes uninstalling a game would not remove it from the download queue.

  • Fixed a crash when suspending/resuming a device after a controller disconnected.

Desktop Mode

  • Fixed some keys not typing properly in Steam Overlay.

Friends & Chat

  • Chat messages with suspicious content will now be flagged in group chats. You can report the messages, block the sender, or dismiss the warning by activating the notice.

Steam Input

  • Make controller configurations that are shared with other devices or unique to a device more clear in the configurator UI and add an option to split Steam Controller configurations so they are no longer shared with Steam Deck.

Remote Play

  • Improved video color range.

  • Added support for HDR streaming on Steam Deck OLED.

  • Added support for AV1 video streaming when using the experimental SteamRT3 Steam Client.

  • Fixed a case where streaming could show a black window.

  • Fixed a bug where Remote Devices with Remote Play enabled weren't showing as Streamable.

  • Fixed video frame being clipped when desktop scaling is enabled.

  • Fixed framerate drop when using the unlimited bandwidth option when streaming from Steam Deck or Steam Machine.

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Steam Client Update - September 1st

A new Steam Client update has been released and will be automatically downloaded.

Note: This client was re-released September 6th with the following additional changes:

  • Fixed a case where the steamwebhelper process could experience high CPU usage when certain events were shown in the library tab.

  • Fixed Steam streaming client failing to launch on Windows 10.

General

  • Allow changing account while a game is running. In this case, the change account dialog shows a warning that proceeding will close active games.

  • Added "Ask which account to use on startup" toggle to startup account chooser.

  • Eliminated "change account" confirmation dialog in most cases. Changing account while Steam is running now brings up the account chooser directly, then restarts as the chosen account.

  • Steam shutdown now waits for just-exited games to finish cloud sync.

  • Fixed issues where some Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

  • Fixed game server browser filtering out multiple servers being hosted from a single public IP.

  • Fixed an issue where sometimes uninstalling a game would not remove it from the download queue

Friends & Chat

  • Chat messages with suspicious content will now be flagged in group chats. You can report the messages, block the sender, or dismiss the warning by clicking the notice.

Big Picture Mode

  • In the Web Browser, the left trackpad of Steam Deck/Steam Controller is now bound to scroll wheel for navigating non-Steam websites.

  • Fixed a bug where a single pixel line would sometimes appear above the header on the home screen.

Remote Play

  • Improved video color range on all platforms.

  • Added support for HDR streaming on Steam Deck OLED.

  • Fixed a case where streaming could show a black window.

  • Fixed a bug where Remote Devices with Remote Play enabled weren't showing as Streamable.

  • Fixed video frame being clipped when using pipewire capture with desktop scaling on Wayland.

  • Fixed framerate drop when using the unlimited bandwidth option with VA-API encoding on Linux.

Steam Input

  • Make controller configurations that are shared with other devices or unique to a device more clear in the configurator UI and add an option to split Steam Controller configurations so they are no longer shared with Steam Deck.

Linux

  • Fixed some keys not typing properly in Steam Overlay when in Big Picture Mode.

  • Fixed a crash when suspending/resuming a device after a controller disconnected.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 31st

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

Friends & Chat

  • Chat messages with suspicious content will now be flagged in group chats. You can report the messages, block the sender, or dismiss the warning by activating the notice.

Steam Input

  • Fixed a crash opening some Nintendo Switch Pro controllers.

Remote Play

  • Fixed a bug where very high bitrate streams stopped sending video frames.

  • Fixed video frame being clipped when desktop scaling is enabled.

  • Fixed framerate drop when using the unlimited bandwidth option when streaming from Steam Deck or Steam Machine.

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Steam Client Beta - August 31st

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Friends & Chat

  • Chat messages with suspicious content will now be flagged in group chats. You can report the messages, block the sender, or dismiss the warning by clicking the notice.

Steam Input

  • Fixed a crash opening some Nintendo Switch Pro controllers.

Remote Play

  • Fixed a bug where very high bitrate streams stopped sending video frames.

  • Fixed video frame being clipped when using pipewire capture with desktop scaling on Wayland.

  • Fixed framerate drop when using the unlimited bandwidth option with VA-API encoding on Linux.

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Steam PvE Survival Crafting Fest is here!

Steam's PvE Survival Crafting Fest is on now through September 7th at 10 a.m. PT, which means a full week of discounts on games that test your skills by pitting you against the environment you find yourself in.

Can you, for example, survive being stranded at sea? Being underwater? Floating through space? Existing on an island (alone) filled with cannibals? These are just hypotheticals, of course.

Join us now for the Steam PvE Survival Crafting Fest, and may you survive the elements by any means necessary. (At a discount, too!)

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SteamOS 3.9.0 Preview

Note: This update is for the Steam Deck Preview channel, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel.

Note on Preview Releases

This is an early Preview build of SteamOS 3.9, and may contain unexpected bugs or stability issues. If you encounter problems, please consider filing a bug on the SteamOS issue tracker.

The following notes are an overview, and may not include all changes since the previous SteamOS 3.8 Stable Release.

General

Misc

  • Updated the bootloader to improve compatibility with certain motherboards

  • The Desktop Mode lockscreen is no longer prevented from being explicitly enabled in settings (but remains off by default)

Developer

  • Switched WiFi backend to wpa_supplicant by default for new installations, improving compatibility with various WiFi networks

    • Enhanced wpa_supplicant to support fast WiFi reconnect on resume from sleep, previously only available in the iwd backend

    • Known issue: Existing installations will continue to use iwd unless manually enabled in Developer Settings

  • Linux kernel rebased on Linux 7.2

  • Added preliminary support for hibernation, not yet exposed in Game Mode UI

    • Enhanced Linux kernel hibernation support to enable interrupting hibernate requests and fixed various driver issues

  • Various scripts and packages have been renamed from `steamos-` to `holo-`, with aliases to the former names where appropriate

  • Improved support for running SteamOS as a VM guest with accelerated graphics (virtio-gpu, venus)

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SteamOS 3.8.26 Beta

This update is for the SteamOS Beta and Preview channels, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel.

General

  • Fixed an issue present in previous beta builds causing degraded performance in some cases when composition is required (such as when having FSR enabled)

  • Fixed Firefox in Desktop Mode sometimes freezing when fullscreen

  • Worked around an issue where Unreal Engine 5 VR games could display a blank right eye

  • Fixed Bluetooth instability with Nintendo Switch Pro (v1) controller

  • Fixed Desktop Mode allowing resolutions below 640x480 on certain displays, rendering it unusable

  • Fixed a regression from previous beta breaking WiFi connectivity on the MSI Claw A1M

  • Fixed issues with battery display on Lenovo Legion Go models

  • Fixed a bug where the MSI Claw would freeze on resume if an SD card was present during suspend and resume

  • Fixed a bug where the system would freeze on resume if an SD card was removed while suspended

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Steam Client Beta - August 26th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Linux

  • Fixed a crash when suspending/resuming a device after a controller disconnected

Remote Play

  • Fixed a bug where Remote Devices with Remote Play enabled weren't showing as Streamable.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 26th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed a crash when suspending/resuming a device after a controller disconnected

Remote Play

  • Fixed a bug where Remote Devices with Remote Play enabled weren't showing as Streamable.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 18th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed a issue where sometimes uninstalling a game would not remove it from the download queue

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Steam Client Beta - August 18th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed a issue where sometimes uninstalling a game would not remove it from the download queue

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Steam Pins and Pegs Fest is here!

Steam Pins and Pegs Fest is August 17th through 20th, with loads of games on sale that have you playing with pins or pegs. Or pins AND pegs (why not get a lil' crazy?)!

Master pinball and pinball-like games, knock down actual bowling pins, and break some bricks. Try your hand at deckbuilding pegs, roguelike pegs, and more. There are plenty of discounted titles to explore and add to your library.

Steam Pins and Pegs Fest is on now through August 20th at 10 a.m. Pacific. Check it out!

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Steam Client Beta - August 13th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed another issue where legacy Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

SteamRT3 Experimental Beta

  • Fixed a case where games could fail to launch.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 13th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed another issue where legacy Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

SteamRT3 Experimental Beta

  • Fixed a case where games could fail to launch.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 11th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • In the Web Browser, the left trackpad of Steam Deck/Steam Controller is now bound to scroll wheel for navigating non-Steam websites

  • Fixed a bug where a single pixel line would sometimes appear above the header on the home screen

Desktop Mode

  • Fixed some keys not typing properly in Steam Overlay.

Remote Play

  • Fix a case where streaming could show a black window.

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Steam Client Beta - August 11th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Big Picture Mode

  • In the Web Browser, the left trackpad of Steam Deck/Steam Controller is now bound to scroll wheel for navigating non-Steam websites.

  • Fixed a bug where a single pixel line would sometimes appear above the header on the home screen.

Remote Play

  • Fix a case where streaming could show a black window.

Linux

  • Fixed some keys not typing properly in Steam Overlay when in Big Picture Mode.

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SteamOS 3.8.25 Beta

This update is for the SteamOS Beta and Preview channels, and includes new features that are still being tested. You can opt into this in Settings > System > System Update Channel.

Known Issues - Beta

  • There is a known issue with degraded performance in some cases when composition is required (such as when having FSR enabled).

    This issue is fixed in the latest SteamOS stable release (3.8.16). Affected users may wish to switch to the stable update channel while we work on bringing this fix to the beta channel.

General

  • Added support for waking up from the Steam Controller Wireless Adapter (2015)

  • Improved battery indications when the device is charging in but using more power than the charger can provide

  • Preliminary support for the Steam Frame Wireless Adapter

  • Added support for Steam Controller (2026) to the built-in [c]hid_steam[/c] controller driver, enabling use with native controller applications when Steam is not running

  • Fixed an issue where hotplugging HDMI displays could cause lockups in Desktop Mode

  • Fixed an issue where TVs supporting an HDMI "Game Mode" would display the initial boot logo before engaging said mode, causing unnecessary delay and flashing

  • Fixed some cases of slow or stuck Wi-Fi connections with certain adapters

  • Fixed an issue causing previous SteamOS updates to fail to apply for some users

  • Security and stability fixes

Steam Machine Firmware 108

  • Fixed an issue where the system could occasionally wake up immediately after going to sleep

  • Fixed a rare issue where CPU performance could be degraded until reboot after waking up from sleep

Audio

  • Fix for HDMI audio dropouts with some game and TV combinations

  • Improve reliability of HDMI hotplug detection

  • Add option to prefer lower latency audio codecs for Bluetooth devices

Non-Valve Devices

  • Improve support for MSI Claw and OneXPlayer device variants

  • Improve support for devices with external or no Wi-Fi adapters

  • Fixed an infrequent bug where some 3rd party handhelds would have input ignored when held

  • Added initial gamepad support for MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

  • Added initial gamepad support for Konkr FIT

  • Added initial gamepad support for AYANEO Pocket S2

  • Updated gamepad support for OneXPlayer Apex with new firmware

Developer

  • Updated the Linux kernel to 6.18.42

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Steam Client Beta - August 7th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed issues where some Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 7th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed issues where some Steam Workshop items were not being updated properly.

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Steam Beta Client Update: August 5th

We have just shipped an updated Steam Client to the Preview/Beta channel.

General

  • Fixed requesting a PIN reset while signed in as a different account restarting with the wrong account signed in.

Steam Input

  • Make controller configurations that are shared with other devices or unique to a device more clear in the configurator UI and add an option to split Steam Controller configurations so they are no longer shared with Steam Deck

Desktop Mode

  • Fixed game server browser filtering out multiple servers being hosted from a single public IP.

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Steam Client Beta - August 5th

The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

General

  • Fixed game server browser filtering out multiple servers being hosted from a single public IP.

Steam Input

  • Make controller configurations that are shared with other devices or unique to a device more clear in the configurator UI and add an option to split Steam Controller configurations so they are no longer shared with Steam Deck

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Getting the most out of your Steam Controller: Grip Sense

There are lots of features we're excited about when it comes to Steam Controller, and Grip Sense is one of them.

Wait, what IS Grip Sense?

Grip Sense is what we're calling the two capacitive touch sensors inside the handles of Steam Controller. They sense when your fingers are touching the locations highlighted in the image below.Β 

Sounds cool. But, like, why?

Because it's, like, cool! Actually, our driving motivation in building these was to provide another way to activate/deactivate Gyro quickly when you've moved it past your comfortable zone and need to recenter it (called "ratcheting").

It's similar to when you're using your mouse and reach the end of your mousepad: you naturally pick it up and put it back down in the middle. With ratcheting, when you get to the "edge" of your comfortable zone while using Gyro, you can lift your fingers up off the back of the controller, recenter the controller, and then put your fingers back on the controller.

The threshold for activation is adjustable. You can make it so a very slight lift of the fingers will deactivate gyro; or you can make it so you almost need take your whole hand off the controller (like in the animation above). We outline more on how to do that later in this article.

While the original intent was for ratcheting (and it does work for that!) we have found a few other cool use cases, like using it to bring up a weapon wheel, map, or menu. You can lift your fingers off the controller, the weapon wheel will pop up, then you can make your selection and put your fingers back to lock it in. We'll show you how to do that too.Β 

How to assign Grip Sense to Gyro activation

Navigate to the layout editor for a game in the Steam App or in Big Picture Mode (we outline this in our blog post on the Steam Input Configurator). Once there, ensure Gyro is set to "Gyro to Mouse", then click on the Gyro Behavior settings gear

Once in here, you will see the Gyro to Mouse settings. The first option is "Choose Gyro Button(s)". It will default to right trackpad touch and right thumbstick touch. Click in the box to the right to access the button selector menu:

This window will show all options for activating Gyro. If you are unsure what an icon means, you can hover over it and a text description will appear on top. The Grip Sense sensors are the two circled in the image below. When a button is selected, it will turn blue. To deselect, click on the button again; it will turn gray.Β Β 

Once the button is selected, it will work to disable/enable gyro in game. In this example, when you lift your right fingers off of the controller, gyro will be disabled. When your fingers are on the controller, gyro will be enabled.Β 

Multiple activation buttons

If there are multiple buttons selected (see example below where both grip sensors were picked), an option will appear to let you choose whether Any or All buttons are required to Enable, Suppress or Toggle the gyro. By default, it will choose Any. For grip sense, "Any" means you need to extend the fingers on both hands to disable gyro. "All" would mean you only need to extend the fingers on one hand.Β 

How to use Grip Sense for weapon wheel/map/menu

In order to use Grip Sense like you would a "press and hold" button to bring up things like weapon wheels, menus, maps, etc, you need to access it a little bit differently.

Within the game of your choice, navigate to the Layout Editor (read more in our "How to make the most of the Steam Input Configurator" blog post). Once inside the layout editor, in the Buttons section, navigate down to the grip buttons.

Pick whichever one you want to use and assign it to the button that opens up menu, weapon wheel, etc.Β 

Here's the tricky part: Grip Sense looks like a pressedΒ button when your fingers are touching the grip, and we want the opposite. We want it to look like a pressed button when your fingers lift off of the grip. To do that, click on the gear icon next to the button; click on settings; then towards the bottom of the settings screen you will see an "Invert Input" toggle. Turn that on (blue).

Now, whenever the grip is released, it will activate as a button press and hold until the grip is touched again!

How to adjust Grip Sense sensitivity

Everybody's hands and preferences are different, so we provided a way to adjust the Grip Sense sensitivity. If you want to change the sensitivity, you can do so by navigating to Calibration and Advanced settings for the controller.Β 

From the Steam App

From the menu in the top left, click Steam > Settings > Controller > Click "details" for the controller you want to modify > Scroll down until you see "Calibration & Advanced Settings" and click on "Open" > Navigate down to "Grip Sensors" where you will see the sensor adjustment interface.Β 

From Big Picture Mode

Hit Steam to open the Steam menu > Settings > Controller > Click "details" for the controller you want to modify > Scroll down until you see "Calibration & Advanced Settings" and click on "Open" > Navigate down to "Grip Sensors" where you will see the sensor adjustment interface.Β 

Adjusting the sensitivity

On the Grip Sensor Calibration page, you will see two sliders:

  1. Grip Sensor Range - The further the slider is to the left, the closer your fingers need to be to the controller grips for them to be sensed. If you want slight lifts of the fingers to turn off the sensor, move it to the left. If you want to move your fingers substantially before deactivating the sensor, move it to the right.Β 

  2. Flicker Guard Size (aka Hysteresis) - This makes the states (on vs off) a bit more sticky around your sensor range. The further this slider is to the right, the more sticky the sensor state is. Meaning, if the sensors are on and the slider is far to the right, you need to move your fingers further to turn them off. If you're looking for very snappy quick response, keep this low. If you're looking for very stable performance with no accidental activations, put it higher.Β 

As you adjust, the UI will provide real time feedback when the sensor is "on" (blue line on grips) vs "off"

Note: if you move the Flicker Size Guard slider all the way to the left, you may have issues with the grip sense flickering or responding to touch events on the trackpads or thumbstick. Moving it slightly to the right can help resolve this issue.

Learn more about Steam Controller on its product page, and keep an eye on the Steam Hardware Blog for other how-to guides and closer looks.

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