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Using the Valve Steam Controller
The Steam Controller does not speak Apple's controller protocol, so InputConfig reads its raw reports directly, wired or through the wireless USB dongle. It appears in its own slot, with all twenty-three buttons, both trackpads, the stick, the analog triggers, and the motion sensors available for binding.
What happens under the hood
A small helper inside the app opens the controller's vendor interface without seizing it and switches off lizard mode, the controller's built-in keyboard and mouse emulation that would otherwise fight your bindings. The controller re-enables lizard mode if it hears nothing for a while, so the helper repeats the command every 800 milliseconds while a preset runs. Its 64-byte report is parsed into 23 buttons, 6 axes, and the gyro and accelerometer, then streamed to the app.
Where it shows up
Connected, the Steam Controller appears in the sidebar and in a preset's controller list by name. It takes the slot just past your last native controller, so with a DualSense in slot 0 the Steam Controller is slot 1.
Button index reference
| Index | Control |
|---|---|
| 0, 1 | Right trigger click, left trigger click |
| 2, 3 | RB, LB |
| 4, 5, 6, 7 | Y, B, X, A |
| 8, 9, 10, 11 | D-pad up, right, left, down (left pad edges) |
| 12, 13, 14 | Back, Steam, Forward |
| 15, 16 | Left grip paddle, right grip paddle |
| 17, 18 | Left pad click, right pad click |
| 19, 20 | Left pad touch, right pad touch |
| 21 | Stick click |
| 22 | Stick active (a sentinel, not a press) |
Axes 0 and 1 are the left input: the stick while it is in use, otherwise the left trackpad. Axes 2 and 3 are the right trackpad, and 4 and 5 the analog triggers. Trackpads are scaled to the same range as a stick, so a trackpad bound to Mouse Motion moves the pointer like a stick would.
Running alongside Steam
Steam also manages lizard mode when it is running with the controller plugged in, and the two will fight, which looks like flicker or bindings that come and go. Quit Steam, or disable the controller in Steam's settings, before using InputConfig with it.
A ready-made layout
The built-in Steam Controller preset puts the pointer on the right trackpad, clicks on the triggers, keys on the face buttons and grips, and scrolling on the left pad, which is a comfortable couch layout for a browser or a media app.
Questions
Is the Steam Deck supported?
No. The Steam Deck is a different device and not covered by this path.
Does the gyro work?
Yes. The helper streams the gyro and accelerometer, so Motion rows work on the Steam Controller the same way they do on a DualSense.
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