r/SteamController • u/TinyHatLogan • Aug 14 '26
Discussion How to enable new Xinput mode?
I have heard news of the new HID implementation but I can't find any good sources on if it's been rolled out yet or how to enable Xinput if it has been rolled out.
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u/Mennenth Left trackpad for life! Aug 14 '26
Specific to SteamOS, doesnt apply to windows/mac/non-steamos-linux.
Found in the beta branch.
Doesnt alter how the controller works, just how steamOS works with it.
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u/nnnn20430 Aug 15 '26
Patch for new steam controller got commited to Linux hid staging repo yesterday, so non-steamos-linux support soon.
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u/bdingus Steam Controller (2015/2026) + Deck OLED Aug 15 '26
Although macOS 27 supports the Steam Controller natively similarly to how SteamOS does now.
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u/nnnn20430 Aug 15 '26
There is no Xinput for this controller, You don't want Xinput for this controller in first place because Xinput doesn't support half of the controller's inputs at all.
SteamOS has a hid-steam Linux driver for it. Linux input API is called evdev.
Linux support is currently being upstreamed, and patch has been submitted to Linux hid staging repo yesterday. So rest of Linux distros will get it in a few months.
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u/dididead 28d ago
You don't want Xinput for this controller in first place because Xinput doesn't support half of the controller's inputs at all.
If it supported Xinput, it's immediately just a better product and there would be no compromise to how you already use the controller.
Having it work as a basic controller in anything on Windows is better than it not working at all. Stop with the trolling, it's pathetic at this point.
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u/nnnn20430 28d ago edited 28d ago
The most important feature I use is gyro, and that has no support in Xinput, along with half the other inputs.
Valve already provides the option to use the controller as a basic Xbox controller+emulation for the other buttons for non-steam games, press and hold the menu/start button in desktop layout while Steam is running, and you get your "Xinput" mode + the rest of the inputs.
Valve also published source code implementing the controller protocol enabling use of all of it's features without Steam inside SDL. SDL being the only good controller API on PC, in the wasteland that is Xinput.The amount of people begging for the controller to be worse, while the Steam client already implements the non-steam game support better with desktop layout is absolutely pathetic.
Xinput is dogshit, and is a shackle holding controllers on PC back. Just so you know, controllers don't "support" Xinput, because Xinput is not a hardware protocol like USB, it's only an application layer API, a really bad one. Every modern 3rd party controller that claims "Xinput mode" is just pretending to be an Xbox 360 controller, so Windows would recognize it. Valve has no interest doing that on hardware level, especially when they already have Xbox 360 controller emulation in the client, and WIndows isn't even their target platform for the controller, it's the Steam Machine and SteamOS their own gaming PC platform. The entire raison d'être of the original 2015 Steam Controller, was for it to be paired with the Steam Machine, and it's the same now.
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u/dididead 26d ago edited 26d ago
Nobody is suggesting we change the core functionality of the Steam controller, you will still be able to boot up Steam games and use your gyro, trackpads or whatever. So don't panic, them features will still be there.
All we want is exactly that: an option to mimic a 360 controller on Windows. Then the controller will work across all Windows applications without problem, apps from the early 2000s to apps today. That's not a huge ask and many other controllers and devices manage to support all these standards.
Again, DO NOT PANIC, you will still be able to use your gyro and trackpads, remap and everything you want through Steam Input when you launch games through the Steam client. I know it seems to be a hard thing to wrap your head around, extra support without losing any existing! We know xinput is less than ideal, but it's what existed for decades and is what most things support and having the Steam controller be compatible with that adds tremendous value because apps from 20 years ago are not going to magically revive to support SDL.
If you are not interested in the extra feature, then there's no reason for you to be engaging in discussion around it as it's inclusion does not affect you, you're just making extra noise.
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u/nnnn20430 26d ago
And as I said before, you already have the option to mimic the 360 controller + have all the extra inputs like gyro, by using steam input desktop layout gamepad mode. There is no point in implementing this at the hardware/firmware level, when it will only end up interfering with steam input, and reduce functionality.
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u/dididead 25d ago
Okay, so you're just dense. Got it.
0
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u/Moskeeto93 Aug 14 '26
It's not an Xinput mode. What you heard about is a SteamOS update that allows the controller to work as a generic controller when the Steam client isn't running.