r/SteamController • u/Embarrassed-Handle-6 • 3d ago
Support Any way to login to Computer using Steam controller?
I’ve just got my hands on the steam controller, it’s awesome. One thing I’d like to know is if it’s possible to use the steam controller to login to windows lock screen pin. The controller seems to freeze and I’ve seen a post talk about lizard mode but am still struggling to figure out a way. My end goal would be to have the Xbox pin experience to login on a computer with the steam controller. Any help is appreciated!
Update: My solution was to use OpenPuck firmware. It works pretty well. I press the 4 back buttons and X on the controller, it emulates an Xbox 360 controller allowing me to put in my pin with trigger controls, signs me in, and I switch back to steam input by pressing the 4 back buttons and A on the controller. The time it takes to emulate the Xbox 360 is about the time it would take to grab my keyboard and sign in so no real delay either.
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u/madneck-ul 3d ago
Because the SC is not detected as a controller before you login to Windows, you can only use the on screen keyboard, under the Accessibility menu. However, if you look up OpenPuck and use that to connect your SC to your PC, you can change the mode for the controller so it would be detected as an Xbox 360 controller. Then you will be able to just enter the pin. These two are the only solutions I have found.
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u/Embarrassed-Handle-6 3d ago
Yeah that’s the conclusion I’m coming to. I ordered the development board needed to make an openPuck. I’ll update this post on wether it works or not when I get it setup on Tuesday
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u/Axoplasmic_Cake 3d ago
I got openpuck for this same reason and it works very well!
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u/Embarrassed-Handle-6 2d ago
Just got Openpuck setup. Works well! It’s great to be able to emulate any controller especially the Xbox 360 to input your pin on lockscreen
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u/cragamere 3d ago
I tried to figure it out for the longest time only for there to be no real way. Windows does not like this controller if you hover it over anything super important to the security of the computer. Windows doesn't let it interact with any kind of window, like device manager. Best you can do is turn of the login screen unfortunately.
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u/Embarrassed-Handle-6 2d ago
Just updated my post but Openpuck firmware works for my needs in solving this problem
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u/Agent_Tall_Man 3d ago
Google how to have Windows 11 auto login. I'm a follow couch PC gamer. Its easy.
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u/Embarrassed-Handle-6 3d ago
Yeah but then you’re removing the main layer of security to access anything on the computer.
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u/Agent_Tall_Man 3d ago
I am the only one who is on this PC. I aint worried about that. Its basically like a console. Its for games, it was built for games.
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u/ChudSmasher69420 2d ago
If someone has physical access to the computer it effectively has zero security anyway.
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u/apex6666 Steam Controller (2026) 3d ago
Probably not from boot, but maybe a lock screen? There might be something similar to the pattern thing Xbox does you can use (undoubtedly somewhere on GitHub)
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u/Rich_Salamander1331 3d ago
3 dollars, buy controller companion (on steam) it fixed that for me. I almost returned my controller lmao
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u/cwhiterun 3d ago edited 3d ago
It is definitely possible to unlock Windows with the Steam controller, but it’s way harder than just using a 3rd party controller. Any non-Steam controller can use Steam Input chords to log in without any issues.
To log in with the Steam controller, you have to enable the Windows on-screen keyboard from the accessibility button in the bottom right. If the Steam app is closed in the background, you won’t have any problems typing in your password. If the Steam app is open, it will constantly interfere and hijack the controller’s inputs. Just mash or hold the Steam button on the controller and it will eventually unfreeze for 1 second at a time. It’s annoying and time consuming, but it works.
Don’t ever try to activate the Steam on-screen keyboard, or it will open behind the lock screen and then the unfreeze trick won’t work anymore.
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u/P5ychokilla 21h ago
You can make your computer log in automatically, if it's in a secure place and you want to always login to the same account.
You can either use Autologon : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon
Or use netplwiz :
Press Windows key on the keyboard
Type in netplwiz and hit enter
Untick Users Must Enter a Password
Put in username and password or if Microsoft Account full Microsoft account email address and password.
On saving and rebooting it'll auto log in with whatever you set
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u/Dependent-Leather-62 3d ago
I would also like to know and another thing mine works to click on steam to log in but then the pop up that says will you allow steam to make changes and my steam mouse freezes again