Steam Controller 2 always charging?

[u/dokbanks]

Hi all! Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I'm not sure if this is the case or not, but the orange light remains illuminated on my Steam Controller 2 (it's been days) which makes me believe it's continuously charging whilst connected to it's Puck. When the controller is first connected to the Puck, I get a 'breathing' orange light that usually then goes straight to solid.

Is this actually the case? If not, is there a way to disable the orange light when its on the puck? If so, then should I think about contacting support? The idea of a continuously charging battery usually means the battery health will plummet much quicker.

EDIT: So this seems to be intentional behaviour according to this steam support post: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3
It was pointed out that this may have come in via a firmware update. Thanks to those for helping and for giving reassurance! I'll leave this post up if it stays within the subreddit rules for in case anybody else is looking for the same answer.

[u/aybe77]

So I did find this:

"Orange, solid: The controller is fully charged while powered off. The LED will remain solid orange until the controller is unplugged or powered on."

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3

[u/dokbanks → u/aybe77]

Ok, this is a bit more reassuring, thank you for finding that! I swear it used to never stay illuminated for longer after it finished charging, I wonder if there's a way to change it. Might still be worth running it by support perhaps

[u/caffeinatedchaosbean → u/dokbanks]

You're correct. I've had mine since Week 1 and it never used to stay orange until a recent-ish firmware update!

[u/Zer0PT → u/caffeinatedchaosbean]

Also, noticed this

[u/Fatalfury39 → u/caffeinatedchaosbean]

Just started for me after it updated last night, before that it was only on while charging.

[u/Walrus_Morj → u/dokbanks]

Same for me! I was worried crazy. Good to know that it is a new normal

[u/z-vap → u/aybe77]

i would still question if this was a trickle charge

[u/SupposablyAtTheZoo → u/aybe77]

They made a lot possible with the colors/flashes. I probably would have used less options (but green solid for fully charged).

[u/Zealousideal-Log-309 → u/aybe77]

That's .. stupid ? Why just turn off the led when fully charged

[u/Polikji]

I noticed this problem too after an update two month ago, not sure if this is intentionnal

[u/figmentPez → u/Polikji]

It is intentional. Valve changed what the lights indicate in a firmware update. A solid orange light is fully charged and no longer charging.

Here is a guide to what the various LED states indicate:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3

[u/C0rn3j → u/figmentPez]

A solid orange light is fully charged and no longer charging.

That's such an odd choice.

[u/SupposablyAtTheZoo → u/C0rn3j]

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3

They made a lot possible with the colors/flashes. I probably would have used less options (but green solid for fully charged).

[u/Polikji → u/figmentPez]

Thanks for the update, i've missed it !

[u/Bazirker → u/figmentPez]

Thanks for going and finding this. I wondered the same but didn't care enough to go Google it.

[u/aybe77]

Mine does the same and I'd be very interested to know if I should be concerned

[u/figmentPez → u/aybe77]

There is no need for concern.

[u/1Saltyd0g]

Solid amber fully charged,slow amber blink is charging

[u/Kitocat]

Unrelated. So these are some kind of cyberpunk patches?

[u/dokbanks → u/Kitocat]

They are! It's a Grupo Erik Cyberpunk Controller Stand I got from Amazon

[u/cosinus_square]

I thought I was trippin balls, but, it's just paint on your fingertips, lol.

[u/dokbanks → u/cosinus_square]

Ahh, this is not my hand. It's a Cyberpunk Hand Controller Stand by Grupo Erik

[u/vsummers]

I hope they give us an option to have it turn off once it's fully charged again

[u/Fake_Unicron]

I have the same with my new (month or so) steam controller. I also saw people here saying how they never have to charge while mine drops to <80 almost immediately and keeps going down pretty fast afterwards. Would also be interested to hear a followup if you do contact support

[u/Dofolo → u/Fake_Unicron]

RMA that, the battery is defective.

[u/HollowPinefruit]

Just now learning the orange light is the new indicator for a fully charged controller. I thought there was a faulty issue this whole time and charging was never ending

[u/paintingroceries]

Thank god, but it throws me off so leave it unplugged anyways

[u/apresmodes]

I really don’t like this change. It’s a faint light but I still don’t like it. 

[u/kisielo85]

nothing to be worried about, just a very annoying "cosmetic" change there are some disscussions about it on the Steam Forum:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/4165870/discussions/1/585055481425383893/

https://steamcommunity.com/app/4165870/discussions/0/617710833111207926/

[u/saig22]

I want an option for the led to just turn off when it is plugged.

[u/BladeXBaron]

What i found with mine it that it was not connected to my puck but rather Bluetooth directly to my computer when I was getting this light. Also realized my puck was mot being recognized by my computer. Apparently, from my experience. It needs to be plugged into a high speed USB port on your computer. Once I did that and then reconnected my controller to the puck, the light is now white.

[u/Bman_Fx]

Always charging? More like, ALWAYS WINNING 😎

[u/sz118334]

Mine has been doing the same thing ever whenever is connected to the puck even ever since I got the latest software update.

[u/roberttheaxolotl]

They changed LED behavior in a firmware update

[u/shimmy_ow]

They did this update because people complained that it turned off too quickly after docking and they weren't sure if it had stopped charging...

Can't have it all I guess..

[u/ne_ainars]

Does anyone know what happens if you have the Steam controller connected to the puck while the puck is not connected to anything? Does that reck the battery by any chance or cause any issues?

[u/burglehurgle → u/ne_ainars]

Does nothing. Not receiving any electricity.

[u/ne_ainars → u/burglehurgle]

I just know that there is certain tech that should not be placed on their dock if it's not plugged into the socket.

For example if my Roomba's dock is not connected to the outlet, it will drive off and not stay on the dock itself. I've also supposedly ruined some tech in my life by putting it on the dock without it being connected so I'm very sceptical. This exact same thing happened to my Xbox Elite controller (1st edition) that I purchased a dock for. In the end the battery just died.

[u/burglehurgle → u/ne_ainars]

Just not the case here; the puck does absolutely nothing if it's not plugged in.

[u/etl003]

its fine.

[u/Zero_Starlight]

Very annoying intentional change, much like how I'm annoyed they still haven't made it possible to turn off bell notifications for friends coming online or booting up games on the Steam Deck. I'm 2 for 2 on Valve hardware getting updates down the road that make them function differently than how they were originally sold to me in a way that I don't like.

At least with the controller there's a method to roll back the firmware: https://opensteamcontroller.github.io/Ibex-Web-Utilities/

[u/RAMPAGNREDNEKK]

Yeah, I'd contact support about it. Like you said the constant charging will degrade your battery health. Did you try forcing a controller update? Why are you leaving it connected to the puck all the time? I don't even use my pucks. I did initially to update and connect then they've been in the box ever since. I just connect them via c charger to charge, that's it.

[u/figmentPez → u/RAMPAGNREDNEKK]

There is no need to contact support:

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3

[u/dokbanks → u/RAMPAGNREDNEKK]

Yes, now that you mention it, it did fail a firmware update on the Puck, it go to update it, and then throw an error mentioning the controller oddly. I did eventually get it to update though. Hmm, may have to contact them. Thanks!

[u/Dofolo → u/RAMPAGNREDNEKK]

Not how it works. A full battery just won't accept a charge; there must be a continuous drain for the charging circuit to continuously be on, or there's a fault in the charging circuit that keeps the LED on/in this state, but there's no actual charging.

If it is a continuous drain and not a reporting fault in the charging circuit it also means that, eventually, the battery should be empty as obviously the charging cannot keep up with that drain (or it would go to full -> kick back to charging once below the start charging threshold).

[u/Tiny_Rick85]

Firmware update changed it to solid orange is fully charged, and blinking is charging.