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Steam Controller Thread | Comfy Couch Sold Separately

emiliano

Member
I've got my controller two days ago and so far I'm really happy with it, I feel it has a lot of potential (I hope I will have the time to discover as much as possible how much it extends).
I have a stupid question, is there a way to use the device with pointer/trackball mode in BPM? after I've upgraded the firmware, in BPM only works as (let's call it) "pad mode" and it seems really weak as control system. It was much better with the mouse control.
 

Gruso

Member
I've got my controller two days ago and so far I'm really happy with it, I feel it has a lot of potential (I hope I will have the time to discover as much as possible how much it extends).
I have a stupid question, is there a way to use the device with pointer/trackball mode in BPM? after I've upgraded the firmware, in BPM only works as (let's call it) "pad mode" and it seems really weak as control system. It was much better with the mouse control.
No custom mappings for BPM yet unfortunately. I agree it's not great - I hate using an analogue stick for d-pad functions. Ideally I'd like to be using the left pad as a soft-touch d-pad (and maybe the right pad as ABXY, again non-clicky). This alone would make the interface much more fluid.

The option is there and greyed out though, so we know it's coming.
 
There a way yet to change the default Steam Controller configuration when Steam is not running? I'd actually like to see if I could just set it up as a traditional x-input controller and use it on a console.
 

Nzyme32

Member
I've got my controller two days ago and so far I'm really happy with it, I feel it has a lot of potential (I hope I will have the time to discover as much as possible how much it extends).
I have a stupid question, is there a way to use the device with pointer/trackball mode in BPM? after I've upgraded the firmware, in BPM only works as (let's call it) "pad mode" and it seems really weak as control system. It was much better with the mouse control.

There is an option for changing the BPM controller layout in the settings but it is unusable, saying "coming soon" next to it. So I guess we wait
 

kinn

Member
quick question: What's the option to move the keyboard window after pressing the left stick when trying to type outside of steam? often, the window opens up and i can only see half of it, which you can imagine would make typing kinda tough

Press X to shift the keyboard up or down. Its relative to where the mouse cursor is in regards to where abouts the keyboard will appear when first pressing the left stick .
 
Is there a way to disable a controller in big picture mode. One of the biggest annoyances I have with it is I have a HOTAS hooked up most of the time and when I launch BPM it sees the throttle as DInput axis and constantly scrolls down, making it completely unusable. I was hoping to see if I could do something with it in Elite Dangerous still but I can't launch Elite Dangerous from BPM when the HOTAS makes navigating it impossible.
 
One of the Controller community configs for the Kero Blaster demos had a "clicky Neo-Geo Pocket stick" setting, and that felt real nice. I recommend it for platformers.
 

Aru

Member
Finally found a set of bindings that makes me enjoy playing Diablo 3. I don't like Diablo-like games on PC usually because of the "always click everywhere" gameplay, so I wanted something that played like the console version where you control your character directly. I should have bought the PS4 version instead, but it's okay now.
Using mouse region + auto left click on left pad feels just like using a joystick to move! It's great.

This controller is amazing.
 
Got my controller yesterday and obviously I will need to put a lot more time into it, as FPS aiming feels very jittery and overly sensitive at times. But already I see the potential.
 

coopolon

Member
Finally found a set of bindings that makes me enjoy playing Diablo 3. I don't like Diablo-like games on PC usually because of the "always click everywhere" gameplay, so I wanted something that played like the console version where you control your character directly. I should have bought the PS4 version instead, but it's okay now.
Using mouse region + auto left click on left pad feels just like using a joystick to move! It's great.

This controller is amazing.

Wow, you're able to aim, like say cast a spell on a specific enemy, not just in a direction? I've only ever played the game with mkb so no idea how the console version handles this problem.
 

Nabs

Member
Being able to use the gyro during turret sequences has saved turret sequences.

You can use the gyro to correct your aim, and you can also use your chair to control the gyro.
 

Aru

Member
Wow, you're able to aim, like say cast a spell on a specific enemy, not just in a direction? I've only ever played the game with mkb so no idea how the console version handles this problem.

I'm playing as a barbarian, so I don't cast spells. My bindings probably don't work great for a sorcerer-like class.
 

Tahnit

Banned
I dont know if it was posted before but is there any good starcraft 2 configs out there? Tried googling with no result.
 
My controller's analog stick seems to erratically act like I'm turning it towards the right, so like in a racing game at times I find myself just turning right at random.

Anyone else getting this (or a similar) problem?
 

Tahnit

Banned
I have solved the starcraft 2 problem.

Ok so after a few days of being frustrated with this thing and starcraft 2 i decided to do something about it. The problem with starcraft 2 was keybindings. Mapping all the keybinds to any parts of the controller was turning out to be an exercise in frustration. So instead i used mouse region on the left pad to map to just the bottom right hand corner of the screen. This lets you quickly click the command cards and then go back to using the right pad for placing objects/using skills.
Also i used the right bumper to change the button pad into creating 4 control groups. In order to use these groups click in the right pad in the designated areas. left grip is shift of course and right grip lets you tab through units in a group. Left bumper is attack move. Stick scrolls the camera. Triggers are obviously mouse 1 and 2 respectively.
Also i mapped basic and advanced build onto a and b respectively. x is idle workers and y is all army.
With this configuration you should be able to play starcraft 2 pretty well. Hope you like it!

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...15&authkey=!AHS-zbsDHOwBaqU&ithint=folder,vdf
Place these in your steam/controller_base/templates folder.
 

Hylian7

Member
My general Arma 3 config is now published. It's published by "HylianSeven". I don't know of a way to link the published configs here unfortunately.
 

danielcw

Member
I have solved the starcraft 2 problem.

Ok so after a few days of being frustrated with this thing and starcraft 2 i decided to do something about it. The problem with starcraft 2 was keybindings. Mapping all the keybinds to any parts of the controller was turning out to be an exercise in frustration. So instead i used mouse region on the left pad to map to just the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Why didn't you just use a grid hotkey layout in Starcraft 2?
 

Tahnit

Banned
Why didn't you just use a grid hotkey layout in Starcraft 2?

because memorizing which modifier/button/pad whatever was turning out to be way to difficult. Mouse region lets everything be on the left pad. And the way that mouse region works is a specific point on the pad leads to a part in that region. So with practice you can basically have hotkeys that way as you will know what part to touch to get to which command card. It works flawlessly.
 

danielcw

Member
because memorizing which modifier/button/pad whatever was turning out to be way to difficult. Mouse region lets everything be on the left pad.

Is it not possible to map regions on the pad to keys?

Though the more I think about it, the better the mouse region idead sounds
 

Maniac

Banned
My halfwit friend thought it'd be a good idea to start a firmware update for my Steamcontroller whilst he was testing it, and then shutting the computer down mid-way through it; Now my controller is completely unresponsive. It turns on fine, but after that nothing happens. Button presses aren't picked up, and I can't even turn it off by holding down the button. Anyone got a clue what the hell I could do, or how to manually reinstall the firmware?

Nevermind, managed to fix it by opting into the beta update for Steam and then checking for firmware updates, where it picked it up and automatically retried it.
 

Unai

Member
My halfwit friend thought it'd be a good idea to start a firmware update for my Steamcontroller whilst he was testing it, and then shutting the computer down mid-way through it; Now my controller is completely unresponsive. It turns on fine, but after that nothing happens. Button presses aren't picked up, and I can't even turn it off by holding down the button. Anyone got a clue what the hell I could do, or how to manually reinstall the firmware?

Damn, that's awful. It's a really bad idea to interrupt the firmware update in any device. When in Big Picture Mode what firmware does it say the control has?
 

Boxuv

Neo Member
My halfwit friend thought it'd be a good idea to start a firmware update for my Steamcontroller whilst he was testing it, and then shutting the computer down mid-way through it; Now my controller is completely unresponsive. It turns on fine, but after that nothing happens. Button presses aren't picked up, and I can't even turn it off by holding down the button. Anyone got a clue what the hell I could do, or how to manually reinstall the firmware?
Possible solution:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/353370/discussions/0/496881136917263881/
AngryHatter post towards the end. Pretty much uninstalling drivers through device manager. Hope you get it working.
 

Tahnit

Banned
Is it not possible to map regions on the pad to keys?

Though the more I think about it, the better the mouse region idead sounds

The touch menu is exactly what this is doing except its adding a second step. the menu we need is already there so lets use it.

I added a minimap feature. Click in the left pad and you can move around a mouse region around the minimap which lets you quickly move around.
 
A bit of frustration right now regarding mouse pad control - stutter.

I've put a good 8 hours into Battlefront now, trying to get used to the controller + gyro controls. But one thing that constantly irks me is the stutter (judder?) introduced when using the steam controller. Is this because of gamepad + high precision mode? It feels similar to what happened in the Witcher 3, but unlike that game, switching to mouse joystick doesn't solve the issue.

I jumped over to an Xbox controller and was shocked at how much smoother the game felt. I was inaccurate as hell but at least things weren't choppy.
 

undeclinable

Neo Member
I had the same 'problem' as you in Borderlands 2, camera movement looked a bit jittery. I then remembered a tip: set ingame sensitivity at the lowest value, then after that increase the sensitivity in BPM. Borderlands 2 seemed a lot smoother after that.
 

Raytow

Member
Helldivers configs all suck at least the analog emulation ones, tried the kb+m but the game doesn't respond to it, tried to emulate the woody config for twinshooter but still sucking in Helldivers, maybe it works well with other games but this one dunno...
 
A bit of frustration right now regarding mouse pad control - stutter.

I've put a good 8 hours into Battlefront now, trying to get used to the controller + gyro controls. But one thing that constantly irks me is the stutter (judder?) introduced when using the steam controller. Is this because of gamepad + high precision mode? It feels similar to what happened in the Witcher 3, but unlike that game, switching to mouse joystick doesn't solve the issue.

I jumped over to an Xbox controller and was shocked at how much smoother the game felt. I was inaccurate as hell but at least things weren't choppy.

Make sure it isn't a signal problem -- trying using it wired for a bit and see if the problem persists.
 
Weird issue has come up for me in Metal Gear Solid V. I have it set to change the right pad from Joystick Mouse to regular Mouse input when I full-pull the left trigger. This has worked spectacularly thus far, but as of a week ago when I full-pull the trigger, the camera aims straight up in the air instantaneously.
 
I have to send my controller back. When I connect it directly to my steam link with the dongle, it's not detected by any games. STEAM sees it which is frustrating, but when I go to the controller details it sees the firmware as (0)

When I connect the dongle to my PC and start it up with steam button+a, all is good

It's really annoying
 
yeah
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2754-YPKV-8614

Pairing the Steam Link and Steam Controller

The Steam Controller can be paired directly to the Steam Link without using the Steam Controller's wireless receiver. To pair your Steam Link and Steam Controller, please do the following:

Power on your Steam Link, ensuring no other input devices are connected
Once booted, the Steam Link will prompt you to connect an input device
On your Steam Controller press, and hold the X button and tap the Steam button to pair your Steam Controller and Steam Link

A Steam Controller can also be used with the wireless receiver or a usb cable plugged directly into the Steam Link if preferred.

Pairing with Multiple Devices

You can pair your Steam Controller with multiple receiver's or Steam Link(s). In order to cycle through your available pairing options please hold “A” and press the Steam button on the Steam Controller when powering on the controller.
 
I spent about 15-30 minutes with the controller last night, here's my initial thoughts:

+ Weight is good (once you add batteries, if feels too light beforehand)
+ It plays a cute sound when you turn it on and off
+ The haptics are really nice, quite convincing effects such as a track ball "spinning" effect
+ Ergonomics seem quite good
- Not a fan of the glossy plastic
- The face buttons are tiny, and seem way too far in, I keep hitting the wrong ones (e.g. B instead of A)
- The force to click the trackpads seems a bit high - perhaps will wear in after a while
- It initially feels small, but the joystick and face buttons seem too far in, and so the end result is that it feels too big for my (not that large) hands
- Firmware updates for a controller

I tried The Witcher 3 first up (non-Steam game for me) and had a ton of trouble finding a suitable configuration. The camera was either way too sensitive or not sensitive enough, and things seemed to go all over the place, and I felt I had no decent control over anything. None of the preset options felt and good and there were no community ones because it's not in Steam. There might be a way to find them but I didn't spend much time looking.

Next up I tried Fallout 4, and the default configuration felt a lot better. I was able to hold myself well enough in a firefight, even though the camera trackpad varied between wildly sensitive and not sensitive enough. The d-pad felt pretty rubbish for selecting things, but I think I'd prefer to enable touch mode for it rather than pressing down on the track pad itself.

Ultimately I think most of these issues are unfamiliarity with the controller so I don't think I can form an opinion about it yet (although the initial impression is that it's a bit frustrating to use, I will stick with it for a while). I'm not really sure of the best way to position my thumbs on the track pad and joystick, so at the moment it doesn't feel that comfortable and is a bit fatiguing.

Oh, this is really useful! I'm going to set this up, thanks.
 

Nabs

Member
Love the Steam controller for a lot of games, but for FPS it feels awkward.

What problems are you running into? After weeks with the thing, it's my go-to controller for single player FP games. I'm becoming one with the right pad, and the added gyro helps so much.
 
What problems are you running into? After weeks with the thing, it's my go-to controller for single player FP games. I'm becoming one with the right pad, and the added gyro helps so much.
Is the gyro enabled by default in most of the standard profiles? I didn't even notice it when I tested Fallout 4 last night.
 
Love the Steam controller for a lot of games, but for FPS it feels awkward.
Lower the smoothing of the right pad to 1/4th of the bar (ten ticks from the left), and set sensitivity so you can make a full 180 from left to right. It improved my aiming immensely. You can add gyro if it isn't enough, but personally, I've handled myself just fine without it ever since I set up the right trackpad this way.
 

Boxuv

Neo Member
I have to send my controller back. When I connect it directly to my steam link with the dongle, it's not detected by any games. STEAM sees it which is frustrating, but when I go to the controller details it sees the firmware as (0)

When I connect the dongle to my PC and start it up with steam button+a, all is good

It's really annoying

Have you tried uninstalling the drivers completely? AngryHatter reply might help.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/353370/discussions/0/496881136917263881/
 

Unai

Member
One little thing I noticied is that I prefer to set the dpad to not overlap when I use it to select guns or itens, like in Fallout 4 or Dark Souls. It makes it easier to not go in the wrong direction.

Oh, and the battery life in this controller is fucking amazing. I've played more than 40 hours of dark souls with it and a lot of other games and I'm still using the included batteries.
 

zbarron

Member
Since I didn't get any replies to my last post I made a video of my problem to help show it better.
https://youtu.be/Z_VJmDTjbeg

Does this happen to anyone else? Notice how when my character spawns they are looking down, when I am dead and looking at team mates it is looking at the floor and when I spawn from dying I am once again looking straight at the floor.
 

Nabs

Member
My Dark Souls config is coming along. The right pad is the star of the show. It's set as mouse-joystick and d-pad at the same time (shift mod > right pad click). So I click in to select weapon/shield/magic/item, and right now I have it set to double tap for lock on (I might put this on L3 as well). This config is taking me a while to finish up because I'm testing the dual stage triggers. Right now it'll block when I hold down and parry if I lightly tap. It's not bad, but it's also not perfect yet. I might throw one of those onto a back paddle and call it a day, right now I'm only using it to map the run/jump button.
 
My Dark Souls config is coming along. The right pad is the star of the show. It's set as mouse-joystick and d-pad at the same time (shift mod > right pad click). So I click in to select weapon/shield/magic/item, and right now I have it set to double tap for lock on (I might put this on L3 as well). This config is taking me a while to finish up because I'm testing the dual stage triggers. Right now it'll block when I hold down and parry if I lightly tap. It's not bad, but it's also not perfect yet. I might throw one of those onto a back paddle and call it a day, right now I'm only using it to map the run/jump button.

Why not just do five way directional pad? What I do is about the same thing, except instead of any of that double tap nonsense, I have the middle half of it as lock on, and then the outside edges as the Dpad. Works by going in and having outer ring binding, and then inverting it.
 

Unai

Member
In Dark Souls I'm just using the right trackpad as Mouse Joystick and click it to lock on. It also work as a dpad if I hold the left back button. In my had using the outer ring as a dpad and the center to lock on sounds like something very easy to mess up in the heat of the moment, but I give it a try later.

If this work well for me it will be great for a lot of other games, like Fallout 4.
 
Mine turned up the other day and I had a quick play with it on my laptop and a game of CS:GO. It feels really strange to use but I was expecting to need to put some time into it to see how I adapt or not.

My main thoughts are:
• Face buttons are to low and to far to the left.
• Triggers are a bit to Clucky but that could also be something I simply need to get used to.
• Haptic feedback on pads is cool. Really interesting how it works.
• Sits OK in my hands. Not as nice as my ds4 but good enough.
• Not to sure how I feel about the left pad and its strange d-pad thing. I don't feel I would want to use it as an actual d-pad at least.
• seems like with some practise it will be fine for turn based games like xcom.

And possible the strangest one
• I have always used mouse and sticks with inverted verticle. Why the hell does my brain not work this way when using the right pad. It was messing with my head.

Will use it more when my alpha turns up. Mainly want it for games with no controller support (like mass effect 1 - 3 for example).
 

deadfolk

Member
- The face buttons are tiny, and seem way too far in, I keep hitting the wrong ones (e.g. B instead of A)

I think we all had that problem to begin with. It's because of the angle of your thumb to the buttons. B is now the closest to your thumb, whereas it's usually A. It will pass soon enough.
 
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