How to play with keyboard and mouse?

[karstux]

So, yesterday I got my Steam Deck. It's flawless, and awesome. But then I wanted to play some Skyrim SE on a monitor and with KB&M, and that hasn't been going so great.

First try: just connect the monitor, keyboard and mouse in gaming mode. Okay, I get Skyrim in fullscreen on the monitor, but controls remain mapped to the Deck. Keyboard and mouse do nothing.

Second try: in gaming mode, I switched to the "Keyboard and Mouse WASD" controller template. That improved things - now the keyboard was working as usual, but the mouse was wonky as hell. I don't see a mouse pointer, and moving the mouse spins the view wildly. I can't look up and down.

Third try: enter desktop mode, start Steam, launch the game. I only got it to work in fullscreen on the external display when I set it as the primary screen and disabled the Deck's one. But still no keyboard and mouse controls. I think I would have to disable Steam Input mode, but I couldn't find a way to do so. In the controller config, it says "Required - always enabled" or something like it.

To be honest, I was hoping "traditional" gaming would be easier on the Deck. I wanted to replace my ageing gaming PC with it. I'm ok with the performance, I think, but the software doesn't seem to be quite there yet.

Anyways, this has to be a common use case. Maybe I'm just missing something. Has any of you got it to work?

[SockDog]

I haven't gone to the extent you did to trouble shoot but I've had similar experiences trying to use M+KB in Wolfenstein New Order and Half Life 2. I'm hoping Valve gets this fixed as it's not really PC if M+KB doesn't work 100%.

Some people did report that Desktop Steam works better (although maybe not while also using an external display). I did post a bug report, as did many others, might be worth a bump if you haven't posted your own already in the Bug group.

[Breadroll]

Has anyone figured this out?

I'm trying to play docked in desktop mode, with keyboard and mouse. Every time I open a game it automatically loads the mapped controller settings which basically makes keyboard and mouse useless for almost every game.

Trying to play Don't Starve Together and Warframe has been unplayable with kb + mouse. Really hoping there is some workaround because this is just weird.

[weczi]

have exacly the same issue - cant play using mouse - its so annoying! :/

[feelin' good]

Have you changed the control scheme to keyboard in options menu?

[Breadroll]

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Have you changed the control scheme to keyboard in options menu?

In the options within steam before the game launches? Or from the options while inside a game?

I don't believe that's available, but please share if you know how to do it.

[weczi]

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Have you changed the control scheme to keyboard in options menu?

"WSAD and mouse" and othres shemes, byut mouse dont want work at all

[feelin' good]

Originally posted by Breadroll:

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Have you changed the control scheme to keyboard in options menu?

In the options within steam before the game launches? Or from the options while inside a game?

I don't believe that's available, but please share if you know how to do it.

Originally posted by weczi:

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Have you changed the control scheme to keyboard in options menu?

"WSAD and mouse" and othres shemes, byut mouse dont want work at all

I meant in-game. Bethesda games check if controller is plugged in on the first start-up. You have to disable it in options menu if you want to use a keyboard. Steam setting won't really affect that because it just checks if the controller is there and you can't not have a controller on Steam Deck.

[weczi]

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Originally posted by Breadroll:

I meant in-game. Bethesda games check if controller is plugged in on the first start-up. You have to disable it in options menu if you want to use a keyboard. Steam setting won't really affect that because it just checks if the controller is there and you can't not have a controller on Steam Deck.

keyboard is working ok

[Breadroll]

Originally posted by feelin' good:

Originally posted by Breadroll:

In the options within steam before the game launches? Or from the options while inside a game?

I don't believe that's available, but please share if you know how to do it.

Originally posted by weczi:

"WSAD and mouse" and othres shemes, byut mouse dont want work at all

I meant in-game. Bethesda games check if controller is plugged in on the first start-up. You have to disable it in options menu if you want to use a keyboard. Steam setting won't really affect that because it just checks if the controller is there and you can't not have a controller on Steam Deck.

That's definitely a good idea to try on a game-by-game basis, but a lot of games don't have an option to disable controller.

Warframe for example is locked having the controller on, which makes mouse and keyboard feel really bad especially with certain controller templates. You also can't interact with menus and other icons with mouse and keyboard.

Don't Starve Together also just does not have an option to turn off controller and mouse and keyboard just don't work there on deck.

[MaximusX800]

This is a big problem that needs to be addressed. I've experienced these same situations, and I feel like it falls all on how the Steam Deck always considers the controller is available. We need the ability to either disable the Steam Deck controller (Neptune) or enforce K+M.

[SockDog]

I was hopeful that the recent patches addressing controller order was going to cover the M+KB taking priority over the builtin surfaces. Guess not.

Valve do need to address this. Seems they need to better implement the trackpad mouse emulation to not "Hijack" actual mouse input or at least give an option to configure the pads as something that won't conflict with mouse input.

I'm guessing this is a lower priority issue. Few people would use a M+KB with the deck. There is a workaround (use desktop steam). Yet, I do think this is a right pain in the bum for that minority and should be addressed.

[weczi]

Originally posted by SockDog:

I was hopeful that the recent patches addressing controller order was going to cover the M+KB taking priority over the builtin surfaces. Guess not.

that should be perfect!

[Breadroll]

Originally posted by SockDog:

I was hopeful that the recent patches addressing controller order was going to cover the M+KB taking priority over the builtin surfaces. Guess not.

Valve do need to address this. Seems they need to better implement the trackpad mouse emulation to not "Hijack" actual mouse input or at least give an option to configure the pads as something that won't conflict with mouse input.

I'm guessing this is a lower priority issue. Few people would use a M+KB with the deck. There is a workaround (use desktop steam). Yet, I do think this is a right pain in the bum for that minority and should be addressed.

Yeah it really is a bummer..

Even in desktop mode on steam deck most games still do not work with mouse and keyboard :(

[Wuaya]

YES i am a tradition kb+m user for all games, and while the controller is fun, id like to play steam deck with m and k when im home (when i get a steam deck, im q 3 ::(( )

[bluephyr]

I believe an option to redirect to peripherals for raw input is the way to go, here. No matter the combinations I've tried, I cannot get both mouse and keyboard to work on certain games. (Fallout 4 and Skyrim, specifically.)