Best way to disable Steam Deck's controller?

[gleeby deeby]

Hi! I've been wondering about what's the best way to quickly disable the built-in controller of my Steam Deck. The reason being that some games will force controller layouts whenever they detect a controller is connected, rather than when there's actually input from the controller.

What this does is that it hinders playing with a mouse and keyboard. Some games only make it more difficult, like in Mafia DE, where you're shown controller hints, and are not allowed to customize keyboard binds. But some games are made nearly unplayable, like Drive 4 Survival, which disables your mouse cursor in game menus.

So what would be the best way to make the games think there actually isn't a controller present? Since the discussions in these games' forums said the best solution is to just unplug your controller, I'm trying to do that. I could disable the built-in controller from device manager (I'm running Windows), but the major drawback would be that when I do actually unplug my Deck and take it with me, I would have no input at all, rendering it useless.

The games mentioned do not have '-nojoy' launch commands, and Steam Input cannot be disabled in Steam's controller settings.

[[HWU] Horo86]

I'm still trying to find a solution for that without success... I think at the moment there is no way to completely disable the internal controller...

[Jcee]

+1 looking for a real solution.

IF you were to install windows on the thing; I would imagine you could disable the controller from device manager.. Although this is clearly the nuclear approach.
The steam decks UI just needs a 'hide Controller from game' option that preferably remembers this setting on a game to game basis or at the very least automatically turns on when it detects a mouse/keyboard and no secondary controller.

[gleeby deeby]

Originally posted by Jcee:

+1 looking for a real solution.

IF you were to install windows on the thing; I would imagine you could disable the controller from device manager.. Although this is clearly the nuclear approach.
The steam decks UI just needs a 'hide Controller from game' option that preferably remembers this setting on a game to game basis or at the very least automatically turns on when it detects a mouse/keyboard and no secondary controller.

I do have Windows 11 installed. However, I've skimmed through device manager and couldn't actually find the controller in there at all. Which leaves me without options once again.

Honestly, we wouldn't even need this as a SteamOS option. You can already disable controller input in Steam itself. However, the Steam Controller (what the Deck is recognized as), cannot be disabled. I have no idea what disabling this would break, but just allowing people to disable that would help.

[Jcee]

I mean straight up disabling it could cause a whole host of issues, namely making the system unusable in the undocked state.. that might even include the touch screen, whichis possibly tied to the controller

Since you are on windows 11; did you install all of steams drivers? maybe uninstalling one of those would remove the controller? otherwise I think it really should be in device manage, though it might not be under the controller folder. Possibly under mice and keyboards (try disabling those 1 at a time to check)
I dont have windows installed on my steam deck I have no way of confirming if the steam deck shows up at all.

[maxRunner]

This should work but you might have to add the simple device name for your controller as listed in the readme.

https://github.com/scawp/Steam-Deck.Auto-Disable-Steam-Controller

EDIT: I see you don't want to just enable a different controller but disable all controllers. This script doesn't do that but you can see how it does the disabling...

[Geeky Gorevan]

+1 here too :(

[gleeby deeby]

Originally posted by Geeky Gorevan:

+1 here too :(

Haha rip lmao. No solution so far. Except my gamepad did stop working. It still gets recognized by games but for some reason I can't do anything with it, regardless of if the game has gamepad binds or if I'm using Steam input.

[Geeky Gorevan]

I MAY have found a workaround just now (for CS:GO on the SteamDeck at least). If I click on Edit button bindings in the controller settings tab, it brings up a window to configure the controller. If I ignore this and shift+tab back to the game, it disables the controller from being used! Not sure if this will be SteamDeck specific, but worth a try! :)

[Quazillionaire]

See below for quick and easy way to disable the Steam Deck Controller.
However this was not enough to make Warframe function in Desktop mode. It's Warframe not Steam that is creating the steamController.vdf file and loading it.

The work-around is to add Warframe.x64.exe as a non-steam game then add '-cluster:public -registry:Steam' as launch options and force compatibility mode on (I'm using vanilla Proton 8.0 but it works well with GE). Now you have two ways to launch Warframe; integrated with the Deck and in "Desktop" mode.

Try looking up the other games in https://www.protondb.com


Leaving this here for anyone searching for it but it did not end up as part of the solution.

Put this function in your .bashrc file for the deck user then you can run them from a terminal to turn the controller on and off.

# /deck/.bashrc
controller() {
case $1 in
enable)
echo "3-3:1.0" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/bind
echo "3-3:1.1" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/bind
echo "3-3:1.2" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/bind
;;
disable)
echo "3-3:1.0" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/unbind
echo "3-3:1.1" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/unbind
echo "3-3:1.2" > sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbhid/unbind
;;
*)
printf "Usage: controller [ enable | disable ]\n"
;;
esac
}


$ controller disable
$ controller enable

[Kyo Tanaka]

Assuming nobody found a solution:

Make the steam input for the steam deck controller be mouse and keyboard, or mouse only.

Make sure to actually save your template if you customized one for a game for whatever reason. Make sure your keyboard setup has NO controller input. Restart the game just in case.

I've had an issue with A Hat in Time trying to play remote play with someone, only for P2 to be forced as the deck controller which neither of us were using. I swap to mouse template and the controller disappeared from the game's "detected controller".

[gleeby deeby]

Originally posted by Kyo Tanaka:

Assuming nobody found a solution:

Make the steam input for the steam deck controller be mouse and keyboard, or mouse only.

Make sure to actually save your template if you customized one for a game for whatever reason. Make sure your keyboard setup has NO controller input. Restart the game just in case.

I've had an issue with A Hat in Time trying to play remote play with someone, only for P2 to be forced as the deck controller which neither of us were using. I swap to mouse template and the controller disappeared from the game's "detected controller".

Interesting. I'll try it out.

[Hinatori]

I have sort of the same problem but for a different reason. So far mainly had this problem in Stardew Valley. Also running Windows 11 (dual boot) and using the program Steam Controller. Steam detects the xbox 360 layout that is selected in that program and also cause Steam supports that controller, but when booting the game it boots with keyboard and mouse layout cause of the trackpads of the Steam controller and refuses to use the xbox controller layout, and because of that I get stuck and can't play the game cause I can't open or do anything lol. So far been unable to have it ignore the Steam Deck controller

[gleeby deeby]

Originally posted by Hinatori:

I have sort of the same problem but for a different reason. So far mainly had this problem in Stardew Valley. Also running Windows 11 (dual boot) and using the program Steam Controller. Steam detects the xbox 360 layout that is selected in that program and also cause Steam supports that controller, but when booting the game it boots with keyboard and mouse layout cause of the trackpads of the Steam controller and refuses to use the xbox controller layout, and because of that I get stuck and can't play the game cause I can't open or do anything lol. So far been unable to have it ignore the Steam Deck controller

Hey quick question: does your controller actually function in W11? Mine doesn't. I've even tried messing around with Steam Input and it's stuck in mouse mode.

[Hinatori]

Originally posted by Goobert:

Originally posted by Hinatori:

I have sort of the same problem but for a different reason. So far mainly had this problem in Stardew Valley. Also running Windows 11 (dual boot) and using the program Steam Controller. Steam detects the xbox 360 layout that is selected in that program and also cause Steam supports that controller, but when booting the game it boots with keyboard and mouse layout cause of the trackpads of the Steam controller and refuses to use the xbox controller layout, and because of that I get stuck and can't play the game cause I can't open or do anything lol. So far been unable to have it ignore the Steam Deck controller

Hey quick question: does your controller actually function in W11? Mine doesn't. I've even tried messing around with Steam Input and it's stuck in mouse mode.

I haven't tried an external one yet , sorry :( The program i use, makes a virtual controller. When I try a controller I will let you know!

[gleeby deeby]

Originally posted by Hinatori:

Originally posted by Goobert:

Hey quick question: does your controller actually function in W11? Mine doesn't. I've even tried messing around with Steam Input and it's stuck in mouse mode.

I haven't tried an external one yet , sorry :( The program i use, makes a virtual controller. When I try a controller I will let you know!

No I mean the built-in controller on the Deck.