Steam Input always uses Desktop controller layout with non-Steam games/apps in Desktop Mode

[XanderXAJ]

ISSUE
When in Desktop Mode, using the Steam Deck's built-in controls, launching a non-Steam game/app via Steam will result in no change in controller layout for that app. The Desktop controller layout will still be in effect.

I believe this has been broken for months for me. It's only recently I started trying things in Desktop Mode more and realising the issue affected all non-Steam games and not just the odd thing.

I'm only using the Steam Deck's built-in controls (Neptune) and have not connected any external controllers.

Note that controller layouts work as expected in Game Mode -- this issue only occurs in Desktop Mode.

STEPS

1. Boot the Deck and switch to Desktop Mode
   
2. Boot a non-Steam game
   
3. Verify that the controls on the Deck are still using the Desktop layout, even when the non-Steam game is focussed or fullscreen

STEPS: EXAMPLE WITH FIREFOX

1. Boot the Deck and switch to Desktop Mode
   
2. Run a non-Steam game. This is easy enough to test with Firefox or Chrome, so I'll use Firefox in this example -- it'll work with any non-Steam game however. Go to Start > Firefox > Add to Steam to add it as a non-Steam game.
   
3. In Steam, go to Firefox > Cog button > Manage > Controller layout. Confirm that the controller layout is not the desktop layout. In this case, Steam smartly detects Firefox and uses the Web Browser controller layout.
   
4. For testing, note differences between selected layout for non-Steam game and desktop layout. In this case, L5 is middle-click for Firefox and Mouse Back for Desktop, so we can use that. Note that all buttons are affected, and it doesn't matter if the layout is emulating a gamepad or a KB+M, but we want an obvious difference for testing.
   
5. In Steam, launch Firefox
   
6. With Firefox selected, press L5. Note that Firefox will go back in history, as Firefox received a Mouse Back event as per the Desktop layout. It does not get the Middle Mouse that is configured for L5 in Firefox's layout.
   
7. Try other buttons and confirm it affects all inputs, not just the one button. L4 and R4 for example should do nothing in Firefox's layout, but instead are Page Down and Space respectively as per the Desktop layout.

RESULTS
When the non-Steam game is focussed, regardless of whether it is an app, windowed or fullscreen game,the Desktop controller layout is in use.

EXPECTED
When the non-Steam game is focussed, the controller layout for the non-Steam game would be used.

VERSIONS
Steam Deck Stable channel
OS Version 3.3.2
Steam Version 1666117138

ATTEMPTED FIXES

• Modifying the controller layouts for non-Steam games.
  
• Resetting controller layouts for non-Steam games and Desktop using recommended/community layouts.
  
• Re-imaging the Deck (twice, once during my debugging, once as requested by Steam support).
  
• Clearing download cache, restarting Deck and logging back in.
  
• Deleting `userdata/<user_id>/config` and restarting Deck.
  
• Deleting all controller profiles inside of `steamapps/common/Steam Controller Configs` (while a game is running to ensure the deletions are synced) and then restarting the Deck

[blejd]

Bump, same issue here. It would be useful for Dolphin, which has frame pacing issues in the game mode.

[x-stuff]

Confirm, same problem

[Prezidentas]

steam will keep the desktop layout if it thinks the game has only launched a launcher and not the game itself.

[x-stuff]

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

steam will keep the desktop layout if it thinks the game has only launched a launcher and not the game itself.

That's very solid suggestion, but in case of non-Steam games I believe it's almost impossible to detect what is game and what is launcher. Do you think it is possible to tell Steam what is game and what is launched.

BTW. Launching from normal mode (not desktop) works well, I suppose game-launcher detection mechanism should be the same

[Prezidentas]

引用自 x-stuff：

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

steam will keep the desktop layout if it thinks the game has only launched a launcher and not the game itself.

That's very solid suggestion, but in case of non-Steam games I believe it's almost impossible to detect what is game and what is launcher. Do you think it is possible to tell Steam what is game and what is launched.

BTW. Launching from normal mode (not desktop) works well, I suppose game-launcher detection mechanism should be the same

normal mode doesn't use desktop config ever since there is no desktop. old BPM used to have an option not to use desktop config on the specific non steam game. perhaps you could toggle that.

[Prezidentas]

go to old BPM, your non steam game, options, controller options, and there should be a checkbox

[x-stuff]

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

go to old BPM, your non steam game, options, controller options, and there should be a checkbox

Yes, I saw this option, but, unfortunately, it doesn't work :(

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

normal mode doesn't use desktop config ever since there is no desktop

Yeah, good explanation

[Prezidentas]

引用自 x-stuff：

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

go to old BPM, your non steam game, options, controller options, and there should be a checkbox

Yes, I saw this option, but, unfortunately, it doesn't work :(

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

normal mode doesn't use desktop config ever since there is no desktop

Yeah, good explanation

the option not working is a linux thing, it works a lot less than on windows.

[XanderXAJ]

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

steam will keep the desktop layout if it thinks the game has only launched a launcher and not the game itself.

Thanks for the feedback. While this can certainly be true, I believe I'm reporting a different issue. Specifically, this applies to all non-Steam games on Steam Deck Desktop Mode launched directly from Steam.

As noted in the OP, this even applies to the Google Chrome profile that Steam offers to set up for you. It's just not necessarily as obvious as the Web Browser layout is similar to the Desktop layout -- close enough for it to be hard to notice.

引用自 x-stuff：

引用自 Škoda 14Tr：

normal mode doesn't use desktop config ever since there is no desktop

Yeah, good explanation

It's actually possible to trigger the Desktop Mode controller layout in Game Mode for non-Steam games by changing brightness using Steam/Quick Access (...) + left analogue stick. See another bug I've raised. :)

[toon]

I'm having this issue too, it's very frustrating. Would be nice if we had more control over steaminput via the steam/"..." buttons which currently have no function in desktop mode (other than onscreen keyboard)

[headies]

Same issue. Is there a solution?

[jcoelho]

On the same boat here but it happens on my PC when trying to run non-steam games! Spent way too much time trying to understand what was happening...very frustrating.

[Snee]

Running into the same issue. if anyone find a fix or workaround, please post here

[jinnywins]

Bump

[sluxi]

This is a very frustrating issue, especially since it is not possible to bring the Steam overlay up in some cases either