If Steam doesn't detect your Dualshock PS4 (Ubuntu 18.04), come here.

[SolidNoctis]

I see a lot of people have this problem in Ubuntu 18.04. I was been researching for days, and I saw the problem.
To fix this, come here and follow the steps of the first or second answer in this post/ask.
https://askubuntu.com/questions/686214/how-do-i-get-a-steam-controller-working

Basically you have to insert this:

# This rule is needed for basic functionality of the controller in Steam and keyboard/mouse emulation
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="28de", MODE="0666"

# This rule is necessary for gamepad emulation; make sure you replace 'pgriffais' with a group that the user that runs Steam belongs to
KERNEL=="uinput", MODE="0660", GROUP="pgriffais", OPTIONS+="static_node=uinput"

# Valve HID devices over USB hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="28de", MODE="0666"

# Valve HID devices over bluetooth hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", KERNELS=="*28DE:*", MODE="0666"

# DualShock 4 over USB hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="054c", ATTRS{idProduct}=="05c4", MODE="0666"

# DualShock 4 wireless adapter over USB hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="054c", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0ba0", MODE="0666"

# DualShock 4 Slim over USB hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="054c", ATTRS{idProduct}=="09cc", MODE="0666"

# DualShock 4 over bluetooth hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", KERNELS=="*054C:05C4*", MODE="0666"

# DualShock 4 Slim over bluetooth hidraw
KERNEL=="hidraw*", KERNELS=="*054C:09CC*", MODE="0666"

in /lib/udev/rules.d/99-steam-controller-perms.rules
(Use Gedit or nano)

Then, you need to give permissions to /dev/uinput, you have to set in the terminal something like:
sudo chmod 666 /dev/uinput

Then, install python3-autopilot, in the terminal we have to set:
sudo apt-get install python3-autopilot

Finally we have to reboot the system. (or set in the terminal "sudo udevadm trigger", thanks huggabbean).
Open the Steam again and try to use the dualshock. This could and must have work.

[d7gonzo]

Thanks, this helped a lot!

[SolidNoctis]

Originally posted by d7gonzo:

Thanks, this helped a lot!

You're welcome!

[orblivious]

If you're impatient you can use:

sudo udevadm trigger

to avoid a reboot. Just be sure to unplug and reconnect the controller.

[SolidNoctis]

I have to say that even with this, with the "PlayStation controller support" activated, sometimes some games don't detect the DS4 and it interprets your controller like a XOne gamepad, even the games with full support to DS4. In that case, we need to deactivate the "PlayStation controller Suport" option.

If anyone know more about this, please tell us.

[Warren Buffado]

It worked! Thanks. I've written a script [drive.google.com] to help people who are also having this problem.
disclaimer: you should never run scripts from the internet without reading them first.

[Aoi Blue]

While we are on the subject, any recommendations on a Wii U controller?

I wish that Steam would have a "fallback" recognition program that even allowed you to properly map the buttons.

[ZHUR]

If you're on Ubuntu you can just install steam-devices (sudo apt install steam-devices) and reconnect the controller. It will do more or less the same thing and the package is maintained by devs.

---EDIT---

Turned out currently there's a problem with steam-devices package. Due to that Steam can't access uinput and create Steam controller device.

If you see this error in ~/.steam/error.log
Couldn't initialize virtual gamepad: Couldn't open /dev/uinput for writing

... you have file /lib/udev/rules.d/99-steam-controller-perms.rules

... and "getfacl /dev/input"'s output looks like this:
getfacl: Removing leading '/' from absolute path names
# file: dev/uinput
# owner: root
# group: root
user::rw-
group::---
other::---

Then you might be able to fix the issue:

sudo mv /lib/udev/rules.d/99-steam-controller-perms.rules /lib/udev/rules.d/60-steam-input.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload
sudo udevadm trigger

After that "getfacl /dev/uinput" should look like this:
getfacl: Removing leading '/' from absolute path names
# file: dev/uinput
# owner: root
# group: root
user::rw-
user:<user>:rw-
group::---
mask::rw-
other::---

and Steam should be able to access uinput.

[Danrobi]

A little heads up
Some cable are not working properly which can mislead some users
The light on the Steam controller might turn on but, to be sure the cable is 100% compatible you need to hear the beep sound that the controller makes when it connect to the PC
No beep sound= the cable is not compatible.
Happened to me and i was really wondering what was going on
Me i use "sudo apt install steam-devices" and it always worked fine

[Moela Assassina]

ty verry much, worked for me, i am using fedora and the steam is a flatpak container (:

[Oink-oink]

Thank you!!! Helped for me!

[Sparlock]

DUDE you are awesome! Thanks! My PS4 controller now works!

[NOOBMASTER]

A thousand thanks to you, Noctis Bennington! This worked for my DS4 on Mint 19.2.

[The Particle of God]

This did the trick on Ubuntu 19.10. A million thanks.

[Maldito]

It worked! Thank you so much! Was already pulling my hair out

[Pyke Kaisora]

Need help. I tried doing it manually and tried Escavadeira Galática's script but it just wouldn't work for connection via Micro USB. Tried on my laptop and it works like a charm.

Tried on a Windows only hdd and it works.

so it's not a controller problem.


Currently running Pop_OS! 20.04.