BPM is it needed

[SteveLastics]

Thinking of buying a steam controller but from what i read you need to use the Steam Big Picture Mode is this correct?

I use the Steams built in FPS counter but it does not work in big picture mode.

[Purple]

No, you don't. BPM is completely optional,
But you do need Steam running to support the controller fully.

Also about the overlay. If you want the normal overlay, uncheck the "Use the Big Picture Overlay when using a Steam Controller from the desktop" in "Settings > In-Game"

[MartyWF]

BPM is only needed for Touch menu's and really nice and usefull abilities of the steam controller..
You can also set it up to run from the Steam Client Desktop...
How would you do it you are wondering...
Select a Game In Steam Client Desktop and right click it...
Select Edit Steam Controller Configuration setup...
From there you set up your Steam controller for whatever settings for that game you want..

[Purple]

Originally posted by MartyWF:

BPM is only needed for Touch menu's and really nice and usefull abilities of the steam controller..

When you say it like that it seems like you lose functionality outside of BPM.

I think the following needs to be pointed out:

• You can run it by using BPM to launch games.
  - this means: full functionality, press Steam button on controller to get to the overlay, edit keybinds etc, friend list, browser. And no FPS counter for some reason.
  
  
• Don't run game with BPM, but in the normal desktop client
  
  1) "Use the Big Picture Overlay when using a Steam Controller from the desktop" CHECKED ON - same thing as using BPM - full functinality, Steam button to get the same overlay as in BPM, edit binds, and NO FPS counter again.
  
  2) "Use the Big Picture Overlay when using a Steam Controller from the desktop" - CHECKED OFF - 90% functionality i guess ? Everything works as normal from what i've quickly tried right now, but you don't have the controller overlay so you won't see Action Set changes (if you have that text on).
  Can't edit keybinds in the overlay, since it's turned off, but you can alt tab and edit them in a separate window (same interface as in the overlay but separated in a new window, for a more "desktop" experience, kind of)
  Otherwise the keybinds work as usual. Pressing the Steam button on the controller does nothing overlay related though. It just uses it's default "Steam Button Chord configuration".
  But the FPS counter works.
  The only way to open the "desktop" overlay would be to bind "SHIFT+TAB" (or whatever your bind is) to something on the controller
  
  
• Well you can also use the controller without Steam i guess, if you only want the simplest mouse :P

TLDR:
You can use it fine with the normal overlay, displaying the FPS.

[Boreout [Aut]]

Steam not running :
"Lizard Mode" with basic functions (basic mouse functions)

Steam running in backround :
Desktop Configurations (more advanced functins such as keyboard overlay, Volume Controlls)
Steam button chord configuration (Homebutton combinations)

BPM is not needed for gaming but has some added value like easier controll over your library and changing gamepad configs on the fly.
You can still use the Classic Steam overlay for gaming if that is what you want.

Don't worry you don't need to move from your couch as long as the SC is paired with your PC and/or steamlink.

You can even enter the BIOS of the PC during Bootup (B -> esc).

[Willie D. Longpong]

You could always use MSI Afterburner instead of the steam fps counter. You could have it display your cpu/gpu load, temperature, fps or a ton of other things, or just fps of course. It will also record gameplay as something like fraps or shadowplay would.

EDIT: if you've never used MSI Ab before, it's not hard to set up and after it, it's really low maintenance. I could shove you in the right direction if something wasn't immediately obvious.

[cammelspit]

Originally posted by Willy D. Longpong:

You could always use MSI Afterburner instead of the steam fps counter. You could have it display your cpu/gpu load, temperature, fps or a ton of other things, or just fps of course. It will also record gameplay as something like fraps or shadowplay would.

EDIT: if you've never used MSI Ab before, it's not hard to set up and after it, it's really low maintenance. I could shove you in the right direction if something wasn't immediately obvious.

No, no you can't because the overlay for afterburner has been proven to be openly hostile to the Steam overlay. This is intentional BTW and is not Valves fault.

Originally posted by Steaam Controller™ lololo:

Originally posted by MartyWF:

BPM is only needed for Touch menu's and really nice and usefull abilities of the steam controller..

When you say it like that it seems like you lose functionality outside of BPM.

TO be fair, you actually do lose functionality. You also lose mouse regions, radial menus, in game config customization, action set labels AND what you had already mentioned.

Otherwise, I do agree with you, the best way to do it is to use the desktop client but continue to allow the BPM overlay. I have been using it this way since the ability to launch from the desktop UI was introduced so long ago and it is objectively better and actually more compatible with games if you can believe that.

@OP

Bottom line, don't use an FPS counter because there is literally zero reason anyone needs one. Does it look smooth enough to play? Great, you have it working well enough.

Seriously though, the only reason you would need an FPS display is for either showing someone else, not likely to be needed every day, or pure vanity, so you can prove how amazing your PC is, which is silly.

Sure, Valve needs to add it for those twice a year times you need to troubleshoot something that is gravely lowering your FPS.

Yeah, you CAN use the Steam FPS counter with the desktop overlay but you really don't want to if you can avoid it. I think a lot of people hate on BPM and such but really, it's not that bad. At least, the overlay is good. BPM proper is a bit of a cluster F**K IMO. It is clunky and is missing some of the most basic functionality making you swap back and forth if you want to use it. Not to mention it is less compatible with games using the Steam Controller than the desktop UI is and that is an objective fact.

But you don't have to take my word for it.

[Willie D. Longpong]

Originally posted by cammelspit:

No, no you can't because the overlay for afterburner has been proven to be openly hostile to the Steam overlay. This is intentional BTW and is not Valves fault.

I've had no issues at all using Afterburner and I use both extensively. So I would still recommend trying it and if you run into problems, it will take about 10 seconds to reverse it by uninstalling it.

I would be interested in reading about this alleged sabotage. Could you point me to something to get me started?

[cammelspit]

♥♥♥♥, now you ask for proof? Ok, ill see what I can dig up. It was a little over a year ago on this very forum that we figured it all out with links to other forum posts by the guy who made the overlay portion of AB for MSI. Maybe MSI forced him to comply? I hope so...

[cammelspit]

Best I can find is posts when I actually referenced what was said in that first post... I'll keep digging. I know someone else posted the links directly to the self-righteous rant of the RTSS dev and how he thinks Steam should work around him and not the other way around. It's all about him having his overlay start first. Valve won't allow it because if they aren't the first they assume you are cheating. Makes sense too. I'll keep looking though and see if I can get anything more solid for you.

[Willie D. Longpong]

That would be great. Valve classing Afterburner as cheating also sounds incredible.

[•]

Originally posted by cammelspit:

You also lose mouse regions

Wait, what?..

[Purple]

Originally posted by cammelspit:

TO be fair, you actually do lose functionality. You also lose mouse regions, radial menus, in game config customization, action set labels AND what you had already mentioned.

100% in every game? Or some?
Because my mouse region works fine in Battlerite.
Radial menu not so lucky in Heroes and Generals tho :P

[cammelspit]

Originally posted by Steaam Controller™ lololo:

Originally posted by cammelspit:

TO be fair, you actually do lose functionality. You also lose mouse regions, radial menus, in game config customization, action set labels AND what you had already mentioned.

100% in every game? Or some?
Because my mouse region works fine in Battlerite.
Radial menu not so lucky in Heroes and Generals tho :P

Should be 100% of the games since all of those features use the overlay itself to work properly. If mouse region works with the game you mention, they may have actually uncoupled the mouse region from the overlay. I don't use regions very often but that would be a great find if they did.

[SteveLastics]

Thanks to all that replied... Got the steam controller and so far very happy with it even tho i have to use BIG picture mode...

[Purple]

Originally posted by DaddyThumb:

Thanks to all that replied... Got the steam controller and so far very happy with it even tho i have to use BIG picture mode...

I mean..you really only need the BPM overlay. you don't actually need to use the BPM as your default Steam "look".