disable touchpad haptics outside steam

[Dragaan]

Unless I'm playing a Steam game or a non-steam game that's loaded/running via steam (basically the steam client is running), the controller still works great as a 'handheld k&m", both in games and in (most of) the OS but the right thumbpad buzzes/clicks much too aggressively.. I am wondering if there is a way to disable the (imo, awful) haptics that the right trackpad uses any time steam is not actually running? I don't care about setting it up to play a game or anything -- I just want to know if the right touchpad/thumbpad haptics can be disabled without the steam client being open and constantly running in the background...

For whatever reason, the moment steam client is shut down the haptics go from barely noticable (where I like them) to full-on buzzing/clicking even when slowly moving the cursor... I like to have as little running on my PC as possible, and would rather not have the entire steam client running in the background just for this reason unless it's absolutely required.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help

[DaMu]

Those "god awful haptics" on the touchpad are a part of Lizard Mode, a specific Keyboard and Mouse layout for the Steam Controller that will always apply when connected to a computer without Steam running. Lizard Mode is not configurable, because Lizard Mode gives the Steam Controller the bare necessities to launch Steam. If you somehow modify something important in Lizard Mode, you're making it easier to lock out all inputs, requiring a Mouse or Keyboard to fix. This also applies to the Steam Deck in Desktop Mode, in those rare circumstances when Steam is not running.

The haptics are barely noticeable when Steam is running because you have a Desktop or game config set up (likely the default) that has reduced haptics, but these can be increased or turned off by editing an applied config in Steam Input.

If you want to configure the Steam Controller, you have to have Steam or another program running in the background like reWASD or sc-controller.

[Dragaan]

Well, here's something else I just noticed. I used to be able to play games outside of steam (GOG or XBox Game Pass, for example) with the controller and I was still able to do basic things besides JUST left or right mouseclick (LT or RT). I haven't been using the controller (or playing many games) for quite a while, but I was trying to play Total Warhammer 3 on Xbox Game Pass yesterday and I was unable to use either LB/RB or the left 'dpad' to change the camera height (which is the mouse wheel and I used to be able to do this just fine in non-steam games - in "lizard mode" I guess?). Any reason that would have changed or advice on how to fix it?

[Dragaan]

I already purchased TW:W3 on steam just so I can enjoy the absolute basics (mouse wheel control, for ex.), which I used to be able to do outside of steam but sometime in the last year or so something has changed (I never knowingly did any tweaking/changing of settings myself).