How can I use a controller on a non Steam Game ? [solved]

[VegaBiggs]

So I'm using the Steam Link in non Big Picture mode. This is great as it allows me to use my computer on the living room TV as a normal computer ! With a good wireless keyboard, it's a very good experience. If I play a game through STEAM, I can use my Xbox One S controller wirelessly, it's awesome !

But I also want to play other games outside STEAM like FIFA or my emulators... and my controller only works as a mouse & keyborad mockup.

How can I make it so the controller is recognized as a controller by my applications ?

[Got Kevlar™]

you have to use the steam overlay in order to use the controller profiles and mapping. your app has to be launched within steam. Add the app as a non steam game and launch from there. you can then create a layout if one isnt available publicly.

[VegaBiggs]

Ok, I tried that. Launching emulators from steam is not a viable option since it just show the window of the controller and I can't access the menues. And even if I go on my real computer and acces the options from there, the controller just don't show up. Same thing with games.

At least now it doesn't fonction as a fake mouse and one of my app saw it somewhat but pressing the buttons don't do a thing. It is simply not seen as a controller (I tried with a wired 360 controller too). I did mapped it with the correct buttons on the controller profile page in STEAM Big Picture.

I'm beginning to think that my only option is to buy VirtualHere... 12€ for a feature I was expecting to be in the STEAM LINK !!

[saulveloz]

There is a way to play fifa with controller, it's tricky and it's not intended but you can try it,
Go to the Origin Location
right click properties, and enable compatibility mode for windows xp
then go to steam and add Origin exe
after that when you're in big picture mode launch origin
a message will pop up like "compatibility windows mode"
search for the fifa game and run it on Windowed mode and that's all
(sorry for bad explanation english is not my first language)
And i have a question what emulators are you using?
I've got dolphin and pcx2 running with no problem

[VegaBiggs]

Thanks for the tip on FIFA !

I tried Dolphin real quick, it seems to work indeed. Cemu and Visual Boy don't. I really wish it was more simple, that you could just plug a USB controller on your steam link and it would work as if it was plugged on the PC, that your PC would just show up on your TV with some extra USB and bluetooth close to it... Bad work Steam.

[VegaBiggs]

Scrap that...
When I am in Dolphin's controller configuration, it works fine (buttons appear red when I press them and all) but once I lauch a game, it does'nt work anymore, start = escape.

Waybe I screwed up in the Steam Link options, it's so unclear !

[blehz.]

I just configured the controller (F710) on the host pc and then plugged it into the Steam Link.
Used this way with Dolphin, demul and some other emu's. But I start them from EmulationStation.
Normally you shouldn't configure your controller on the Link, unless it is some obscure brand.
You can double check if the controller layout configuration in Steam is set to Gamepad instead of keyboard+mouse.

You can also check reddit for some help with particular emulators.

[saulveloz]

this guide explains bettert than i can haha
And dolphin works, just make sure you have Dolphin 5.0
https://voat.co/v/pcmasterrace/comments/121151
tell me if it helps

[VegaBiggs]

I found the answere I was looking for on Reddit !
The solution to all my problems was to setup my controller setting AFTER having opened the game (or the app or whatever) and then opening the Steam overlay and change the controller settings from there!

Duh!! Some will say, it's exactly what Got Kevlar said. But I didn't really got how and why the Steam overlay worked even in non Steam games, It's not intuitive at all. So I thought he was just saying don't deactivate the Steam overlay in Steam preferences... it was unclear.