Gamepad support :-(

[Pong [Linux]]

Okay, the last Steam Client Update helped a bit. But it is still a nightmare: I try to get my PS4 Dual Shocks working. The Android App detects my Gamepads and I can easily control the App with my gamepad - which is plugged via USB cable. When I start the stream, I see the Steam Client desktop and I can move the mouse with my gamepad. So far, so good: gamepad is recognized and can be used to control the Android App and the (remote) Steam client.

But when I start a game things look whole different: of all the games I tested, only Rise of the Tomb Raider was playable as expected, i.e. left and right joystick worked as movement and camera and the 4 buttons on the left side on the gamepad can be used for actions. All other games didn't work: joysticks not recognised, buttons not working or just some have strange functions assigned to.

E.g. Dirt Showdown: almost nothing worked. Then I fiddled with the main controller settings: I checked "PS4" - no idea if it helps. I added a "Generic Controller" - even though my Gamepad was recognised as "Andorid Controller". Sill no success. Then I managed to get into the Game's Controller options - you have to do this TWICE as the first click always brings an error that the Controller first need to be configured in the main configuration dialog. So I fiddled there around - no succes. Than I added a new "Action Set" and was so angry that half things don't work. Anyway I somehow managed to add such an "action set" and finally, Dirt Showdown worked: left stick move, right 4 buttons action. I have no idea how all this works and don't feel like doing this in every single game!

The whole controller support is so ugly implemented, e.g. "Okay"/"Yes" has three different buttons in each szenario:

Smart TV Android menu and all Android games running in there: button "left"
Steam Link App: button "down"
Steam Client: button "right"
Game within Steam link app: depends on game

Aaaaargh!!!!

Oh what a damn implementation! You managed to get the streaming and Android App <-> Steam Client communication so well! Streaming is really good, lag is not that much but this stupid simple Gamepad button/stick event handling is so broken - it destroys all the good work you did with the streaming part!

I just hope this is still due to the new introduction of the Steam Link App and you get this fixed soon. Because the wonderful streaming is worth nothing if you can't control the game with normal / pretty standard gamepads. PLEASE get this working! Thank you very much!

[slouken]

Can you try the new controller settings UI in the Steam Link app update? (version 1.1.2)

[MobileDecay]

Calm down dude. It's in beta. It will have bugs. Lol.

[Pong [Linux]]

Next try with new Steam Link App version 1.1.2: no real progress!
Some new things visible, incl. warning about PS4 controllers connected via bluetooth. Mine are connected via USB cable.

I killed the Steam Link App, cleared cache, registered new to my Steam Client PC. Also switched to Big Picture mode. The controller works flawlessy in the Steam Link App and the Steam Client but still not in games (sometimes only some buttons work)!

I have no idea what to choose / set / config in the "Controler Settings". Do I have to switch on "PS4 .."? Is it good to have the controllers registered to my Steam account? Do I need to calibrate (doesn't work: no single button of the DualShocks are recognized)? The Steam Link App still shows 2 "Android controllers" and one "Generic Controller". I have 2 DualShock4 gamepads attached via USB cable. How can I reset/remove those detected controllers to start fresh?

What is not understandable: the gamepads work flawlessly in the STeam Link App and Steam Client; the Steam Link App shows the controller correctly and the "Test" works flawlessly (all pushed buttons light up correctly); in the Steam Client, the controller options look as expected. But still: within games, almost nothing works at all.

Yes, it's "Beta", but the App is pretty final, streaming is pretty final but the Gamepad/Controler Support is not even "Alpha" ...!

[slouken]

Are you running the games on Windows or Linux? I've heard reports from some other people about problems with Linux games seeing Steam Controller (or streamed controller) input.

[Pong [Linux]]

Next try with Steam Link App Version 1.1.3: same problem: DualShock 4 works flawlessly in Steam Link App and Streamed Steam Client (Linux). Starting a game: (almost) no button/stick does anything.

@slouken: I run Steam Client Linux on Ubuntu 16.04 computer. What are teh differneces between "Android Controler" and "Generic Controller" (neither work).

[werner]

Well in my experience, you will get a close to perfect support for the time being only with the Steam controller. The reason for this is, Android does not detect the controller except for being an unknown input device and does not make any assumptions that you can control anything with it. So Steam can take over without any interference from Android. All the problems with the other controllers stem from the fact that Android/Android TV takes over and overrides what Steam tries to do with it and sending the Steam client inproper input codes or none at all while doing something else (showing the dashboard in android tv for instance).

See also my small testing posting, where I tested all the controllers I had at hand against Steam Link on a Shield box.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/4/1694922526902852897/

Basically 90% of all bugpostings revolve around controller issues. I am pretty sure the situation can be resolved over the time. Whether the existing Android APIs for the time being allow it is another question, Valve has to solve by probably asking the Google/NVidia engineers.

For the time being, at least on the Shield I can only recommend the Steam controller, and I am happy, that there is at least one controller which works as expected (The Steam controller is a very good controller, but you need some time to learn and configure it, but it definitely has some advantages in certain game genres)

[Hatchetforce]

I can't recommend any controller at this point fully. I have Steam, Shield, Xone, and PS4 controllers and all have some major issue. However most share the same issues. They appear but lack functionality in L3/R3. And example would be Shield and Xone controllers that function great in The Witcher 3 yet L3/R3 do not work in games like Vermintide 2 or in Space Hulk Deathwing only R3 does not work. These controllers work fine locally on the PC or in Vermintide 2 under the Gamestream/Steam version. Spacegulk Deathwing no longer will start under the Gamestream/Steam app but starts under the STand alone Steam app. It simply lacks proper R3 functionality. And all games run slower under Gamestream/Steam vs the standalone Steam app.

Some games that once worked great under Gamestream/Steam now fail to launch and I am currently involved with an elevated support level at Nvidia to figure out why this is occurring.

[Zell]

@slouken I'm testing a generic bluetooth gamepad that works flawlessly on Steam Big Picture and the Steam Link App but nothing works on games. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

I'm trying on Windows 10

[slouken]

Originally posted by Lugaid:

@slouken I'm testing a generic bluetooth gamepad that works flawlessly on Steam Big Picture and the Steam Link App but nothing works on games. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

I'm trying on Windows 10

What games are you testing with?

[Adder]

I switched to Moonlight, which works as expected with all controllers. This means that this issue can be fixed.

[Pong [Linux]]

The latest Steam Link updates support PS 4 DualShock 4 controllers much better.