Mouse support

[ChaoticPeaches]

I am using a Logitech G903 with a Samsung S3 Tablet. Just wanted to report that I am getting a double mouse in every game that I play. Is this because the mouse is not detected/Supported in the Steam Link App. Anyone have a fix.

[NightRune]

Have the exact same issue. Did you find a solution for this?

[slouken]

Can you check to see whether this is fixed for you in version 1.1.4?

[NightRune]

Originally posted by slouken:

Can you check to see whether this is fixed for you in version 1.1.4?

Mouse cursor is working fine now! :) Thanks

Any news of when we will have rumble working on PS4 controller?

[Wadera]

I've got the same issue with mouse. My version is 1.1.4.

I'm using Steam Link on my Chromebook, and framerate and quality is gorgeous. I'm really surprised how good it works. Only issue is with mouse - I need to click left button to move around (like in touch screen), but then - I can't using left and right.

There is any way to pair my mouse as "controller" and use it as "regular mouse"?

[Packetdancer]

Originally posted by Wadera:

I've got the same issue with mouse. My version is 1.1.4.

I'm using Steam Link on my Chromebook, and framerate and quality is gorgeous. I'm really surprised how good it works. Only issue is with mouse - I need to click left button to move around (like in touch screen), but then - I can't using left and right.

There is any way to pair my mouse as "controller" and use it as "regular mouse"?

I think your problem is that the Chromebook does not expose mouse to Android apps as a mouse, and just turns left clicks within an Android app window into touch events. I doubt there's a good way around that unless ChromeOS exposes the mouse to Android; there would be no way for the Steam Link app to read the mouse as a mouse. :(

[Balderick]

On Nvidia Shield devices Nvidia demonstrate how mice and controllers can work in both android and windows.

AFAIK connecting physical mouse to android device just works as a mouse, however android apps mostly do not support mice because most android devices use touchscreen for input.
To see mouse cursor android uses android virtual mouse and mouse clicks get mapped as touch events in android apps.

Android does not have any controller api which means touch events are mapped to controller buttons in android apps for controllers too work in android and android apps.


I can see that Steam Link App provides windows drivers for my mouse connected to Shield TV as I see a big black mouse cursor in android (virtual android mouse cursor) and after using Steam Link App to launch big picture I can see the large custom windows mouse cursor, exactly like I would on local windows pc. This is a good thing, as forcing android virtual mouse cursor into windows desktop is a very bad idea, like Parsec and other streamer apps do.


Nvidia Shield Controller demonstrates this with gamestream when streaming steam and steam apps, android virtual mouse cursor is mapped to right stick on controller in android and android apps but when in windows Shield Controller is provided proper windows wireless drivers through GFE and so uses windows mouse cursor in windows which then let's Steam Input apply configurations properly being totally oblivious android devices are being used.


What we are seeing with Steam Link App is issues related too how controllers are having gamepad emulation applied to make them work in windows as a xinput controller so that Steam Input can apply configurations properly.


This is separate from the USB passthrough/forwarding issues for providing mouse support in windows when they are connected to android device.


I can see Valve are building things properly here in that they are obviously trying very hard too ensure android virtual mouse cursor is never ever forced into windows desktop , as this totally interferes with Steam Input and breaks a lot of things.


Although I can not use my controller, mouse or KB through steam link app in windows yet, I am impressed Valve are approaching things the way they are in keeping android virtual mouse cursor away from windows.

The steam app for gamestream on Shield devices illustrates exactly how steam link app for android should work, imo but also appreciate Valve want too provide support for a far wider scope of different hardware configurations.

The irony is steam app for gamestream is broken since Valve started adding changes to Steam client for providing better support of android displays in steamvr at end of last year and more recently Steam Link App!

[Vudi]

I have Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with 7.0 android. I connect mouse oklick 595mb and I can't play games with it because right click used android as "back". Can anyone help me with it or I must use Steam Controller with all games?

[Packetdancer]

Originally posted by Vudi:

I have Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge with 7.0 android. I connect mouse oklick 595mb and I can't play games with it because right click used android as "back". Can anyone help me with it or I must use Steam Controller with all games?

I think from what they've said in other threads, they'll probably try to improve mouse support further.

However, if you're on Android 7, the APIs that would make mouse work better (i.e., pointer capture, which allows the mouse to move beyond the bounds of the actual Android window) are in API 26, which is Android 8.

[Packetdancer]

So, I've done a BUNCH of experimenting with mouse in Android just to see what might turn up, and I gotta say, the level of support for mouse in Android is wildly inconsistent.

* Prior to Android 7, there's no way to do relative mouse movement (i.e., mouselook type stuff, where it's not pegged to a given window).
* In Android 7 and later, you can get some relative mouse data but it will still peg to the edges of a window on most phones.
* On Chromebooks and phones, unless you set specific application options, the mouse movements will never be sent at all; they'll only send touch/drag events and only when you click the left button.
* Chromebooks are on Android 7.1.1, but never actually generate relative mouse movement; the relative values are always 0, as if the mouse were not moving at all.
* Nvidia added special behavior where the mouse continues to send relative movement even when it's hit the edges of a window; Nvidia Shield TV thus can have working mouselook even though it's not on Android 8.
* Android 8 adds proper mouse APIs that allow you to capture a mouse pointer and do fully relative motion, so mouselook would work.
* Samsung devices work properly under Android 8 and later, except if you're in a DeX docking station, where mouse pointer capture just stops working.

Basically, an Nvidia Shield TV (Android 7), a Chromebook (Android 7.1.1), a Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Android 8.0), the same Samsung Galaxy S8+ in a DeX docking station, and a Pixel (Android P) almost all acted differently with a mouse in an Android test app I built.

So most likely, Steam Link will be able to do proper mouse on Android 8 and later (with the exception of Samsung DeX stations until they're fixed), and on the Nvidia Shield TV, but everything else is probably going to have some caveats. :(

[therealdanhill]

Same thing happened with moonlight and Android versions under 8, you have to root the device and install a special version of the app to get the mouse to work properly. I hope that Steam can find a workaround for that.

[Balderick]

Steam root is not android root.

Steam client is just a browser, basically. A native android Steam client could fix many issues Valve are trying too workaround.


My 2015 Shield Controller has worked flawlessly for streaming steam games since android 5 thanks to Valve collaborating with Nvidia for gaming on android using Gamestream.
Valve started adding (trying to) support for android controllers since late last year they have broken Gamestream and Steam Input support for Shield Controller.

I can not use either Steam Link App nor Gamestream reliably because of Steam Input bugs preventing proper detection of Shield Controller and therefore steam input can not apply configurations for controller properly, if at all.

Valve NEED to fix Gamestream for Shield users and then make sure Steam Link App supports Shield Controller as well as Gamestream steam app does (or did back before Dec 2017)


Both Android 7 and android 8 Shield devices can not use Gamestream or Steam Link App reliably because of the current state of Steam Input and steam client stable and beta channels.

I can work around steam client and steam input bugs and get Gamestream working by adding mstsc.exe to Gamestream apps list. Steam Link App looses all input in desktop so I can not use Steam Link App for steam games or windows desktop. This shows Gamestream is superior and far better optimised for Shield devices.


We also must not under estimate how much Valve have collaborated with Nvidia for GeForce Now. This is where I think Valve are going with the Steam Link App and removes the need for a native android Steam client!

Valve have undone a lot of time and effort and end user enjoyment of steam games on android devices by breaking Gamestream. Here is a video from CES 2014 (when Valve were pushing Steam Machines) where a Tegra 4 powered android device was shown streaming Steam games using Gamestream wirelessly and GRID tech in data centre 6000 mikes away.

https://youtu.be/RW9WzKUI3n4?t=8m12s



?t=8m12s


Yet another steam client bug/deficiency - YouTube video timestamps are broken


The only thing Steam Link App 1.1.4 mouse update brings for me is a way to exit game cleanly after finding it can not use controller. I can not use keyboard which means I can't play steam games even without a controller. This makes Steam Link App FUBAR for me.

Not seeing any updates in over a week is good indicator that his is not easily fixed.

[therealdanhill]

Well ♥♥♥♥, you make it sound kind of dire

[Balderick]

Don't mean too. Really quite excited about Steam Link App after finding it is super easy to add cloud VM as host, just wish Shield Controller and SATV had better support which I am sure will get sorted soon.