Problems streaming XCOM 2 to Android TV

[istateside]

Hey all. The Android app has me really excited, but I've been having some issues with it that are keeping me on PC for now.

The game I play most often is XCOM 2, and I have two separate problems with streaming the game through the app. Neither of these issues occur when I play directly on my PC, nor when I stream from another device (Steam Link and macOS both work perfectly).

The game, for whatever reason, is not recognized by Steam as a controller-compatible game on any platform. At launch, it had zero controller support, but it now has a controller option, which I use frequently. I'm guessing Firaxis needs to do something further to get it recognized officially as a controller-compatible game. I mention this as I imagine it has something to do with at least the first problem I'm having.

1) Using a standard bluetooth controller (the SteelSeries Stratus XL, specifically), I can launch the game, but I can't get XCOM to actually recognize my controller as a controller. The game launches with mouse controls, and I can navigate to the Options menu, but the "Controller" option for input is not recognized. If I use the bluetooth controller, it continues to simulate a mouse. If the game launches in "Controller" mode (after playing on PC with a controller) or if the "Controller" option is enabled because I have a different controller plugged into my PC, it becomes unresponsive and the bluetooth controller continues to be recognized as a mouse.

2) If I use the Steam Controller, the game continues to recognize the controller as a mouse, which is intended with the Steam Controller. The game works mostly great, until I get into a mission and get into combat. This is a weirdly specific bug, but it's been 100% reproducible for me. Any time the camera changes its perspective from the usual top-down view, like when it swings in over a character's shoulder when they take a shot, or when it moves in close to a newly-revealed group of enemies, the Steam Controller's configuration resets.

The default configuration (basic K+M simulation) lets me use the pad to simulate movement, and use the triggers to click left and right, but the configuration I'm using adds a lot more functionality. The game is fairly unplayable without a controller configuration.

However, the configuration gets restored as soon as I press the "start" button and bring up the game menu. I can't wrap my head around why. It seems like maybe the controller _thinks_ it's entering a fourth type of button configuration, and reverts back to the K+M setup when it doesn't seen any configured inputs, and then resets when the ESC key is pressed?

This ends up meaning that I quickly press start and then B after performing basically any action in the game or navigating through menus. It's doable, but sometimes I'll get locked into a situation where I can't continue without the camera changing, meaning I have to struggle through default K+M until I can submit my action and wait for the camera to go back to a normal position.

Any ideas on how I can help with feedback for this?

[Balderick]

I think you gave brilliant feedback there. You describe exactly what I see when trying too use Shield Controller and SATV with Steam Link App.

Basically controller works great in Steam Link App and in Big Picture after connecting to host pc.

However, No game recognises controller as controller, and exiting big picture to drop too desktop has absolutely no input at all. Controllers, mice and keyboards do not work in desktop.
I can not make Steam Input apply mouse and keyboard configurations either, which proves Steam Input support for android controllers is not quite ready yet

Game devs can not add support of android controllers to games until Valve fix Steam Input API (scapi) and steam client to make this possible.

We need to wait for Valve to fix.


I have noticed sometimes Steam Input lists two devices in Controller Settings, one android controller and one Xbox controller. This because Steam client is detecting proper windows wireless drivers (WiFi direct not BT) for Shield controller as well as Steam Link App trying to force its own gamepad emulation to make my controller connected to android device work as gamepad in windows.


Appreciate not all android controllers have proper windows drivers, but Shield devices absolutely rock. So much so I got rid of my more than vr ready pc!


Paperspace VM is how I upgraded from rog matrix gtx 980 ti to quadro p5000 and was pleasantly surprised that Steam Link App streams remote VM just fine. Even nvidia gamestream works for me after upgrading gpu drivers and installing GFE to setup gamestream too SATV.

The steam app for gamestream needs some love from Valve devs too, due to recent changes in steam client and Steam Input api.