How to uninstall Steam Controller driver / kexts on Mac — Instructions Here

[✬Maow✬]

macOS Driver/kext Removal Instructions

1. Unload loaded kexts
   
   1. If you had Steam running and/or the controller connected, disable Steam from running at startup and restart your machine.
      
   2. Pop open a terminal and run the following command to check for loaded kexts:
      

      kextstat | grep valvesoftware

      You may see one or two kexts, such as com.valvesoftware.SteamInput. If you do not, move on to Remove launch daemon.
      
   3. Unload each kext with the following command (replacing com.valvesoftware.SteamInput with the name of the loaded kexts from the previous step, if they differ):
      

      sudo kextunload -b com.valvesoftware.SteamInput

      If you get a message saying it can't unload kext, make sure Steam does not run at startup, the controller is off and disconnected, restart your machine, and try again. If it fails again, reboot in to safe mode and proceed to the next step.
2. Remove launch daemon
   Check /Library/LaunchDaemons/ for com.valvesoftware.SteamInputKextCache.plist and delete if it exists:
   

   sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.valvesoftware.SteamInputKextCache.plist

3. Remove kexts
   The location of the kexts vary by version; they are either in /Library/Extensions/ or /System/Library/Extensions/.
   
   1. Check each location for SteamInput with the following commands:
      

      ls -a /Library/Extensions/ | grep SteamInput

      ls -a /System/Library/Extensions/ | grep SteamInput

   2. Remove the kexts with the following commands (replacing /Library/Extensions/whatever with the path and kexts from the previous step, if they differ):
      

      sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/SteamInput.kext

      sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/SteamInput-DS4v1.kext

4. Restart your machine

Original Post

Does anybody know how to remove the Steam Controller driver & kexts on Mac?

I'm running macOS Catalina 10.15.2.

I ran the package that Steam prompted me to use to install the drivers, ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/Steam.AppBundle/Steam/Contents/MacOS/SteamInputInstaller.pkg. However there's no obvious uninstall process, and I've had some issues with my bluetooth trackpad after installation (even when the controller and dongle aren't present). I want to see if the drivers are to blame.

Looking through the package's contents, I see it installed some kexts. Would I be wise to boot in to single user mode and blam these, or would that cause, well, unforeseen consequences?

[✬Maow✬]

Updates and Discoveries

I'll post my updates and discoveries to this thread in the hopes they'll be useful to others.

I got the kext unloaded

So far, I haven't had the issues with my trackpad that became a thing after installing the controller driver!

Initially it wouldn't unload:

todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 kextstat | grep -v com.apple
Index Refs Address            Size       Wired      Name (Version) UUID <Linked Against>
  132    0 0xffffff7f8388e000 0x6000     0x6000     com.valvesoftware.SteamInput (4357.73.42) 17B6ECD0-A50A-3D6A-B350-9C70805EE129 <51 6 5 3>
todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 sudo kextunload -b com.valvesoftware.SteamInput
Password:
(kernel) Can't unload kext com.valvesoftware.SteamInput; classes have instances:
(kernel)     Kext com.valvesoftware.SteamInput class com_valve_steaminput_device has 3 instances.
Failed to unload com.valvesoftware.SteamInput - (libkern/kext) kext is in use or retained (cannot unload).

(Yes I have an emoji in my prompt)

After a restart (controller unplugged, Steam does not run at login) it was loaded again, but I was able to unload it:

todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 kextstat | grep -v com.apple                    
Index Refs Address            Size       Wired      Name (Version) UUID <Linked Against>
  158    0 0xffffff7f8388e000 0x6000     0x6000     com.valvesoftware.SteamInput (4357.73.42) 17B6ECD0-A50A-3D6A-B350-9C70805EE129 <51 6 5 3>
todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 sudo kextunload -b com.valvesoftware.SteamInput 
Password:
todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 kextstat | grep -v com.apple                   
Index Refs Address            Size       Wired      Name (Version) UUID <Linked Against>

[✬Maow✬]

Damn, I'm still having trackpad issues yet the kexts aren't loaded. Maybe it wasn't the controller driver's fault after all.

Anyway I'm going to delete the kexts. I don't think anything depends on them.

Since I might as well make this in to a guide when I'm finished, here's how:

todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/SteamInput.kext  
Password:
todd@Tiberius-Nasty ~ 😈 sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/SteamInput-DS4v1.kext

Now time to restart.

[✬Maow✬]

I am back up and running, and I think that's it!

For others looking to remove these drivers, there's one more thing you should check for. Check /Library/LaunchDaemons for com.valvesoftware.SteamInputKextCache.plist and delete if it exists.

It's actually a symlink into one of the kext bundles itself, so you should probably delete it before you delete the kexts.

You won't find this unless you're on macOS 10.13 or higher, and you never approved the kexts by going to System Preferences > Privacy (this is because the installation package has a postinstall script which places the launch daemon, and the daemon removes itself once all the kexts load).

[alanfsrz]

Originally posted by ✬Maow✬:

I am back up and running, and I think that's it!

For others looking to remove these drivers, there's one more thing you should check for. Check /Library/LaunchDaemons for com.valvesoftware.SteamInputKextCache.plist and delete if it exists.

It's actually a symlink into one of the kext bundles itself, so you should probably delete it before you delete the kexts.

You won't find this unless you're on macOS 10.13 or higher, and you never approved the kexts by going to System Preferences > Privacy (this is because the installation package has a postinstall script which places the launch daemon, and the daemon removes itself once all the kexts load).

I am interested in the part of the User Approved Kernel Extension Loading in the new MacOS, I am trying to install the driver (I hope it won't mess my trackpad), but I just can't have that approval request in Preferences > Privacy...

Wondering there should be a way without having off the System Integrity Protection...