PS4 controller not working in game after opening advanced settings

[Miyo]

This is such a dumb problem it's hard for me to believe I have it. Not sure if it's related but I noticed it first time now when I'm playing Disco Elysium. So, when I'm connecting my P4/DS4 gamepad to my laptop via a wire, it connects instantly and the LED color automatically changes to the one I set in Steam advanced options a looot of time ago (which is now magenta), if steam is running in the background. The same has been happening till not so long ago when connecting the gamepad via bluetooth but it randomly changed recently. Now, when I connect the gamepad via bluetooth, the LED color becomes blue-ish white, I think the same color the LED is when blinking while connecting the pad to the bluetooth. The LED makes me feel like the gamepad didn't connect properly but I can play the games on Steam with this gamepad normally like this. However, when I open the advanced gamepad options on Steam to get my own LED color back, the LED becomes magenta but I am no longer able to use my gamepad to play Steam games. In Disco Elysium it's like, when I just connected the gamepad via the bluetooth and it has the white LED on, the game reads all my inputs properly and there are no problems, but after I open the advanced gamepad settings and the colored LED comes in, the game stops reading my inputs completely - pressing every button on the gamepad does nothing but somehow the game still shows me PS buttons.The same happens with other games, as much as I tested, and the only thing I want to do is play Steam games with my own LED color on my gamepad. At this point I don't know if the problem lies with Steam, the bluetooth connection, my gamepad (I use the same gamepad for playing on Playstation 4 and there are no problems) or something entirely else so I'm sorry if it turns out the problem isn't really Steam related.

[tintingaroo]

How I understand it, it's down to the way the controller works over BT and how a game supports it.

Over Bluetooth, PS4/5 controllers will be functioning in one of two modes. When first connected it'll be operating as a basic gamepad, compatible with DirectInput. I've seen it called 'simple mode', 'PC mode'.
Steam, some games, some other software like DS4Windows can switch the controller into it's other mode. Here the full functions of the controller are available (lightbar, rumble, touchpad tracking, on the DS5 the mute button), but this mode is incompatible with DirectInput. I've seen this mode referred to as "extended/enhanced report mode", "advanced mode", "PS mode". To get back to simple mode the controller has to be power cycled.

So looks like Disco Elysium is reading the controller via DirectInput and so wants simple mode, but Steam has switched it to advanced to set the colour. Here's one game demo that natively supports the advanced mode of the PS controller https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466230/The_Holy_Gosh_Darn/. It sets it's own lightbar colour though (the game is using Rewired so I believe the devs can set which colour, if they care to).

For games that have native PS4 controller support + PS prompts, one solution is to use DS4Windows to emulate a wired PS4 controller. You get to set the lightbar, the game sees a PS controller and shows the PS prompts.

If you want lightbar control and don't mind Xbox prompts in nearly all cases (there are some games that'll ask Steam what controller you're using and so show PS prompts), then enabling Steam Input is one avenue you can use.

[Miyo]

Originally posted by tintingaroo:

How I understand it, it's down to the way the controller works over BT and how a game supports it.

Over Bluetooth, PS4/5 controllers will be functioning in one of two modes. When first connected it'll be operating as a basic gamepad, compatible with DirectInput. I've seen it called 'simple mode', 'PC mode'.
Steam, some games, some other software like DS4Windows can switch the controller into it's other mode. Here the full functions of the controller are available (lightbar, rumble, touchpad tracking, on the DS5 the mute button), but this mode is incompatible with DirectInput. I've seen this mode referred to as "extended/enhanced report mode", "advanced mode", "PS mode". To get back to simple mode the controller has to be power cycled.

So looks like Disco Elysium is reading the controller via DirectInput and so wants simple mode, but Steam has switched it to advanced to set the colour. Here's one game demo that natively supports the advanced mode of the PS controller https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466230/The_Holy_Gosh_Darn/. It sets it's own lightbar colour though (the game is using Rewired so I believe the devs can set which colour, if they care to).

For games that have native PS4 controller support + PS prompts, one solution is to use DS4Windows to emulate a wired PS4 controller. You get to set the lightbar, the game sees a PS controller and shows the PS prompts.

If you want lightbar control and don't mind Xbox prompts in nearly all cases (there are some games that'll ask Steam what controller you're using and so show PS prompts), then enabling Steam Input is one avenue you can use.

So in the end there's no workaround if I wanna use bluetooth connected (not wired) gamepad and see PS prompts? Well, good to know what all of this is about at least, thank you.

[tintingaroo]

You can end up with PS prompts, a wireless connection & lightbar control with a tool that can emulate a wired PS4 controller e.g. DS4Windows, GlosSI etc, and/or via modding (NexusMods is one place to check for button prompt mods).

But perhaps you meant a workaround with only Steam involved? For that, no workaround to achieve prompts, BT + lightbar control. Maybe one day they implement PS controller emulation...