PS5 Steam controller issues

[GodsFullArmor]

My friend is having a lot of trouble with his PS5 controller with Steam.

For me, I just plug in my controller and it works right away. I can start up any game that is compatible with a controller and it works like a charm.

My friend cannot do this. He HAS to start Steam Big Picture mode for his controller to register and work, and this has been causing many issues in the games we play together. We are currently playing Nioh 1, and every so often after tabbing out and back in again it will force him to pull a bow or gun out and the only thing that fixes it is to restart his entire computer.

Is there any fix for this? He never had to use Steam Big Picture mode before, but just this past week his controller just won't work at all without it while I'm still able to enjoy easy controller use without the hassle.