Controller sending unwanted mouse and keyboard inputs in Remote Play

[dostatochno]

ISSUE: In Remote Play - Controller inputs are translated to mouse and keyboard emulation, contrary to the user's settings, rendering some Steam and non-Steam games _unplayable_ and _unusable_.

Despite controller configuration being disabled in every possible way on Host and Client PCs, Remote Play controller inputs are being translated to mouse and keyboard controls in some games, both Steam library titles and shortcuts (Garry's Mod, Minecraft Java Edition run via Steam library shortcut), If I turn a feature off, I mean for it to be OFF.

OS: Windows 10

STEPS: Disable controller configurations on Host and Client PCs, both global and per-game for Garry's Mod
Connect wireless Xbox 360 controller to Client PC.
Stream Garry's Mod (or Minecraft Java Edition or several other games shortcuts that run in a window) from Host PC on Client PC
Attempt controller inputs

RESULTS: Right analog thumbstick on the 360 controller sends wildly over-accelerated mouse movements (with a terrible response curve). The left thumbstick sends mousewheel signals. The B-Button sends Escape-key. These inputs are _WORSE THAN USELESS_, they make applications and games unusable,

EXPECTED: If I turn off controller configuration, I expect it to BE OFF. Guide-button chord controls have some usefulness and don't interfere with normal controller function, but all other normal controller inputs should never be translated to mouse and keyboard if controller configuration is disabled on the client PC. Steam's mouse and keyboard emulation is vague and poorly tuned and is useless for gaming, even when the inputs are mapped usefully. In this case, the inputs are mapped moronically when they shouldn't be mapped at all.

[austinp_valve]

I'm not sure it's possible to do what you want via Remote Play. Controller input in Remote Play is always provided via Steam Input because that's how it's sent over the network.
If you disable Steam Input the normal UI is disabled and games w/ controller support with receive a gamepad profile or otherwise it will get keyboard/mouse emulation. If you want to tweak the configuration use you will have to enable Steam Input. If you are in-home streaming maybe you can connect the controller wirelessly to the host instead?

[dostatochno]

This isn't even remotely complicated. This is a BUG in Steam that needs to be fixed, not a configuration issue.

There is absolutely no reason that inputs on the controller on a client PC should be emulated as keyboard and mouse when sent to the host PC by Steam unless that is specifically set up by the user.
Steam Input manages to send controller inputs WITHOUT sending mouse and keyboard input on numerous other games. There's no reason it should insist on translating controller inputs to keyboard and mouse inputs in ANY game if the user doesn't want it to, ESPECIALLY when doing so renders games unusable AND Steam is explicitly set to NOT do that, as is the case in the examples I specified.

This is a serious and obnoxious bug that has been around for a long time despite numerous reports, there is no tolerable workaround and there's no excuse for failure to get a BUG this simple fixed. It's a simple matter of NOT doing something. When receiving inputs on a controller on a client PC, DON'T send mouse and keyboard input to the host PC, just send the controller inputs. If some default profile is being used that maps the controller this way, DON'T LET STEAM USE THAT ONE, EVER.

Note: Using the controller on the Client PC should be no different than using it directly on the Host PC. The only thing I EVER want Steam to do to my controller input is pass it along to the game on the Host PC, 1:1. Controller Configuration is disabled and is staying disabled for that reason. I spent a lot of time trying to get Controller Configuration set up in an acceptable fashion and there is no configuration which doesn't absolutely ruin control feel in EVERY game. I don't know how anyone got it so badly wrong, but it is offensively bad. When keyboard and mouse emulation is a necessity (e.g. Minecraft-Java Edition), Xpadder is 10,000x better than Steam Controller Configuration.

[dostatochno]

Originally posted by austinp_valve:

I'm not sure it's possible to do what you want via Remote Play.

It's 100% possible for Steam to be made to function properly wherein a client PC DOES NOT send keyboard and mouse inputs to the host PC in response to controller inputs when configured to NOT do so (e.g. when Controller Configuration is specifically disabled by the user).

Because a patch to No Man's Sky forced me to try Steam Controller Configuration again, let me give you 3 concrete examples of why it is unusable garbage and why users should be able to disable it completely (except for guide-button chords) and having that setting actually be respected by Steam.

1) It sends controls it is not configured to send even when it is supposed to be disabled, as is the point of my original post.

2) It doesn't react to controller inputs consistently. For example, it routinely misses/ignores analog stick inputs that are well outside of the deadzone.

3) Look-type stick inputs are delayed -- when I smack the stick to the left or right extent, the maximum look speed in that direction (according to sensitivity settings) should essentially be instantaneous, but there is no setting to eliminate the stupid ramping-up of look speed. When looking with a mouse, there is no effective delay between moving the mouse and the look speed respecting that movement and there should never be any delay on the controller either. Low analog input means low movement speed intent, high analog input means high movement speed intent and there should never be any delay in applying those speeds. The curve adjustment correctly adjusts how large small inputs are relative to large inputs, but large inputs should be instantaneously large, small inputs should be instantaneously small and entering the deadzone should be an immediate stop. Essentially it should be --
CurrentMouseLookMovementSpeed = InputCurve@CurrrentStickAnalogValue * Sensitivity
--or--
MouseLookPosition(t0+delta-t) = MouseLookPosiition(t0) + InputCurve@CurrentStickAnalogValue * Sensitivity * delta-t where delta-t is <= 1 video frame
The delay/acceleration that Steam forces into the situation is inexcusably stupid and could only have been added by someone who doesn't preferentially use controllers. The inertia and spring force inherent to the physical stick should be the only cause of delay outside of whatever is programmed into the game itself, just as the inertia of the mouse is the only non-game cause of delay for mouse users.

If ANYTHING is done to modify controller input, it should only be looking at first or second order movement rates so that slow/small stick movements more finely adjust look speed than large/fast movements do, but that runs into problems if you get to the end of the movement range and it's better to simply have a shallow InputCurve that gets much steeper toward the maximum value.

[austinp_valve]

I know you dislike Steam Input - you've made that clear but if we followed the setting to disable Steam Input even when streaming then you'd not have any input on the other side. We don't plan on implementing or maintaining a separate controller streaming system to sit alongside the one we already have. If you'd like to suggest a better Steam Input configuration setting as a default please create a configuration, export it, and post it here. I'm happy to look at your suggested changes and share them with the Remote Play team.

[dostatochno]

Originally posted by austinp_valve:

I know you dislike Steam Input - you've made that clear but if we followed the setting to disable Steam Input even when streaming then you'd not have any input on the other side.

I do appreciate you passing on my other points and I appreciate the IDEA of Steam Controller Configuration, but I have other software that addresses that same issue, so until the implementation is satisfactory, I have no interest and just want the input remapping aspect to stay out of my way.

Regarding my original point, I feel like there is some barrier to communication here for what is a very simple point I'm making that is clearly being missed.

The aspect of Steam Input that repeats controller inputs to the host PC works fine in almost all circumstances and doesn't need any apparent modification.

What is not ok is the aspect of Steam Input that, despite all available settings, adds on unwanted mouse and keyboard tranlsations of controller inputs when streaming some Steam games and non-Steam shortcuts. This aspect is actively detrimental and makes some games unusable via Remote Play. The user needs the option to tell Steam to NEVER, under any circumstances, translate ANY controller inputs (outside of guide-button chords) to mouse and/or keyboard inputs when streaming or otherwise. This is not a big ask. This is basic stuff.

[glitchhunter09]

I know this thread is three years old but I am having this problem too. Often the games I play will prioritize the mouse and keyboard when using the steam controller even if the game is controller compatible. for some reason any time I try to configure controls or fix the issue steam pops up with an error. Another thing:

Your support team is absolutely useless. I send my issues to them and they don't help or offer generic solutions that are completely unrelated to the issue I am having. How can you guys have a support team that doesn't support?

There are bugs I am having with steam that I have been unable to fix for years because your support team is so useless.