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@davidr@hachyderm.ioMy problem with #gaming is that I don't like to isolate myself when others are in the house. I want to play on a TV in a living room, not my computer.
My #gamedev (major) child finally convinced me to connect a laptop to it. (I'm a #software #engineer and I *already* have a PC/TV setup so I don't know what my blockage was. #adhd
HOWEVER
I've got #linux on the laptop. I bought a generic #xbox controller (3BitDo and it seems pretty nice so far).
Linux sees the controller and works fine.
#Steam sees the controller and works fine.
Of the games that support generic xbox controllers, about half of them work fine. The other half refuse to acknowledge it.
???
I can't even tell at what stage the failure occurs. Is the OS failing to report some controller bit to steam? Is the game determining "generic xbox" status poorly?
"Steam Input" should be the solution but in 2 days of screwing around has only ever made things worse.
And of course there's also the issue of #linux #game compatibility.
Most of the games #steam says are Windows-only list at least partial #SteamDeck compatibility. Of those, only half will even *install* on Linux.
So I guess it's a matter of buy N games, return N/2 of them when I can't use them?
I've considered just using a Windows laptop for this, but I know in my heart this will be at least 3x more painful in the long run.
UGH COMPUTERS
@davidr you can use https://www.protondb.com/ to help determine if a game will work on Linux or not. It breaks it down between SteamDeck and Linux in general as well.
@davidr there was a command line utility joy2kbd (something like that. Don't quote me) which came in handy for those situations where a game refuses to recognize an input device
@sefufuller I'll check into that. But it also reminds me, Steam Input also has a "desktop" mode or something that sounds similar.
It did not work. Alternatively, it works perfectly but I don't understand it.
:(
@davidr I don't even check Linux compatibility anymore. Everything seems to just work.
@ender_shepard Maybe the problem is I'm running Debian 12....?
@davidr Proton isn't enabled by default, so the first thing you should do is go to Settings -> Compatibility in your client and check 'Enable Steam Play for all other titles'. That should solve your installation woes.
I've also had a few issues with using a controller in a few certain games however. I don't know if it's Steam or Linux (Fedora and a Gamesir controller in my case). For some games I've found that you should _not_ accept using Steam Input when you get that question and it'll work.
@seq Yes, I've found the same with SI. At least some games that accept generic xbox input *only* work *without* SI.
However, other games that accept generic xbox input don't seem to work either way.
Or they seem to work partially. I've got one game here that I can get *one* controller button working and that's only by mapping controller buttons to keyboard keys.
The game's setting screen says it wants a controller but will also accept keyboard and shows which keys should be which buttons. I *have* a controller that it refuses to see, so I map those keys to those buttons. Exactly one button actually works.
Is there a log or debug panel or something somewhere that can show the disconnect here?
@davidr Maybe these are non-issues nowadays (I hope they are) but I seem to remember something stupid about Steam only activating Steam Input automatically for games when you started them from Big Picture mode. Other than that it might just be the controller. Do you have a "real" XBOX controller or something else to test with?
@sebulon You can set Steam Input to start automatically/not globally and then also an override per game. That's in Big Picture or not.
I *think* what I want is for games that support "generic xbox" I should have SI disabled because it needs no translation. In any case, using SI makes working games not-work but does not make non-working games work. (SI should be so simple but it is either super unclear or just not working at all.)
I have a real xbox controller lying around, but I don't think I have a way to connect it. I might be able to find some real PS4 usb controllers.
@davidr Then I might have misunderstood, I thought you are using a laptop to play games; a laptop that presumably have bluetooth, right? That's how I'm connecting my controllers. I have XBOX, PS4, Switch and no name branded controllers. The original ones work fine while the no name's are wonky in general.
@sebulon I'm using a 2.4GHz connection to a dongle, not BT.
@davidr Okey, well, then maybe try BT and see if it's works any better?
@davidr That's strange, I'm on Linux and pretty much all the games now works with Proton. You need to activate comparability in steam tho. I have multiple controllers (ps4, xbox) that also works perfectly in Steam.
@OTTODF "Activate comparability"?
@davidr Compatibility, sorry. It's in the settings, you should have the option to Ù"Enable steam play for all titles"
@OTTODF Aha! Thanks!