These controllers were all working on SteamOS before as far as I know, so I’m interested to see what this changes. My understanding is that previously their controllers just show up as generic xbox controllers, and now they will be properly recognized. We’ll see if this has any other benefits like custom bindings for back buttons and things like that.
Months back, I submitted a support ticket asking if they had any plans to support a d-input mode with both analog triggers and gyroscope inputs enabled, like the steam-licensed controller that just came out at the time did. They said they had no plans, but they’d forward the question. I wonder if this is a result of that. Would be cool if they also started reporting the back paddles as separate inputs as well, but I didn’t include that in the ticket.
How do I update my controller on my steam deck when the update software is only on windows?
So it’s just bullshit marketing. Got it thank you
You can update via Android or iOS I believe
So how do you update firmware with just a Steamdeck? 8bitdo does not seem to supply Linux software support anymore, so it feels a bit hilarious that they support SteamOS without any official way of updating controllers there.
I found the fwupd tool on github, but it seems a hacky way that cannot update everything. Can the 8bitdo tool be run via proton/wine?
We call this marketing bullshit.
Tried it, not it cannot
Isn’t fwupd already included in SteamOS? Or is there a specific 8bitdo fwupd tool?
maybe it is (don’t have my deck with me to check) but even so, it is not an officially supported tool and I can see from issues on Github that people cannot find their controllers on there. not sure if that’s very old or very new ones.
https://fwupd.org/lvfs/devices/
In the devices list of lvfs/fwupd there’s a bunch of controllers supported. But it seems like it’s mostly their retro controllers. XBox-style controllers like their Ultimate C etc. are not supported.
I really wish you could swap the buttons easily to match the system. The 8-bitdo controllers tend to have the Nintendo layout which kind of sucks because most games don’t support that they use Xbox. And then of course if you get into emulation nothing will match the PlayStation so I either need several controllers around or to memorize locations
If you don’t care about what the physical button shows, steam has an option the swap the layout of the face buttons from Nintendo to xbox in the input settings.
At least in Steam, there is a “use Nintendo layout” or something setting to swap X and A
I wish so many games didn’t default to the Xbox layout with no option to change it. Having grown up with the SNES layout, the prompts fuck me up every time.
How can it be so hard for devs to just include some additional sets of glyphs and allow the player to switch manually? Then nobody would have this problem.
It isn’t, and many now do.
Autosetting the glyphs correctly is actually one of the requirements for a Steam Deck Verified badge and Steam supplies a library that has them all, so modern games are pretty good at it. And if you implement that, you might as well add a menu option to change “Auto” to “Switch” or “Playstation”.There just was a quite long period where majority of games used Xinput thanks to Microsoft, basically only working with Xbox controllers, and as a response a whole bunch of controllers identify as Xbox controllers when plugged in. Therefore, xbox icons were the only thing they were “designed” to ever work with.
You can! They have replacement buttons for whichever layout you want for fairly cheap. I’m using the original ultimate Bluetooth with an Xbox layout.
Wait what? Do you have a link for this?
Has anyone gotten this to work? I have both the SN30 Pro and the Pro 2, both display the latest firmware update as 2.06 which just lists Switch 2 compatibility. Steam doesnt seem to recognize the back buttons on the Pro 2 either.
Instead of pressing the L+R buttons press the button with the 8bitdo logo while in the change grip/order menu.
8bitdo controllers now offer Steam compatibility!
Full compatibility details coming soon.
What a non-announcement announcment.
I’ve been using these for years, including with my docked steam deck, and they already work great.
I also wonder what they could’ve changed.
How do you make them work?
I just connect with Bluetooth like normal, and then in steam you can tell it to treat it like whatever type of controller layout you want: switch, xbox, playstation, etc.
The issue is that the back paddles weren’t unique buttons. You could configure them to press existing buttons, (like telling it to press A when you hit the right paddle,) but they weren’t listed as individual inputs. Now they are, so you can actually map unique actions to L4, R4, etc… This is particularly important for games that have a lot of unique inputs. Plenty of games are optimized for controller, but lots still rely on having more buttons (on a keyboard) than what a traditional controller has.
Honestly I’d love to see more of this. Wheels and panels as well, not just gamepads. I’ve always wished for fully assignable controller support where the icon and HUDs etc change, ETS2 is looks so much better now that the icons don’t flicker twice per second because of my hodgepodge DS4Windows control scheme anymore. And with multi-button combinations and stuff making more things doable from the controller.
I do kind of wish Steam Input was a separate piece of software though, sort of like Xpadder back in the day. Some kind of open button-mapping standard with an API and everything.
My Ultimate 2 wireless lets me bind the extra buttons to any command as well as detect and configure the gyro controls. This is with Steam Input; so you can bind those buttons to keyboard and mouse inputs.
Came here to say exactly this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Friendly marketing reminder to those who haven’t bought one…
The back buttons didn’t work with Steam Input (and still don’t with the v1’s).
Pretty much. Maybe someone at the 8bitdo HQ got an SD and discovered that the controllers all worked great?
I just got their ultimate 2 wireless today. It’s really nice and works very well on Linux. I just wish their app worked at least through wine. I couldn’t even make it work in a Windows VM. Hope they bring it over.
Having the same issue and I don’t know how to update to the latest firmware without the app.
Someone mentioned fwupd in another comment. I haven’t tried it, but hopefully it works.
It doesn’t.
Limited hardware support for fwupd. Mostly older models, ones mentioned don’t appear to be compatible.
I have a Pro 2 and my only complaint with it with “SteamOS” (Bazzite) is that the back paddles don’t actually work with Steam Input directly. You can program them with the Ultimate Software, but that means they’re stuck only repeating the input of another button on the controller. So if this update brings full Steam Input support that would be awesome, as it would mean you can set all kinds of other functions to them. Plus not having to use a seperate software, and controller-based profiles, would be awesome.
So if this update brings full Steam Input support that would be awesome
It does!
Fluff yeah!!
I have a Pro 2 too and switched from Xinput to Dinput at the back of the controller and my Steam Deck now identifies the back buttons like L4/R4 (but with the name PL/PR) and I can map it to anything I want
This is my main complaint about my 8bitdo pro controller. Shame this seems to be only for the newer generation 😔
That’s cool to see but I’ve gone through about 3 8bitdo controllers (gave the last one to my partner). I like them but I wish there triggers were not the rubber magnetic pads. I’m a bit heavy handed when using the triggers and it eventually crushes the pads to not work. Other than that great controller.
Upside, usually the controllers are extremely easy to fix. I’m not sure if they give free replacement pads still, but they used to if you asked support.
I’ve had other problems than shoulders on my pros, and never with the ultimate one I got, those seem to have a pretty solid build.
I took apart the first one and had to order the pads. They were cheap and available. I sent the second one back to be replaced because disconnecting the board from the controls stripped the connection. It was easy and had it back fast.
I love these controllers. Side note Everyone please don’t stop signing EU: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/screen/home UK: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702074/
Do y’all use a controller in heldheld mode or only docked? I’m curious what the use case is here.
I only use controllers when docked personally
Nice, thanks. How has your docked experience been? I’ve only been able to get it working well with low-power games like Monster Train. Any 3d game seems to run horribly, even older titles.
Recent updates have caused some crashes actually when docking to my TV, but I’m on beta OS updates and have a lot of deck plugins, so it might not be affecting other people.
Other than that docked play is pretty good in my experience. There’s a major performance hit if you have upscaling set to use fsr though, especially on 4k monitors.
Interesting, I’ll have to play around with it. I’ve been docking it to my 4k TV so maybe I need to force a lower res.
That’s usually ok if you’re not using fsr, but for the deck I personally recommend capping the external display resolution at 1080p.
No wonder performance has been bad! The Deck is not meant to be a 4k system.
1080p looks abysmal on my 65" though. Is there any solution?
Not that I’m aware of. I’ve never had a 4k TV.
Ultimate 2 wireless I use with 2.4Ghz through the docking station. It works well but it was annoying that the back paddles and L4/R4 buttons (secondary bumpers) could only be mapped as another button, instead of being their own function. It will be nice to have the extra buttons if that is what’s working now. I had the beta firmware on them but steam still did not recognize them yet (but the beta firmware did allow Switch 2 to recognize them!)
Ive been waiting for this. Which one is the best one to get for both my Steam Deck and desktop?
I’m personally a fan of the pro 2. I find it to be the most comfortable controller I own. Their QC does seem lacking for the hall effect sensor version though, I had to set up a small dead zone because it idled with a little bit of input. Still a smaller deadzone than a non hall effect, but I wanted to make note of it.
Ultimate 2. It’s got a gyroscope and back paddles.
Is there a symmetrical version, like a PS controller, or just the Xbox-like layout?
Pro 2 is symmetrical. Looks like a SNES controller with handles. The ergonomics of it are very different between it and the ultimate, and I prefer the pro 2 by a lot, but they are both good controllers.
I love the trigger locks for Switch 2 use as well. It’s nice to have a controller I can go between both systems with.
Cheers
Anybody else find a use for the back buttons? I like the idea of them but I haven’t really found a great use yet.
For the Souls games, binding sprint and use item to them is a game changer (though I haven’t played them with my 8bitdo, but I did with my Steam Controller). Normally you have to claw grip to run, move, and look, but with back buttons you can avoid that.
That may the problem, I don’t happen to have any of my FromSoft titles on PC, and the PS4 won’t talk to my 8BitDo.
On the deck I use them all the time. For FPS games I frequently bind them to be ABXY, lets you jump/reload/etc without having to take your thumb off of the joystick. Absolutely mandatory for games like Doom Eternal and Deep Rock in my opinion.
In games with heavy dpad use for cycling abilities/items (like Elden Ring) I usually use them for that. Being able to cycle spells or potions while running is very necessary sometimes. You can also use them in combination with mode shift settings, things like while I hold R4 down it will temporarily turn my ABXY into a second DPAD.
You can use them for steamOS features, stuff like opening keyboard or toggling zoom for games with small text.
A lot of people dislike clicking thumbsticks, so it’s common for people to use them for that. L4 to toggle sprint instead of L3 is very popular for example. Also nice for when L3/R3 do something you don’t want to trigger accidentally during combat (Ys 8 and 9 toggle a minimap overlay with L3, which is very distracting during combat. So I’ve disabled L3 on the thumbstick and instead have L4 open the minimap overlay).
In any PC game with more inputs it can be great for common button presses that didn’t make the cut onto the standard controller. Things like map/journal shortcuts, quick save, etc. Setting left trackpad to a touch menu is also great for this.
Overall they’re pretty great, I don’t use them in every game, but there are a lot of games I refuse to play on a standard controller without them.
Maybe I need to limber up mentally, jeez! I’m so set in my ways that when I try to imagine any of this, my eyes start to glaze over. Like I’m scooping what you’re pooping but I’m startled at how much my mind is resisting.
I just map it to the abxy that steam suggests. Works great when I wanna keep using the trackpad or joystick at all times.
I play a lot of beamng drive an having them for extra binds is nice, like the horn and changing gears
I mostly use them for mode shifts. For instance, shifting to emulated mouse when holding R4, so I can use desktop stuff easier.
On my steam controller when the shoulders crapped out, I bound the back paddles as shoulder buttons.
I immediately changed them to L3 and R3, and never looked back.
If you don’t use them to relax your grip in specific types of games (delegating common functions to them and away from thumbs) you might like to use them for DVR capability like instant replay?
If your controller has a gyroscope, you may use them to toggle engagement? Gyro aim can be surprisingly effective once you’re accustomed to it.
I like that idea about gyro aim engagement. I think the only place I’d use that is BotW, but I’d like to go back to that game someday.
Ah, I’m not sure how well that’d work via yuzu and ryujinx forks. Perhaps if the executable is added through the steam client so you could delegate the functionality via steam input? Sounds messy as heck though.
Life finds a way. Believe I played botw just this way on Linux, even launching another app to enable gyro controls to translate into the steam inputs. Different controller, think with yuzu launched through steam.
good to know it can work!
That’s wild, I was just talking about using it with my actual old switch. I’ve got the Pro 2 (the one on the left) and it pairs between the switch and my computer pretty seamlessly. I’m so much more basic than I thought, reading these replies!
Back buttons are essential in any competitive action game.
I don’t know of any that controller would be better than keyboard and mouse though, so if you’re that engaged with comp, shouldn’t you just sit at your computer?
Than you are like most mouse and keyboard players where you confidently assume mouse and keyboard is the best control method end of story. You don’t know what you are talking about and neither do any reply guys who will try to obliterate this point with a salvo of “um actually” killer rhetorical points.
https://steamdeckhq.com/news/steam-deck-shown-being-used-in-ukraines-war/
That is a Ukrainian soldier using a steam deck to control actual weapon systems real humans (likely mouse and keyboard players who have no ability to use a gamepad) are counting on to survive an actual war.
Honestly if I sound snarky it is because I have grown to love how unshakably mouse and keyboard players believe they are using the only method to play competitively. Especially in a battlefield type FPS game with aircraft, mouse and keyboard players will hilariously refuse to fly with anything other than mouse and keyboard or a crazy complex flight simulator setup with a flight joystick they talk about but will never get.
Meanwhile there is an xbox one controller sitting in the other room that in 5 minutes they could learn to pull off flight maneuvers smoothly and confidently with that are next to impossible to do with mouse and keyboard…
I point this out to mouse and keyboard players directly and they don’t listen even why I fly literal circles around them. They respond with some form of “mouse and keyboard works badly enough for me”. Computer people are truly so much smarter than the rest of us!
me flying circles around people
https://lostpod.space/w/id9wMqsEmHSD9xQCTchQ9r
https://lostpod.space/w/fYo9DBAxwWSace7X7X486t
https://lostpod.space/w/qUyc9YLX69RK4xokm98qCW
Recording of me playing the best arena shooter, Xonotic, with joysticks and gyro. Sure there are plenty of quake players that could annihilate me, such is life, but I am able to play fluidly and competitively enough that the issue is my skill at the game and to a lesser extent the limited framerate and field of view of the Steam Deck screen not a fundamental limitation of joysticks and gyro. Note that Xonotic is one of the fastest competitive games period, which means slower competitive games are comparatively in terms of dynamic aim and movement skill FAR easier to master the mechanics of than Xonotic, so Xonotic is the perfect proving ground to prove this.
I don’t do competitive stuff other than couch multi, but it sounds intense.
I’m still holding out on the next generation of steam controller for playing games on my deck while docked. Until then, my 8bitdo pro 1 has been wonderful.
I’m in the same boat. But I’m still using my steam controller right now. Really hope a V2 comes out sometime this year or next 🤞
