The issue comes down to how the device interacts with your computer. Just like the original version, the new Steam Controller has no native Windows drivers. This means the hardware relies entirely on the Steam app to function properly. If you do not have the game running via Valve’s storefront app, your shiny new gamepad turns into a useless piece of plastic.
Gamers Nexus also reported this and there are a lot of other news outlets also covering this. It is kinda the same as with the steam deck where I noticed that the inputs just don’t work until steam is launched. I really don’t like that I have to have Steam running for this controller to work. I don’t know if it is a dealbreaker for me, yet, but it really put a damper on my enthusiasm about it
Raise your hand if “your ecosystem” is built on free and open source software. Yeah. Literally no one else. STFU.
Steam isn’t FOSS…
Linux, my guy…
The steam app is not foss.
Is there an echo in here?
Just inside your skull.
Steam is Free and is Software; but it is not Free Open Source Software.
FOR FUCKS SAKE, I ALREADY SAID I WASNT TALKING ABOUT THE STEAM APP
Is the whole operating system open source, or just the Linux kernel it is built on? Where do you acquire the source code?
I thought you had in mind SteamOS.
Me running Linux does not make me feel better when I have to run a pre-compiled binary from some (currently liked) company, valve could do better on this particular instance. How many people will actually run using the fully open source drivers? I’m guessing not most since it’s not the one valve provides (unless I read that wrong).
The man point is that it’s not a hardware lockout. The open-source userspace driver is a working proof of concept that the hardware will still work if you ditch steam.
Would I prefer it if they severed steam-input from the steam client and made it open source? Sure! But the community is not completely dependent on Valve.
whoosh
What are you trying to say? Valve gets a free pass because SteamOS is based on Linux? How d’ya figure that one out?
Since the Linux drivers are open source wouldn’t it be possible for anyone to write a driver for another OS based on those?
As far as I understand, the original Steam Controller presented as an un-useful pair of HID devices by default, and someone wrote a 3rd-party open source driver for it. So, a similar poorly-supported situation to other hardware that the F/OSS community consistently and rightfully criticises.
Yeah, that’s true.
They got better with the Steam Deck. Without Steam running its controller acts like the desktop profile. By default you get keyboard and mouse controls and can switch to a generic gamepad mode by holding down the start button.
I expect/hope that it will be the same with the new controller. Maybe it’ll just use the Steam Deck’s driver. It has been upstreamed for quite a while now.
I’m saying there’s no “free pass” required because they’ll work on Linux.
Will they work properly on Linux? Will they work on a GOG game without installing Steam? Will they work on an alternative console or handheld?
If not then that sucks, and that is what they’re being criticised for. Why should anyone STFU about that? It seems like a serious flaw.
Yes.