Controller talk:Steam Controller

Significant chunks of this page is really just about the steam input api.

Like the key points: "Adds full controller support to virtually any game because of Steam Input integration with high customization and being able to use XInput, keyboard and mouse inputs."

"Can sync configurations across computers by Steam account."

These are functions of steam, nothing to do with the controller.

The Steam Controller and Steam Input is basically two sides of one coin -- Steam Input was even known as the "Steam Controller Configuration" and "Steam Controller API" initially before Valve extended support to other controllers as well.

As a result, I don't think it's weird that the page features a lot of information that is ultimately related to or a consequence of Steam Input, since that's the way the controller was designed to be used.

• Steam client is allegedly required to map the otherwise relative mouse-like trackpad to absolute "common sticks".
• This supposedly blocks every non-XInput api.

EDIT: at least the second thing is no longer true.

Changing desktop configuration (configuration that is used if there's no game running trough steam) to "controller" preset which essentially makes the controller act like 360 controller for the game, makes controller do absolutely nothing anywhere. It seems like only keyboard and mouse buttons work if controller is used outside of steam and that's what controller installs itself as. At that point it's basically best to keep default bindings if game uses mouse needing launchers or crashes with dialogue requiring confirmation.

Only way to make the controller picked up by game as a full controller is to launch the game trough steam, either steam game or game added as non-steam game.

And there are other confirmations that the non-xinput api blocking has indeed taken out: https://steamcommunity.com/app/301970/discussions/0/412447331645908446/