Steam Deck @sopuli.xyz Don_alForno @feddit.org 2w ago

[PSA] 2.4g Controllers and interference with USB 3 ports (e.g. docks)

So far I only found some obscure mention of this issue on reddit (somewhat buried too), but for the sake of not relying on that platform anymore I thought the info should be on lemmy.

I recently got an 8bitdo ultimate 2c wireless controller to try out with my steam deck which I mostly use docked in TV mode. (Edit: I use the jsaux 6-in-1 dock.)

After initial testing looked good (2.4g mode connects, all buttons work, rumble works) I quickly ran into an issue where the controller would disconnect and shut down every minute or so or begin to rumble continuously without apparent reason. Not so in Bluetooth mode or with a cable.

What fixed the issue for me was connecting the 2.4 dongle not directly to my dock (which only has USB 3 ports) but doing so via an extension cable (edit: just a cheap male to female USB extension, the shortest one I could get).

Apparently, the active USB 3 port causes some kind of interference with the 2.4g signal, which is fixed by a few cm of physical distance. My dongle is now lying maybe 5cm away from the dock and the controller works flawlessly.

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Yeah, USB3 produces 2.4GHz interference. Somehow many years after this became an understood issue, we still run into a bunch of USB3 devices with improper or usually nonexistent shielding.
- It's my first 2.4g device, so that was totally new to me. It also wasn't exactly the first hit on any search I tried.
  
  I'm glad that the fix was at least cheap and simple and I didn't have to return the controller.
I am absolutely amazed at how good our community is...

Thank you very much for your effort in putting this information on Lemmy. It might sound like nothing to most, but for me it's huge.
I've run into this problem also with both a 2.4Ghz mouse and a 2.4Ghz mouse and keyboard combo, never really quite realised that it was to do with the hub, but had clocked that an extension lead corrects it for some reason!

Thank for pointing this out as it means I actually know to put the dongles on extension leads, I always thought it was something to do with a weird grounding issue on a cheap hub or something
Huh, I wonder if this is why I've been having issues getting a wireless mouse with a 2.4 dongle to work... It did work at one point and then suddenly stopped, so I've been having to use the Bluetooth mode. I have the same dock - which one is USB 3?
- If you have the same dock, all your USB ports should be USB 3.0 (it's printed above the ports).
  
  Oh I'm dumb, I was thinking you meant the 3rd USB along lmao.
  
  The extension cable you mentioned, is that just a male to female USB?
Sort of a known issue via Zigbee coordinators and USB 3 - using a USB extending cable for the dongle should fix the issue
And I thought my issues were because the dongle was bad. I mean, it’s still bad (lack of shielding) but I thought it was a range issue.
That's good to know, I've noticed reduced range with USB dongle devices, and that they don't work well unless I have direct line of sight to them (for example I have a wireless mouse that will work if my dock is turned backwards with the USB dongle facing me, but it has jerky cursor movement with the dock facing towards me.

I have a couple USB extenders around, I'll try this.

12 comments