2w ago

8BitDo announces it's controllers now have Steam/SteamOS compatibility

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.

Source

Edit:

According to @dualpad@lemmy.zip

got the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless controller with the latest firmware update, and can confirm dinput mode lets me map the back buttons and extra bumpers to different inputs through Steam Input. Analog triggers and gyro work too.

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8bitdo controllers now offer Steam compatibility!
Full compatibility details coming soon.
What a non-announcement announcment.
- It sounds like they have to wait for support to move from the Steam Client Beta to mainline. That happens on Valve Time, so they genuinely do not know.
  
  Then they shouldn't say anything.

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 😔

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/

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
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.

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.
- 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 immediately changed them to L3 and R3, and never looked back.
- On my steam controller when the shoulders crapped out, I bound the back paddles as shoulder buttons.
- I mostly use them for mode shifts. For instance, shifting to emulated mouse when holding R4, so I can use desktop stuff easier.
- 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.
- Back buttons are essential in any competitive action game.
  
  I don't do competitive stuff other than couch multi, but it sounds intense.
  
  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?
- 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

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
  
  Unfortunately not the SN30 Pro, only Pro 2 and newer.

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.

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?
- 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.
- We call this marketing bullshit.
- Tried it, not it cannot

Ive been waiting for this. Which one is the best one to get for both my Steam Deck and desktop?
- 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?
  
  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

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.

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.

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 🤞

I can get this to work on my steam deck. Back buttons and gyro.
But on my PC, it doesn't work. Does anyone know what the requirements for this to work are? Do I need a specific Bluetooth version?

How have I never seen these before? When my ps4 controller dies I know what I'm getting next now

I've been using DS3 controllers for over a decade, but they are starting to wear. The drift isn't bad at all, but it's there, although I suspect it's mostly a few rubbers that'd need replacing, I have heard great things about 8BitDo, especially their Hall Effect controllers. Very reasonably priced as well.
So this announcement is just the kick in the butt I needed to get a Pro 2 Hall Effect one.

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.
- It sounds like back paddles will be treated as separate inputs, I found where some people got to try out beta firmware for some of the 8bitdo controllers some months back, and that was specifically mentioned as some of the new functionality.
  
  I got the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless controller with the latest firmware update, and can confirm dinput mode lets me map the back buttons and extra bumpers to different inputs through Steam Input. Analog triggers and gyro work too.

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.
- 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!)

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