The Best Ways to Customize Your Steam Deck Control...

Valve’s Steam Deck has shortly turn into my go-to gaming handheld. I’ve clocked—oh god—500 hours simply in Hades II on the Steam Deck. But I spent full weeks of my life utilizing this gadget with out diving into its strongest function: its customizable controls. This is why you need to be utilizing them, even in case you assume you needn’t.

At first, I averted customizing my controls as a result of I often prefer to play the best way the developer supposed. That ended once I sprained my left wrist whereas in the course of replaying Chrono Set off. I needed to maintain enjoying, however I wanted to relaxation my wrist. What may I do?

That is right: Clearly, I ought to remap the in-game controls so I may entry nearly each perform within the sport with only one hand, prop up the Steam Deck, and maintain enjoying. As soon as I might carried out that efficiently, although, I began experimenting with each sport to see what I may do.

Nearly each sport that is playable on the Steam Deck has its personal controller format able to go, however you’ll be able to at all times edit it. Merely press the Steam button whereas enjoying the sport, then scroll to Controller Settings. You may see a format that reveals which inputs every of the Steam Deck’s buttons, management sticks, and touchpads are mapped to. On the backside, you may see a button labeled Controller Settings. Click on that to start out modifying.

Your first possibility is to vary your whole format. If you happen to click on “Edit Format,” you may create a replica of the prevailing format with your individual modifications (which you’ll be able to at all times reset), however you may as well browse community-made layouts to see if somebody made one thing that is extra snug for you. If you happen to strive a group format and do not prefer it, your authentic format will at all times be out there to swap again.

Make video games designed for a mouse really feel extra pure

One of the slept-on superpowers of the Steam Deck—and what, in my view, makes it superior to most Home windows-based handhelds—is its twin trackpads. These small squares just below every joystick work equally to your laptop computer’s trackpad. They’ve haptic suggestions, and you’ll even click on them. The Steam Deck has a touchscreen for getting into textual content, however for my cash, the trackpads are a greater analog for mouse enter.

For instance, Stardew Valley is a sport that was initially designed for PC, and whereas its controller help is stellar, there are nonetheless a couple of menus the place it could be useful to have a mouse. The default controller enter maps the best trackpad to be seen as a joystick enter. Nonetheless, I swapped mine in order that it reads like a mouse as an alternative. This lets me shortly click on on menus, or hover over objects extra simply than I might with controller inputs.

You’ll be able to change this conduct beneath the Trackpads part whereas modifying your controller format. You’ll be able to decide from a couple of kinds of conduct (the nuance between “Joystick” and “As Joystick” might be, uh, confusing) so experiment with what works finest for you. You may also add customized inputs for simply touching the pad, and for clicking it.

Increase your ergonomics with rear grip buttons

The 4 again grip buttons (labeled L4, L5, R4, and R5) are shortly turning into my finest buddies. Relying in your hand dimension, they may be a little bit robust to succeed in, however they’re what let me play Chrono Set off with only one hand whereas the opposite was wrapped in a chilly compress. These are so easy to allow, you do not even have to customise the controller format.

Every again grip button might be assigned to any present enter, however you’ll be able to take it additional by tweaking their settings. Click on the gear icon subsequent to every enter and you’ll set every button to register as a single press, double press, lengthy press, or a variety of different choices. You’ll be able to even set one rear button to register as beginning to press a key, then a unique rear button to register as releasing that key. So, for instance, if I need to purchase hundreds of items of wooden from Robin’s store in Stardew Valley, I may begin hitting the purchase button, then stroll away to get a snack whereas the numbers tick up. (Or I may set up a bulk buy with gamepads mod, however nonetheless.)

There’s additionally a sturdy Turbo mode settings menu, although it is value mentioning it’s best to in all probability be cautious of utilizing this in any multiplayer video games if you do not need your account banned. You’ll be able to set a button to quickly repeat an enter whereas holding it down, regulate the interval between inputs, and even set it as a toggle.

By far, one of many coolest instruments on the Steam Deck is the flexibility to create your individual enter menus. My favourite is the Radial Menu. This creates an overlay on high of your sport that permits you to assign completely different inputs to a wheel for straightforward entry. Whereas modifying your format, go to Trackpads and from the conduct dropdown, select Create Radial Menu. This may allow you to generate a radial overlay that seems everytime you contact this touchpad. 

This has been a lifesaver for me in video games like Stardew Valley, the place biking by means of the toolbar is extra cumbersome than on a desktop. The default configuration has you press the left and proper triggers to maneuver by means of the toolbar one step at a time. Nah; my customized radial menu lets me leap to the slot I need shortly with a single gesture.

You’ll be able to create radial menu layouts and apply them to the touchpads, joysticks, and even gyro controls (extra on that beneath). It is the most effective methods to enhance your sport inputs, particularly for video games that are not purposely designed with gamepad controls in thoughts.

The Radial Menu creation interface
Credit score: Eric Ravenscraft

Get precision aiming with gyro controls

It will get ignored lots, however the Steam Deck has built-in gyro capabilities, and you’ll flip them on for any sport in your library. Form of. The Steam Deck will attempt to map gyro actions to inputs the sport can comprehend, which often works fairly effectively, however may be finicky relying on the sport. Count on to do some experimentation right here.

By default, Gyro controls might be off, however you’ll be able to allow them with a easy toggle within the controller settings. After that, you’ll be able to activate gyro motion by putting your thumb on the best management stick. The highest of this stick is contact delicate, so that you needn’t transfer it, simply are available contact with it. It additionally works by touching the best touchpad, however you’ll be able to change this conduct within the controller settings.

When you’re activating gyro controls, tilting the Steam Deck will ship corresponding mouse inputs to your sport. In my expertise, this labored nice in first-person video games like Doom Everlasting, the place you utilize the best management follow level your digicam. The gyro actions will provide you with a little bit additional precision management whereas tilting your Deck, whereas your thumb is the place it could usually be on the management stick anyway.

The quantity of effort that is already gone into ensuring most Steam video games play effectively on the Steam Deck is already fairly unimaginable. Earlier than it got here out, I was skeptical it would work, and I’ve by no means been extra joyful to be confirmed unsuitable. Between official developer help and group layouts, nearly each sport I’ve performed on the Steam Deck felt prefer it was made to be there.

However that does not imply the customization has to cease. Even in case you’ve by no means had an issue with any of the controls in your Steam Deck, it is value diving into the customization instruments to see if you can also make your video games really feel extra snug for you.