Steam Deck problems with linking four controllers.
Steam Deck problems with linking four controllers.
I have a 256GB LCD Steam Deck and the official Valve Deck Dock. I’m trying to connect 4 wireless controllers (the 8BitDo ultimate wireless C) with 2.4GHz USB dongles so that I can do 4 player split screen games from the couch. Each controller connects fine, and I can test and configure the inputs from the built in SteamOS controller settings with no issues. Everything working fine. But when I load into a game, I run into 2 problems : ISSUE #1: CONTROLLER ORDER - Every game I try seems to map the 4 controllers in a different order. Thankfully, the settings menu to “REORDER CONTROLLERS” will fix the issue, once I solve the guessing game of figuring out how the game set the original order to begin with. But… This reorder DOES NOT fix the next game that I try, and I am constantly having to reorder them in each different game. ***Another fun wrinkle is that the deck’s built-in controller is mapped as 1st in SteamOS by default (touchpads, d-pad, sticks, triggers and buttons) and I haven’t been able to figure out how to disable it (so really, by the time all 4 8bitDo controllers are connected, the system has 5 controllers mapped). DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO DISABLE THE BUILT IN STEAM DECK CONTROLLER? ISSUE #2: DISCONNECTS - Randomly after a minute or 2 in a game, one of the controllers will just disconnect and eventually power off (even though the dongle is powered on and trying to pair). And when any of the controllers disconnect, the mapping order in the game gets all screwed up, and you have to start over reordering the controllers, sometimes restart the game. There’s no rhyme or reason to which controller disconnects, and it’s not consistently associated to a specific USB port. TROUBLESHOOTING SO FAR: The controllers are all NEW, fully charged, and I have tried another dock AND a powered AND unpowered USB 3.0 hub. I’ve also had the same issue when one of the controllers is connecting over Bluetooth, and I’ve never had luck connecting more than a single Xbox controller (which is why I went with these 8BitDo controllers to begin with). Anyways, just to absolutely eliminate the 8BitDo controllers as the issue, I connected all 4 of them to my Windows gaming PC, and have had zero issues. No remapping/reordering, and no disconnects. The 4 player games that I’ve tried so far are Minecraft Dungeons, Sausage Wars, and Hole.io 2 Player games don’t seem to have this issue. I know this is a niche use case for the Deck, but it IS supposed to support 4 controllers and 4 player games. I need someone to try this and tell me that I’m not crazy. Because it’s either that, SteamOS 4P controller support is flawed, or something is wrong with my Deck.
It's actually one of the reasons I decided to try my Steam Deck as a mobile gaming setup. Before, I managed to link up to eight controllers—Xbox One and PS5 models—via Bluetooth, but the experience wasn't great. I noticed the PS5 controllers worked well with Bluetooth, while the Xbox One seemed to lag a bit. After some testing, I kept five PS5s online and connected three Xbox One controllers through the USB hub. It seemed to function smoothly, mainly for playing Pummel Party without any mapping problems. Maybe it's related to 8bitdo Ultimate Wireless? I don’t have firsthand experience, but I was hesitant to buy the wired version before seeing reviews that mentioned compatibility issues. Have you tried connecting your Xbox One controllers directly via USB? It might take a few taps on the Xbox button before syncing.
UPDATE - PROBLEM RESOLVED! ISSUE #1: CONTROLLER SETTINGS - It's not feasible to turn off the internal deck controller without using some advanced Linux tools. Therefore, the built-in Steam Deck still functions as controller #1, but the solution is to switch it to "Mouse Only" mode or adjust the profile in Steam settings. This fix resolved a major game-breaking problem in Minecraft Dungeons. ISSUE #2: CONNECTION PROBLEM - I've identified three possible causes. First, my 8BitDo controllers and 2.4G USB dongles require firmware updates. Check the support page for details. Second, Steam input performance is poor with many budget indie titles. Disable Steam input via settings/properties > Controller > Disable Steam Input if issues persist. This improved Horizon Chase Turbo and Rubber Bandits. Third, with an 8BitDo ultimate controller that includes a charging cradle, connect the dongle to the cradle and then to the Steam Deck dock. This often resolves USB3 compatibility issues that lead to random resets or lag.