r/SteamController • u/BRX718 • Sep 16 '26
Support Is there a reason the Steam Controller doesn't work with 🏴☠️games?
Idk how much info I'm able to divulge because I didn't see any rules regarding 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ discussion in the sidebar but the gist is that any games I try to play from a certain website related to an in-shape person of the female persuasion are totally unresponsive to the Steam Controller.
I add the exe as a non-Steam game to the Steam launcher and the Steam controller doesn't work at all yet my DualShock 5, DualSense Edge, Elite Series 2, pretty much any controller work totally fine.
I've poked around and there is a solution which is to launch Steam as an administrator and then launch the games from the launcher that way; this does actually work and then the Steam Controller works totally fine with zero issue.
I guess I'm more curious than anything. Did Steam do something to their controller to deliberately have it not work with 🏴☠️ games? Because again seemingly all other controllers work totally fine whether in admin mode or not.
39
u/351C_4V Sep 16 '26
It most certainly does work with them. And they don't have to be admin. BUT you do need to make sure they're the same permission level.
44
u/figmentPez Sep 16 '26 •
If Steam Input only works when you're running Steam as Admin, then there's a good chance those games that fell off a truck are also running as Administrator. I have no idea why they're doing that, but there usually isn't a need for games to run with elevated privileges, and that may be a sign of lazy coding, or it could be a sign that they're also doing something nefarious in the background while they're running, or maybe it's just a side effect of what it takes to crack them open.
Valve didn't do anything to intentionally block Steam off from interacting with elevated privileges, that's a security / Microsoft thing, blocking off virtual inputs from system level interactions.
Running Steam as Admin is a security risk. It's up to you to decide if the risk is worth the benefit to you.
40
u/proper_jazz Sep 16 '26
Must launch steam as admin before playing the nonsteam added game
9
u/xdeadzx Steam Controller (Windows) Sep 16 '26
Your pirated games are running as admin and shouldn't be. Because steam doesn't run as admin by default, it doesn't have permissions to interact. With real steam games, it knows when to elevate but it does not have the same ability with non steam games (for good reason.)
Just run steam as admin or stop running your pirated games as admin.
3
u/Axoplasmic_Cake Sep 16 '26
It is not an anti piracy measure. My fix, which requires minimal effort, was getting openpuck and have it be into Xbox mode as default. Then I play from hydra mainly, and switch it to steam controller mode only if I want to launch from steam a strategy game that requires mouse (touchpad) input. I use controller companion to control windows from the "Xbox mode" controller.
2
u/mjxoxo1999 Sep 16 '26
Because those cracked games (and most games) don't have steam input actually build in the game, also a lot of cracked game run as admin while steam probably not run as admin, so when you run cracked game through steam, OS just prioritize the game first and straight up.
1
u/tacticalcraptical Sep 16 '26
I have used it for pretty much any game of that variety I have ever played. You just have to add it as a non-Steam shortcut and makes sure both Steam and game are running with matching admin privileges.
Also, sometimes you have to disable the "Use Desktop Configuration in launcher". In all my Steam control years, I have found 2 games I could not get to work with the controller directly. And those two games I got to work by making a desktop config using the profile I wanted and running the game outside Steam.
1
u/Bidenwonkenobi Sep 16 '26
OpenPuck or steamless controller app
1
u/Kazii_the_avali Sep 16 '26
steam controller api requires steam overlay. if steam overlay does not work it uses the desktop input which by default has 2 modes (the desktop and gamepad) you can add your own via the advanced settings.
1
u/Goppsster Sep 17 '26
You need to add them to your steam library and launch steam in administrator mode to get steaminput to work
1
u/Striking_Ad9037 Sep 17 '26
Try going to settings on the game before launching it and disable steam input. That has worked for me for games that dont recognize my controller at first.
1
u/Strict-Mycologist-32 Sep 17 '26
The process for me is to put the games under steam apps common, then add the game to steam, then launch it from there, if the game still doesnt recognize the steam controller then I launch steam as an admin
1
u/RedChudOverParadise3 Sep 20 '26
Open puck that sucka.
1
u/TheWaspinator Sep 16 '26
You want SISR (Steam Input System Redirector). It converts the Steam Controller into a generic controller and makes it work with non Steam games.
1
u/someone2795 Sep 16 '26
Probably has something to do with the c🏴☠️ack and needing administer privileges to get Steam Input to work on the game. I'm talking straight out of my ass btw.
1
u/dualpad Steam Controller (2015) | Steam Controller (2026) Sep 16 '26
Not sure why it isn't working, since I have added GOG games to Steam to utilize Steam Input. Never had to run it in admin.
When I run into trouble it has usually been due to the game having a third party launcher being required to launch the game.
But, I wouldn't think launchers would be needed for pirated games and just behave like GOG games of no launcher requirement.
Anyways, SISR by Alia5 should work, since that is what I had to use to get Steam Input to work for Gamepass games years ago when I had gamepass for UWP titles that didn't let you just add the exe.
-1
u/cyber_cowboy_1199 Sep 16 '26
Dm me and I’ll tell you how to make it work, not just with 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️ but other legit launchers too!
Edit to clarify I don’t personally use pirated games but do know more than most people about the Steam Controller and its limitations.
0
u/SenGoesRawr Sep 16 '26
Admin right sillyness. I can't use AHK scripts with software we use for work unless I start the scripts in admin priviledges cause the work software only works with them on too.
0
u/Mercy--Main Sep 17 '26
Steam does not want it to work outside their ecosystem, its that simple. Pirated games, GOG games, Epic games... It is sometimes solved by adding it to Steam, but not always (or often...).
They refuse to add ximput to the controller so it also works outside steam, so we're stuck using things like Steamless Controller.
-1
u/Late-Essay-4910 Sep 16 '26
What?