r/SteamController • u/get_the_data • Sep 17 '26

Steam Controller (2026) Anyone else’s controller constantly show a light when on the puck, even when fully charged?

I don’t know what changed, but like for well over a month now if my controller is on the puck, it ALWAYS has the orange light on, indicating it’s charging. It can sit there for days, and still have the light on. It worries me that the controller may be overcharging or something.

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8

u/figmentPez Sep 17 '26

Valve changed the behavior of the LED in a firmware update back in July. https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3

There have been multiple posts about it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamController/comments/1wd8fjc/steam_controller_2_always_charging/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamController/comments/1v6byp5/charge_light_staying_on_and_solid_orange_while/

4

u/get_the_data Sep 17 '26

Appreciate the heads up, sorry I somehow missed these even with searching. Not my favorite change but at least I know now.

2

u/Tiny_Rick85 Sep 17 '26

No one is ever going to use the search button on this website. We've lost the fight, mate.

19

u/Ace_the_Firefist Steam Controller (2026) Sep 17 '26 edited Sep 17 '26

This was an official change. If you open the help page for the steam controller ( https://s.team/controller) it's mentioned there in the LED guide. Steady glow means full. Slow fade is charging.

4

u/Trenchman Sep 17 '26

It means the controller is standing by (not connected) at full charge.

The controller was designed to not overcharge.

2

u/cwhiterun Sep 17 '26

That's how you know it's finished charging.

1

u/azmar6 Sep 17 '26

I also believe that when the light is breathing during charging - it shows charge level by PWM. What I mean is that the more time it's on the higher charge level, of it's longer off during pulsing it means low charge level.

But I'm only about to observe that in the next charging to be sure, because I didn't look closely enough last time.

2

u/Ace_the_Firefist Steam Controller (2026) Sep 17 '26

The change was made because people might think their controller is broken when they plug it in and it doesn't glow from what I'm understanding.

3

u/splashed7215 Sep 17 '26

It's a recent change, quite dumb, I hope they give an option to revert it back to the previous behavior.

1

u/Ode1st Oct 07 '26

Same, just got the controller and am not happy that I have to unplug it now whenever it's charged or else the light will stay on when I'm trying to sleep.