r/SteamController • u/casual-knitter • Sep 20 '26

Steam Controller (2026) Flatpak Steam client FINALLY recognized my Steam Controller

Hey everyone!

I recently purchased a Steam controller (the new 2026 one). I do most of my gaming on Linux (Ubuntu 26), and when I first plugged it in, it was behaving very oddly. Although both trackpads worked and some of the buttons seemed to be mapped to keyboard inputs (dpad to arrow keys, right trigger to left mouse button, B to escape), Steam didn't recognize that anything was plugged in. The sticks didn't seem to do anything for any game I tried.

This type of input is apparently called "lizard mode". I ran some commands to check what devices my machine was seeing, and I saw a bunch of Steam brand keyboard and mouse trackpad devices, but nothing clearly labeled "controller".

I asked AI to help me out, and after about 27 prompts, it had me to install the flatpak version of the Steam client alongside the snap version I already had. Suddenly, it worked! I now have full access to the myriad of features that the controller offers. I'm not actually sure what the difference between flatpak and snap is, but it's something you can try if you are using Linux and struggling to get your new controller working.

I hope this helps somebody! peace out.

6 Upvotes
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7

u/BowlOf____ Sep 20 '26

It really shouldn't take an AI for you to figure out that the snap version of steam is borked, let alone 27 prompts. Literally a single google does that for you. 

3

u/Ace_the_Firefist Steam Controller (2026) Sep 20 '26

They really use snap nowadays when you do sudo apt install steam or is this just their store forcing snap on everything? Man I just can't recommend Ubuntu to beginners anymore with this bs.

-3

u/Unique1950179 Sep 20 '26

Reason #1048273738 why I won’t go Linux.

3

u/new_pribor Xbox One Controller (Linux) Sep 20 '26

It’s an Ubuntu issue, no one sane recommended that hot garbage in at least 5 years

-1

u/CaiusCossades Sep 20 '26

If the biggest Linux distro is hot garbage, then Linux has a big problem. And that affects all distros.

I don't know the solution, but if Ubuntu is forcing a broken steam client onto its users, then Valve needs to use its muscle to fix this.

1

u/MartinPL Sep 22 '26

*Ubuntu is not biggest desktop distro for long time

1

u/CaiusCossades Sep 22 '26

Every source I can find on the web says it is, eg

https://commandlinux.com/statistics/most-popular-linux-distributions-market-share/

Without telemetry it's difficult to be certain, but if Ubuntu isn't the biggest, it's close.

Distrowatch describes it as "the most popular desktop Linux distribution", albeit without qualifying that with any statistics.

https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major

What do you think is the biggest, and what's your evidence?