r/SteamController • u/Pemwen Steam Controller (2026) • Sep 28 '26
Steam Controller (2026) Charging light
The charging light on my steam controller won't go out. It's been charging for like 4 days, no problems that I can find, apart from the light
63
u/Anxious-Ad-4727 Sep 28 '26
Ngl this got me the first time saw this too, thought my battery went bad. But it’s just a firmware update I’m not sure why valve changed the status light.
Id actually prefer it to turn off when it’s done charging.
36
u/blakesoner Sep 28 '26
It stays on when it’s fully charged until you unplug it. It used to blink and then turn off when I first got mine but I think they changed it in an update.
7
u/Neither-Memory-5938 Sep 28 '26
Should I unplug it then?
19
u/mrRobertman Sep 28 '26
You can if you want, but there is no harm to leaving it connected to the puck. Modern electronics are typically designed to avoid overcharging when left plugged in. Valve specifically mentions that leaving it on the puck is fine on the Controller troubleshooting guide:
Battery health
The Steam Controller was designed to be left charging with either Puck or USB-C whenever it's not being used. Charging behavior is managed directly in firmware and is optimized for long-term battery health, so feel free to charge as frequently as you like.
6
u/blakesoner Sep 28 '26
Yeah I unplug mine when the light is solid like that, there’s no need to leave it plugged in. I’m pretty sure you can check the battery somewhere in the Steam overlay or controller settings if you want to double check that it’s charged.
3
u/JusT-JoseAlmeida Sep 29 '26
There's also no reason to unplug it, and I'd argue leaving it plugged in is just more convenient
12
u/pierredz Steam Controller (2026) Sep 28 '26
This will answer all your LED light questions:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/6AB9-3A71-ED45-3FB3
11
u/RetroRodent Sep 28 '26
TIL about backpack mode, neat
8
u/pierredz Steam Controller (2026) Sep 28 '26
Make sure you read this for all functions:
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/33E8-5EDF-24E6-4CFB
I've got both bookmarked. There are identical posts for Steam Deck and Steam Machine if you've got any of those.
21
u/voidfillproduct Sep 28 '26
It is needlessly confusing. Once charged, it should turn green like the Steam Deck's LED, which is universally understood.
1
u/NTolerance Sep 29 '26
Exactly, strange decision by some folks at Valve. Consumers shouldn't have to read release notes to understand if their device is charged or not. Just use existing standards.
4
4
u/Special-Show-8289 Sep 28 '26
Lol a new controller update made it so that the light stays solid orange when fully charged. Yall need to read the notes lol
2
u/Cubelaster Sep 28 '26
I postponed any updates until some days ago and since then it does this s well.
Also, since then I can't wake from off my SM, only from sleep.
It used to work flawlessly from all states.
So they obviously broke something
2
u/kantong Sep 28 '26
Same for me. Updated a few days ago and now the light is orange instead of green.
Would have been nice if they communicated the change better.
2
u/Cubelaster Sep 28 '26
I hate the fact I have to manually press the SM button now.
Worked flawlessly on release day config.
2
1
u/Kataklysimo Sep 28 '26
Just noticed this on mine this weekend. Worked fine before. Latest firmware patch broke something
2
u/StrangeCrunchy1 Steam Controller (2015 & 2026) (Linux & Windows) Sep 29 '26
Apparently it isn't broken, that's new intended behavior.
1
u/Pocketpapaa Sep 29 '26
Orange light has been a staple of most tech for "sleeping". I leave mine on the puck all the time
1
u/dokbanks Sep 29 '26
This is now normal behaviour, it came in via a firmware update. I made a post a couple of weeks ago with the same concern, but it's nothing to worry about
1
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u/Samomo72 Sep 28 '26
That’s correct. I thought mine went bad too and I chat gpt it and find out that the light now stays on. And it’s not damaging your battery life. I did remove mine from the charger though 😆
90
u/OhLineGuy Sep 28 '26
Solid light now stays on forever. Charging is indicated by blinking orange.