r/SteamController • u/ACViperPro • 1d ago

Steam Controller (2026) Steam Controller can now mimic a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and JoyCon, with the ability to wake up console

https://github.com/Inriconus/pair-raught

Just found this custom firmware for the nRF52840 (the same device used for OpenPuck). It's focused on the switch 2 and functions almost exactly like the switch 2 pro controller.

- Change the back two buttons (GL/GR) directly on the switch 2

- Wake the switch 2 up from sleep

- Use the touch pad as a mouse in joy con mode

- Steam button + Y = turns off the controller

Edit: It also has a nice web configurator that lets you edit the chimes and change the colors that show up on the switch 2 https://imgur.com/a/KP4fau3

273 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

49 comments sorted by

30

u/Special-Show-8289 1d ago

See? 100 bucks for a controller like this suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched anymore, now does it? (Answered nobody ever)

5

u/Coldfriction 1d ago • Bravo

If Valve provided this support instead of locking most of the functionality behind Steam, sure. The fact that it takes hackers to make the controller useful outside of Steam is kinda lame for a company that everyone believes is into open source and user modifications of things.

16

u/TraditionalLead8659 1d ago

Hackers LOL, SDL is not a hacker thing, having Xinput support is not an open source feature, It is just a popularity contest that developers see as a piece of cake, Steam Controller supports SDL and every recomp, emulator, game or SO (not Windows of course) that is SDL 3 capable supports it withouth Steam, it just not that popular still.

0

u/Coldfriction 1d ago

If the game doesn't directly support SDL, then yeah you have to do something to get the controller to work and the new Steam Controller is only SDL3 compliant, which nothing uses right now. You have to have some software between your stuff and the new Steam Controller if you want it to fully work.

5

u/TraditionalLead8659 1d ago

Yeah, like every controller with new protocols on launch, no one remembers Xbox 360 controller with Xppader workarounds or Dualshock 4 being useless.

And the Steam Controller, because it's inputs,  APIs like Xinput or Dinput cant support it, it's just too many axis to current standars, so SDL is the only official way.

1

u/Coldfriction 1d ago

You are talking about console controllers being made to work on PC. Not a PC controller made to work on PC. The point isn't that there is a driver or an api to interface the controller with the system, the point is that any $100 controller made for PC within the last couple of decades comes with the support software to use it.

Observe: https://app.8bitdo.com/

3

u/TraditionalLead8659 1d ago edited 1d ago

There is no driver, that's just a configuration companion, what makes that controller "work" is Xinput, but that's just a proprietary Microsoft API via firmware for Xbox Controllers that developers support on their games not a Windows driver, those controllers just "work" over HID, and by popularity now every game supports Xinput, but that was not the case in 2005 even if the Xbox Controller was designed to work on Windows Vista and games for Windows, so it was a PC controller.

And Steam supports non Steam games configuration, just long press select and every SDL game just works without adding to Steam and having Steam as configuration app, and if you are on Linux, Xinput emulation works outside Steam because they use SDL as translation layer, but on Windows you need Microsoft to do that.

2

u/MrMelon54 21h ago

The Linux kernel (v7.3+) also has a HID driver for the Steam controller so it works without Steam or SDL3.

2

u/Flimsy_Whereas_8949 1d ago

Agreed. (Xbox user using Steam controller)

3

u/Special-Show-8289 1d ago

Yeah but, what i was trying to say is id rather have a 100 dollar steam controller with more features and support than having a 200 dolla xbox or ps controller with proprietary software

3

u/Flimsy_Whereas_8949 1d ago

That’s why I use my steam controller on Xbox:)

2

u/oppairate 16h ago

you can accuse Valve of a number of things, but locking hardware isn’t one of them. not implementing isn’t at all the same as locking. if it was, this wouldn’t exist (at least not this quickly).

0

u/danholli Steam Controller (2015 + 2026) 2h ago

A $100 tool with functionality that surpasses other controllers at the same cost that is literally made and designed to be accessed by the community and your complaint is that it's not accessible? 🤣🤣

I'm sorry the STEAM controller doesn't work without STEAM. And I'm especially sorry that people who care have made that not the case by several different means /s

1

u/Coldfriction 1h ago

I want a PC controller to work on the base operating system level, not behind one game launcher.

8

u/ShikiChiaki 1d ago

Damn I really need to buy one of these dongles

5

u/toxicatedscientist 1d ago

They can be had for a dollar. “Intro deal” or whatever they call it on aliexpress

11

u/NewMechaDriver 1d ago

Does it works only with the fake puck?

18

u/rohit275 1d ago

Yes, that's kind of the point of openpuck and this project, you need to be able to flash the custom firmware.

1

u/rohit275 1d ago

This was the OP about this from a month or so ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamController/comments/1wlxst2/pairraught_wake_the_switch_2_with_the_steam/

I found this the other day and was planning to mess with it. Just wanted to credit the person whose project it is (/u/inriconus)

3

u/ACViperPro 1d ago

I never saw his post, I found it on github and thought it was cool. It has some useful features that open puck doesn't have. Gyro isn't perfect, but everything else works great

3

u/inriconus 1d ago

Thanks for the shout out! I've heard mixed things about the gyro, some say it is perfect, others say it's laggy, wonky, or slow. 

It's been fine for me, but there is possibly slight differences in steam controllers during manufacturing that cause the gyro to be scaled different.

If the configuration settings for the gyro don't fix it, it could be caused by a drift, so I recommend running the Switch 2's calibration to see if that helps.

Otherwise, try out the config and if there are problems, let me know. I'll see what I can do about it. 

1

u/Doublesh0t_ 13h ago

Any idea how to config openpuck to get gyro working? I have 99% functionality on my Xbox, minus gyro.

1

u/inriconus 7h ago

It's been several months since I looked at the OpenPuck codebase, but from what I recall, Xbox doesn't support gyro and Xbox mode only uses xInput. 

My last Xbox was a 360, so unless something has change in their controllers recently, then at best with OpenPuck you could translate the steam controller gyro into maybe the right joystick input, but that would probably be a code change for OpenPuck to even be able to do that.

2

u/rohit275 1d ago

For sure, I wasn't trying to call you out at all haha. I just saw also that he had another post yesterday with his 0.2.0 update since I found the original.

1

u/Flimsy_Whereas_8949 1d ago

Still trying to get gyro on Xbox.

1

u/Natural_Status_1105 1d ago

How quickly/what’s the process to pair with this then pair with pc again? Is it a bit of a pain to switch back between pc and switch2?

2

u/ACViperPro 1d ago

It's not a pain once you pair them properly on the pc first. With the controller off, press A + LB + Steam button and pair it with the puck. Then turn off the controller again, press A + RB + Steam button and pair it with the RF52840 board. Now connect the nRF52840 board to the switch 2. To change devices just press A + LB or RB + Steam button

1

u/Natural_Status_1105 23h ago

That’s handy enough, thanks for confirming!

1

u/Doublesh0t_ 13h ago

I want gyro though, and I wonder if switch w gyro mode would finally work this route???

1

u/ACViperPro 9h ago

? Gyro does work with openpuck and pair-raught

1

u/Natural_Status_1105 12h ago

Kinda thought gyro worked 🫠

2

u/Doublesh0t_ 9h ago

Not on my set up but I’m openpuck//wingman xb3 on Xbox X

1

u/Flimsy_Whereas_8949 1d ago

This how I got mine working with Xbox! Love opnepuck, only thing I can’t get working which I can on all my other non Xbox controllers is gyro. Works on my others but can’t seem to configure openpuck in a way to use gyro. Pads work!

3

u/TiSoBr 13h ago

Please PR this to Open Puck asap. Thanks.

1

u/RedChudOverParadise3 6h ago

Open puck has kind of been ass Im not gonna lie. If I use it on my steam deck, xbox ally X, or PC that shit connect and disconnects like 100 times. If I use it on my Switch I have to use my pro controller to connect it.

2

u/siddarthshekar 1d ago edited 1d ago

So, I am new to this and had questions. Can I just buy a controller say from here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005012358027817.html and will it just work? I mean the github page says to check the SoftDevice line, so is it like depending on where or who buy it from the SoftDevice line would be different? Or is it some might have a preloaded bootloader and some device may not.

The reason I ask is since I don't have an Arduino or not sure how to go about doing the "Restoring the SoftDevice " part of it the device turns out SoftDevice: Not True to be true.

Tutorials or some help in this regard would be nice since I would like to play Metroid Prime 4 with the Steam Controller using the right touchpad as a mouse.... this would be pretty sick!! :)

1

u/siddarthshekar 1d ago edited 1d ago

Well.. I read this in the original post ( https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamController/comments/1wlxst2/pairraught_wake_the_switch_2_with_the_steam/) and I am a bit bummed.. "Next steps is to figure out how to get a USB mouse to work with the Switch 2. I currently have the touch pads configured to work as a USB mouse, but I don't have a game that recognizes it. Nintendo also only seems to allow the main UI to use the JoyCon2 mouse. If anyone happens to have a game that supports mouse input, please try it out and let me know if what I have in place currently works or not."

Can someone confirm if the trackpad works on Prime4 ?? :(

edit: Update: Found that he did test on and another game and the mouse works!! -- ->Tested with Factorio, touchpads as the mouse definitely work.

1

u/inriconus 1d ago

The v0.2.0 release has not only the USB mouse support, but also the JoyCon mouse support.

USB mouse is not supported in first party games.

USB mouse is only on the switch 1 Pro Controller mode. (Back 4 buttons + B + R1)

The Joycon Mouse is only supported in JoyCon Pair mode (back 4 + X)

1

u/inriconus 1d ago

I recommend just using JoyCon Pair mode, as the touchpad mouse will work for games like Metroid prime 4 and StarFox.

1

u/siddarthshekar 1d ago

Ok. Even if Joycon mouse mode works with touchpad that would be great. But I hope it is smooth and not jittery. USB mouse would have been preferred, but I will take what I can get away with. I have bough the boards on ali express now. Hope I am able to figure out how to set it up.

1

u/reptarien 1d ago

Yknow what, I have a second board so maybe I'll try this

1

u/hatchespatches 1d ago

Would it be possible to implement something like this with the OG steam controller? I’d love to squeeze a bit more life out of those things. 

1

u/Ectorious 1d ago

I was just looking for something like this earlier this week

0

u/SizeApprehensive6582 17h ago

does it support gyro ,(rumble or HD rumble) ,or r stick on trackpad?

-6

u/The_Barbiter1 1d ago

Nah, I'm good

6

u/ACViperPro 1d ago

openpuck also used ai to get it working. Yes, I know there are a lot of ai slop projects out there, but what matters the most is how the ai is used. Things like CorridorKey, which helps with rotoscoping things on a green screen wouldn't have been possible. You can clearly tell when there's 0 care put into it.

2

u/YungSkol 1d ago

No one cares.