[Feature Request] [Steam Deck] Be able to choose beetween internal and external microphone

[RodoMa92]

Your system information

• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: Yes
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

If I connect an external pairs of headphones, regardless of the fact that they have or not a microphone, the internal digital microphone gets disabled with no way to get the sound back. The only way to get back the internal microphone is to disconnect the wired headphones.

While using the external microphone is fine, fact is not all headphones today comes with one. A way to use the internal one instead of the non existant external one would render some of my pairs of headphones usable on Steam Deck while retaining the ability to keep voice chatting with friends on Discord.

I've checked the datasheet for the audio amplifier for jack + internal microphones, and it seems to have the capacity to disable the microphone detection switch by sending an i2c request to the device itself, registry 0x71, bit 0 (MIC Detection Power Down Control), page 67 on top.

It should be relatively easy to add an UI override in the Steam Deck UI QAM if the chip is present on the i2c bus of the device.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Connect a non capable microphone headphones to the deck
2. See the complete loss of microphone input from both your non existent external microphone and the disabled internal one

[MannyGeosMeow]

As of January 7, 2024. This is still an issue, and I am unable to use my wired headphones without microphone to speak on my steam deck in game and on discord.