Firefox does not work in full screen mode in a steam session

[Vladislavuz]

Your system information

• Steam client version: 1599174997
• SteamOS version: 2.0:1:2.195
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] Yes
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: [Yes/No] Yes
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: [Yes/No] Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Describe what you expected should happen and what did happen. Sometimes I need to use the Firefox browser without switching to the desktop session, but in this mode Firefox does not work in full screen mode. There are also problems with displaying the context menu. Also the gamepad control for PC does not work in the app. https://yadi.sk/i/OK4fNQNbkzdzoA

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Start Firefox in a steam session
2. Try to open the context menu, hold the cursor to show tooltips, open browser settings

[vicnett]

I'm having the same problem on the Steam Deck 😞

[Rahabib]

Ditto

[witcheslive]

somehow, this is still a problem that hasn't been fixed even in the steam deck era, it's a real pain that firefox doesn't really work in game mode

[TTimo]

Chrome can be installed via the non-steam tab when running gamescope, does that work for you?

[traverseda]

No, chrome's ad-block API is crippled in manifest v3, which will soon be the only option. Additionally I use firefox sync primarily. Unfortunately chrome/chromium isn't really an alternative for me.

[IamTheCarl]

For me, it's not just about the features of Chrome VS the features of Firefox (although they are still part of the equation).

Google owns the most popular browser, search engine, email platform, and more. I feel uneasy with how much of the internet they control, and the fact that they make attempts to force new standards on everyone for their benefit is a massive red flag to me.

The Steam Deck is applauded for being such an open platform. Valve's choice to run Linux instead of Windows on it is a huge factor. We don't have to live in fear of Microsoft restricting 3rd party software vendors like they've been doing.

I feel that the internet as a whole is at risk of having a similar issue. If we want it to remain open, we need more than one browser platform out there.

[witcheslive]

No, Chrome is not an option because I do not want to use the advertising company's browser.

[traverseda]

Now this is an issue with gamescope, that any developer could in theory pick up? Is the affected component open source?

[IamTheCarl]

I'm interested. Is this the version on the Deck? The official one in Valve's repositories looks unmaintained, and I'm doubting that's what's currently on the Deck.

[IamTheCarl]

I came across this clever hack to access desktop mode from within gaming mode and it works very well for me: https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/uddyat/desktop_mode_within_gaming_mode/ It has proven to be an effective workaround for me.

I will now repost the content of that post here just in case the original gets deleted.

---
#!/bin/sh
unset LD_PRELOAD
exec startplasma-wayland --xwayland --x11-display $DISPLAY --no-lockscreen --width 1280 --height 800 -- plasma_session 
---

Save it, make executable and add as a non-Steam app. From now on, you can use Desktop Mode as a yet another Gaming Mode app, with Steam overlay, convenient access to Steam Input configuration, being able to have a game running simultaneously and so on :)

It has some quirks, but hey, it's just a quick hack ;)

[amaturehr]

No, chrome's ad-block API is crippled in manifest v3, which will soon be the only option. Additionally I use firefox sync primarily. Unfortunately chrome/chromium isn't really an alternative for me.

I feel the same about this

[traverseda]

As an aside, I finally decided to test chrome and is experiences similar issues. They're not as severe as it doesn't make as much use of that kind of menu-ing, but there are still some pretty big issues. For example the bookmarks and history menus.

[IamTheCarl]

I too have tried Chrome (Ungoogled Chromium to be exact) and have expirenced the same you did. I found half the video streaming sights I tried with it didn't work. That is likely not a SteamOS specific issue.

[traverseda]

I believe it's a gamescope issues, I can replicate the issues I'm having on standard linux running a gamescope session. Since gamescope is part of steamos, it is sort of a steamos issue.

[andrew-hill]

@traverseda there's a reported issue about this in Plagman/gamescope#607, if you'd like to add anything specific from your testing that may help narrow down the bug and/or clarify that it's a gamescope issue rather than a firefox one, that may be helpful?

And yeah, I'd agree it's a SteamOS issue as much as gamescope, since it's bundled in and impacts an intended use-case.

[andrew-hill]

I've just done a bit of digging within Firefox bugzilla, and this could actually be a Firefox issue. Along with a report about this same steam deck issue, there's similar reports about Firefox in Wayland (gamescope uses Wayland while desktop mode uses Xorg, as far as I can see, so there's another difference here). May need someone with a better knowledge of all the components to progress this line of thinking further though.

I don't personally have the know-how to test this theory further, but if someone knows how to test Firefox on SteamOS with Wayland but without gamescope? If the tooltips/menus fail in such a test, it may actually be a Firefox/Wayland issue rather than SteamOS/gamescope?

[SuperJumpBros]

i am also having this issue. i want to move to my steam deck as a main PC, but this one issue is just glaring me in the face. i only want it fixed.

[Guuiil]

I don't know if this will fix every problem you have but i think for the full screen the probleme is that the ratio of the firefox window that opens isnt the same as fullscreen so when steamOS only display the window it is not fullscreen

I would suggest creating a script that start firefox and sends it a F11 command and lauching this instead of firefox directly.

[Tech-How]

I'm having this issue as well. Firefox always displays at 1280x800 in game mode and cannot be adjusted.