Suddenly no Steam Deck Input registered for non-steam shortcuts (used to work)

[jordanj89]

Your system information

• Steam client version: 1706155871
• SteamOS version: 3.5.7 build 20231122.1
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] Yes, but tried stable with same issue
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: [Yes/No] Yes, but tried stable with same issue
• 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.

Any app added to steam as a non-steam game shortcut (i.e. Chrome for use with GeForce Now) does not recognise any controller input at all. Nothing can be clicked, no buttons work. This is in game mode on the Steam Deck. And happens despite giving the flatpak udev ro access, which is what most people suggest works for them.

I expected to be able to do what everyone else seems to do, where it 'just works' for them - but for me, doing the exact same steps as in the numerous guides and videos (steps in the steps for reproducing this issue section), leaves me with a browser window and all I have is a mouse cursor I can move (using the trackpad), but not click on anything.

Strangely, the controller works just fine with an Xbox Game Pass shortcut added using the guide by Microsoft here, but I set this up a few months ago and I'm now too scared to delete it as I imagine the controller will stop working. Performing the exact same steps as in the guide but with GeForce Now as the URL (for example), results in a shortcut launching that doesn't recognise any steam deck input at all.

Something must have broken in the OS in the meantime maybe?

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Add a non-steam game > Chrome
2. Run flatpak --user override --filesystem=/run/udev:ro com.google.Chrome in terminal
3. Append --window-size=1024,640 --force-device-scale-factor=1.25 --device-scale-factor=1.25 --kiosk “https://play.geforcenow.com" to the end of the launch arguments in the shortcut properties
4. Run the shortcut in game mode. Tried with 'gamepad with mouse trackpad input' as the controller mode initially, didn't work. Tried every single other one, none work. No input registered. The web page reacts when the mouse cursor (which is the only thing I can control (but not click) moves over the page elements, so I know the app is running OK, but that's about it.
5. Tried changing the shortcut to point to Edge too (com.microsoft.Edge), but exactly the same issue presents itself. But my existing Edge shortcut (Game Pass) works fine.

This issue is truly bizarre.

I noticed the same issue in any other non-steam game I add (for example, I tried gfn-electron) - again, setting udev access to ro. It used to work on shortcuts I added a few months ago (and it still does with those existing shortcuts) but now it suddenly stopped working for anything new added.

[philipguin]

I just want to add I got essentially the same issue (inputs totally undetected by game), but it only happened after changing the shortcut’s name from the default one. Reverting the shortcut name to the default one resolved the issue for me.

My specific case was setting up Tsukihime with the English translation patch and Proton experimental.