DualSense controller not working after OS fresh install

[Laancute]

Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): jeu. 25 janv. 4:55 UTC + 01:00
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Debian Unstable (previously Debian Testing)
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] Yes
• Have you checked for system updates?: [Yes/No] Yes
• Steam Logs: [generate by running this command in a terminal tar -zcvf ~/Desktop/steam-logs.tar.gz ~/.steam/steam/logs] I get an error by running this command.
• GPU: Nvidia

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Describe what you expected should happen and what did happen. Please link any large code pastes as a Github Gist

Just after doing a fresh install of my OS Debian Testing, I was not able to use my DualSense controller anymore. It is detected by both the PC and Steam. In the settings, I can do the "testings" of the inputs of the controllers : all buttons works perfectly and are being detected right. But I can't navigate the menu, nor play games with it. Before that, it worked perfectly for as long as I had it.

I only managed to make it work in a game once since then, after doing random things that only solved the problem temporarily.

Some infos that I think are the key to the solution :

It's not the first time I do a fresh install of Debian, and I didn't had any problems the last times. Only the touchpad of the controller work, like a mouse (even outside Steam). The controller kept the name and the LED colors I gave him when it was working fine, prior to reinstalling the OS. It's name cannot be changed : I have to right clic then left clic to be able to type in the "Controller name" line, and it always returns to the original name I gave to it after exiting the settings and coming back. There are no Steam notification telling me the my controller is connected like it used to be each time I opened Steam. I tried to reset the controller itself with it's dedicated button, but it didn't seem to change anything. When I go to the desktop configuration in the Controller settings on Steam, in "Modify" I can't do anything with the controller. But if before that I clic "Reset controller configuration" on the gear on the right of this menu, then the controller will work in the "Modify" menu. But if I exit, and comeback, it wont work anymore.

I have the feeling that the controller may have settings registered in itself, or Steam registered them online, and there might be some sort of conflict between those settings overlapping with another or something like this but really, I dont know anything about programming or how it really work.

---

After doing some more researches, I found out that Steam indeed save SteamInput data on SteamCloud. So I found this folder with many similar files dedicated to my controller (and maybe even to my old DualShock4?)

Do you think i'm on something ? There's even more of those on the cloud. Should I delete them all for a fresh start ?

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Play games on Steam under Linux (Debian Testing) with a DualSense controller without issue
2. Do a fresh install of your OS
3. DualSense controller don't work anymore

[Laancute]

So I tried to delete everything in this "config" folder.

I disabled Steam Cloud Quit Steam (not active in processes) Unpluged my controller Delete the files/folders contained in "config" folder Open Steam Pluged my controller

It was still recognized as my controller with it's habitual name, still not working. Still no Steam notification when pluging the controller.

I think there might be other files related to the identity/identification of my controller somewhere, but I have yet to find them.

[Laancute]

I tried with another Steam account : the controller is tagged as what it is, "Sony DualSense Controller" with default LED configuration. But the situation remains the same. + no Steam notification when pluging the controller either.

[vulturm]

Hello,

I am having the same issues as yours, on Fedora 39 with sunshine+moonlight-qt streaming. I have a steam controller, DS4 and DualSense. All of them behave the same. Controller tests show that every button works, but same as yours, can't navigate steam or use them in games. Only logo button opens left menu, but nothing more.

Moonlight emulates all the controllers as xbox controllers, but it used to work before.

I've tried deleting config.vdf, deleting SDL_GamepadBind section.. even fresh reinstalls, no luck.

I've discovered that switching from steam client beta to stable, makes it work again. Does it work for you using stable channel of steam client?

[Laancute]

Replying to https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/10437#issuecomment-1915068633

Hi, I did that indeed and now I can navigate through big picture again, but it's still not perfect since I don't have that notification telling me my controller is indeed connected.

I could play Tekken 8 demo (have to enable Steam input for the game specifically otherwise nothing, the controller's LED even turn off when the game open, when it used to work with the global Steam settings), but for Soul Calibur 6 the buttons are not mapped correctly no matter what I do : A work instead of Y, B instead of A, Y instead of B, and some even have double inputs...

I purchased another DualSense so I could do more tests, and a bluetooth dongle. I will probably test on Windows too, and other Linux distributions. I even have a Timeshift save of my previous Debian testing before erasing it, i'll try to restore it on a fresh Debian install.

[Laancute]

So I received the controller and the bluetooth.

Old controller bluetooth : same as wired, works in no beta, don't work in steam beta, have to enable Steam Input for each specific game + random mapping in SoulCalibur 6. New controller wired : works almost perfectly, enabling Steam Input is not required in each game, totally normal mapping in SoulCalibur6. Still no notification when connected. Not working in Steam beta (same as original issue).

• I got another thing : sometimes, my audio output would switch to the controller, where the audio would come off of but really not understandable (would just like grizzling or idk what). Now it doesn't work anymore despite being selectable as an audio output with either controller, no sound come out at all.

With all the clues I have I think that there might be multiple problems, system wide and steam wide.

Now I'm gonna try other OS, I don't think i'll try Windows tho since I dont want to buy a key.

[kuunha]

Same problem on OpenSuse Tumbleweed. My DS5 and my 8bitdo controllers stopped working on Steam beta client I've tried connect with USB and Bluetooth without success

[Laancute]

Same problem on OpenSuse Tumbleweed. My DS5 and my 8bitdo controllers stopped working on Steam beta client I've tried connect with USB and Bluetooth without success

Did it happened after a fresh install of your OS too ?

[kuunha]

Same problem on OpenSuse Tumbleweed. My DS5 and my 8bitdo controllers stopped working on Steam beta client I've tried connect with USB and Bluetooth without success

Did it happened after a fresh install of your OS too ?

No. It was working before the update

[Laancute]

So I installed Garuda Linux to try this all.

My original controller (wired) is working fine, no more random mapping at all in Steam (no beta). So I guess the random mapping was an issue with Debian... Still no Steam notification when plugging tho, but it's not that bad.

But in Steam Beta Update, it doesn't work at all. I think we can conclude the issue is, indeed, linked to Steam beta version.