[BUG] PS4/DS4 Controller not working for many games : wrong/missing button maps

[Enigma0]

Your system information

• Steam client version: latest public brewmaster
• SteamOS version: latest public brewmaster
• 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:

• I can pair the controller in the bluetooth menu.
• I can completely a flawlessly navigate all of SteamOS with the controller (button maps work)
• I cannot configure or change the button maps at all in the Add/Test section of SteamOS
• I cannot play many controller game as the mappings are incorrect ie 'x' (square) = 'a' (cross) and 'a' (cross) does nothing. More frequently, nothing works.

Even in the cases where a handful of games have skewed/missing mappings, I still am unable to change the mappings in Steam. Selecting a button to remap doesn't work with 'a' (cross) and only enter works (keyboard). Unfortunately even when activating the remapping method, it remains unresponsive to any button presses on the controller.

What is really odd (to me anyways) is that it works fully with a handful of games and not at all with others. It would make a little more sense to either work with all or none.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Plug in USB Bluetooth 4.0+ dongle
2. Pair PS4 controller
3. Launch Games

Game Compatibility Notes:

---

0-5% (It does not work at all or is effectively unplayable):

• Shadow of Mordor
• Mark of the Ninja (wrong mappings)
• Alien Isolation
• ARK Survival Evolved
• The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
• BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
• AwesomeNauts (launcher terribleness - can't navigate it to start game)
• Gang Beasts (wrong mappings)
• Grow Home (wrong mappings)
• Joe Danger 2 - The Movie (launcher terribleness - can't navigate it to start game)
• Jotun
• Journey of a Roach (wrong mappings)
• MASSIVE CHALICE (wrong mappings)
• Not the Robots
• Outlast
• Portal 2 (aw)
• The Stanley Parable

---

100% (Full recognition of button mappings):

• Talos Principal
• Dying Light
• The Cave
• BioShock Infinite
• Broforce
• Broken Age
• Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
• Coffin Dodgers
• Goat Simulator
• Left 4 Dead 2 (must manually enable gamepad first run)

---

110% (Subs in PS controller icons & has rumble !!!):

• Dust: An Elysian Tale
• Among the Sleep (Must enable 'Use Joypad' in control settings) (no rumble)

[mdeguzis]

You need to take these issues to the developer of the game, very little here is the fault of SteamOS. Most gamepads detected use Valve's patched xpad driver. Whether or not the game implements a proper control scheme for joypads, uses SDL2, etc, varies from game to game.

[Enigma0]

Hmm.. That's disconcerting. They took to time to get it working in Linux but not fully. You'd think some of the bigger games like Shadow of Mordor would have used a proper control scheme.

In any case, if I could remap the controls to what the game is expecting them to be that would resolve a lot of the issues I think, no?

[mdeguzis]

Maybe? At the least, if the controller is not keeping the SLD2 mapping you give it in Steam, that is a problem. The main takeaway here is that Valve uses an xpad driver for most, if not all, autodetected devices like this, and uses SDL2 to do mapping inside the Steam client that you see. That mapping is technically seperate from the game. The developers can choose a myriad of ways to handle joypad input / detection, some of which is handled by their middleware platform (like Unity). The most popular library is SDL2, and works really well for a lot of people. This is just some musings, so others may have more direct input for you.

Question is though, if you have another machine or dual boot something like Ubuntu/Fedora/Debian, is your experience the same in Steam for Linux?

[Plagman]

If you connect it wired with a Micro-USB cable, do you get a proper button mapping in the games that don't otherwise work? We might just be missing an SDL2 mapping for the wireless version of the controller.

[Enigma0]

@ProfessorKaos64 , @Plagman

Steam for Linux (Ubuntu GNOME 15.10):

• Bluetooth: Control was constantly navigating left and up in Big Picture and did not work in a game that also doesn't respond in SteamOS
• USB: Fully functional controls even in a game that doesn't work over Bluetooth

Wired USB (SteamOS):

• Works completely so far as I can tell

Maybe you are on to something with regards to missing SDL2 mappings for the Bluetooth version?

[Enigma0]

Making a separate report for this as it's likely not related to a mapping issue and has no connection to any particular game:

"May be something else but I sometimes experience high frequency 'a' (cross) pushes that cannot be stopped. Results in a whole bunch of mayhem and usually a game launch."