protonscr

DualSense Wireless Controller "disappering" after some time

protonclosed
ValveSoftware/Proton#8644 · opened 2025-05-02 by TuxThePenguin76 · updated 2025-05-20 · 22 comments · github
3 matching comments, n / p to jump
TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-02 github

Problem:
my PS5 Dualsense controller randomly stops working in proton games after a few minutes. In both wired (USB) mode and Bluetooth mode

Games tested:

Bayonetta
Clair Obscure: Expedition 33

Proton versions Tested:

Proton Experimental
Proton Hotfix

Symptoms:

It works initially and then suddenly stops and I can only use the keyboard and mouse. If I quit the game and restart it works again for a while.

If i go to the main menu -> steam -> settings -> controller then the controller shows up and the test input reports everything is working correctly.

I have also tested with native Linux games Left for Dead 2 and Portal 2 and both ran for over an hour without a disconnection.

Aalasky17 2025-05-02 github

@TuxThePenguin76 If you are able to grab a log of this failure with some extra logging channels, that could be really useful. PROTON_LOG=+hid,+hidp,+hid_report,+plugplay,+rawinput,+dinput,+xinput,+joystick,+setupapi,+input %command%

Also - please also copy your system information from Steam (Steam -> Help -> System Information and Steam -> Help -> Steam Runtime Diagnostics) and put each in a gist, then include a link to the gists in this issue report.

Aalasky17 2025-05-02 github

@TuxThePenguin76 Also - in the games where you are seeing this - do you have steam input enabled? Another thing to try would be enabling/disabling steam input.

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-02 github
TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-02 github
Aammgws 2025-05-03 github

Just to give another data point and also rule out the controller itself, am getting this with an 8BitDo 2C Wireless controller (connected through 2.4GHz dongle, have not tried wired or Bluetooth).
Game: Marvel Midnight Suns
Steam ver: Stable channel v1745876290
Steam Play: default settings
Happens with and without Steam Input enabled.
Usually run whole steam instance through gamescope but it happens when run natively as well.

I think it might be every 15 minutes, which is what the idle controller power off setting is currently set to in Steam. Will try changing that and see if helps.

Can grab logs later if needed.

EDIT: after disabling the controller idle power off setting in Steam, have not had this re-occur during latest gaming session

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-03 github

Idle power changes haven't made a difference forr me. I'm trying to look through the log i've created but I'm just learning what all the log messages mean

Aammgws 2025-05-04 github

I just had it happen again after a few hours, even with the idle power settings turned off. But at least it is better than before when it was happening within minutes.

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-04 github

I've just had a successful 2h session forcing version 9.0-4
I think all previous runs may have been on hotfix, experimental or beta,
I will continue to test

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-05 github

I have had failures on
Proton: 1746026407 experimental-10.0-20250430
Proton: 1746128130 hotfix-20250501

TTheM1Stery 2025-05-06 github

I have the same issue, it works fine on Proton 9.0-4. This happened after the experimental switched to Proton 10. I've also reported this.

I reproduce it every time. It happens because the keyboard or the mouse reconnect to the pc and the game forgets about the dualsense.

Try it, disable your keyboard or mouse and reenable them. The game doesn't react to the dualsense after this

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-06 github

Yes, It was instantaneous on switching off and back on my mouse

Aalasky17 2025-05-06 github

@ammgws WRT "idle controller power" - are you just letting the game sit open and waiting for the controller to disconnect, or are you actively playing the game?

@TheM1Stery could you also get a log with PROTON_LOG=+hid,+hidp,+hid_report,+plugplay,+rawinput,+dinput,+xinput,+joystick,+setupapi,+input %command% from switching off and back on your mouse? Also, what type of mouse do you have?

Aammgws 2025-05-06 github

I am actively playing the game. However even idle power settings turned off I still run into the issue from time to time.

Happened in another game now: Miles Morales

Rrbernon 2025-05-07 github

steam-1903340.log.gz

Thanks for the log! It looks like Wine finds some keyboard hidraw device and that it is causing a crash in the HID stack at some point when input is received on that device. (It's actually a known Wine issue, although it's probably not a good idea to make hidraw keyboards work transparently for the reasons below)

On one hand we should probably be ignoring these devices entirely, and that's what Proton 9 was doing, I've pushed a change to Proton Experimental bleeding-edge branch if you want to test that.

On the other hand, this indicates a specific system configuration that allows a non-privileged user to read mouse/keyboard devices through hidraw, as this is not the default under every Linux distribution I know.

It's not necessarily an issue if you know what you're doing but be aware that this means any application can read your keyboard input at the lowest level and can bypass any protection against keylogging. In general only gamepads are considered safe to allow through hidraw, on a per-device basis, using udev rules.

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-07 github

I will test bleeding edge tonight

TTuxThePenguin76 2025-05-07 github

I could not replicate the issue using bleeding edge. thank you @rbernon

Aammgws 2025-05-07 github

It looks like Wine finds some keyboard hidraw device and that it is causing a crash in the HID stack at some point when input is received on that device
On the other hand, this indicates a specific system configuration that allows a non-privileged user to read mouse/keyboard devices through hidraw, as this is not the default under every Linux distribution I know.

Interesting... I had this udev rule in order for my keyboard manufacturer's browser based configuration tool to work. Will try without it.

KERNEL=="hidraw*", SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3434", ATTRS{idProduct}=="d030", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess", TAG+="udev-acl"
KERNEL=="hidraw*", SUBSYSTEM=="hidraw", ATTRS{idVendor}=="3434", ATTRS{idProduct}=="0a10", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess", TAG+="udev-acl"
Nnebadon2025 2025-05-08 github

Every controller i have doesn't work long on Proton 10 / Experimental / Hotfix, after 10 minutes it disconnects and only way to fix it is restart game, so far I have not found anything in logs that seems relevant. anyone have any clues what is going on with proton 10? doesnt matter if its wired or wireless or if steam input is enabled or disabled its always the same exact result. Also as a note I am not on Dual Sense, this is happening primarily with my Gamesir G7 SE Wired controller.

I tried to get a proton log but by the time the gamepad became unresponsive which was less than 10 minutes, the log was 9.1gb i tailed the last 10,000 lines and got 100% nonsense, no idea what is going on but Proton 10 is really broken badly.
https://gist.github.com/nebadon2025/8d2d066efb33a9543a153ba04b3f380b

Aalasky17 2025-05-08 github

@ammgws Interesting! I'll be curious if that fixes it for you on 10.0-1d (which does not yet have the fix).

In the meantime - an experimental release just went live with what we hope is the fix. @nebadon2025 @ammgws @TheM1Stery Could you please test for a while with experimental-10 and let me know whether or not you still get any random controller disconnection?

Nnebadon2025 2025-05-08 github

@ammgws Interesting! I'll be curious if that fixes it for you on 10.0-1d (which does not yet have the fix).

In the meantime - an experimental release just went live with what we hope is the fix. @nebadon2025 @ammgws @TheM1Stery Could you please test for a while with experimental-10 and let me know whether or not you still get any random controller disconnection?

Its fixed! I think you guys nailed it, 15 minutes in Fallout 76 and still no disconnect yet! this is the longest I have gone on Proton 10 so far!

TTheM1Stery 2025-05-08 github

@alasky17 @rbernon Thanks for the fix. The controller works properly now and it doesn't disconnect after some time or when connecting a mouse/keyboard.

Aalasky17 2025-05-20 github

This fix shipped with Proton 10.0-1f. I'm going to go ahead and close this issue :)