This is probably a gamescope issue with the overlay opacity changing. What happens here is that typically, when there is no cursor on the screen, the Steam Deck uses something called direct scanout to reduce power usage on the GPU while playing games in Game Mode. When a mouse cursor is drawn on the screen, gamescope stops using direct scanout and starts compositing, i.e. assembling mulitple layers together to make one image that's presented to you.
It's when gamescope starts compositing that you will see overlays, including the radial/touch/hotbar menu overlay, slightly change opacity. The same thing happens to the performance overlay if you take a look at it.
This is probably a gamescope issue with the overlay opacity changing. What happens here is that typically, when there is no cursor on the screen, the Steam Deck uses something called direct scanout to reduce power usage on the GPU while playing games in Game Mode. When a mouse cursor is drawn on the screen, gamescope stops using direct scanout and starts compositing, i.e. assembling mulitple layers together to make one image that's presented to you.
It's when gamescope starts compositing that you will see overlays, including the radial/touch/hotbar menu overlay, slightly change opacity. The same thing happens to the performance overlay if you take a look at it.
Issue is still occuring 4 months in just to reconfirm.
Sometimes issues get resolved w/o closure & I end up having to manually close the threads.
Nothing extracted yet.
Your system information
System Prerequisites:
Device: Steam Deck OLED
OS Channel Update: Main
Steam Client Update Channel: Steam Deck Beta
OS Version: 3.8
OS Build: 20250218.1000
Kernel Version: 6.11.11-valve4-2-neptune-611-gabbae5642abb
BIOS Version: F7G0112
Steam Version: 1739497777
Steps to Reproduce:
Be in SteamOS "Game Mode".
Open Any Library Game Page( I used Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue) --> Go to Controller Settings.
Modify an existing Layout Template --> Add a Visual(Radial/Touch/Hotbar) Menu + Add Any Input to the Menu Buttons.
3(a) Leave the Menu on Default Settings
3(b). To follow my exact example..
Go to Community Layout --> Apply: "𝕊𝖚𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗 | Four Rhythmns ∵ Layout: V1.00 | [Steam Deck]"
(Touch Menu is set to Left Trackpad : [L-TPAD)
Start the Game.
Activate the Visual(Radial/Touch/Hotbar) Menu using the designated input method.
The Layout's Opacity will appear as it should for 0.5-1.5 seconds before fading deeper.
(More noticible on Brighter backgrounds)
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c8c19896-1396-4774-9d61-b446f81ebc13
(Video Demonstration)
Notes
As shown in the video, upon activating another Action Set the Opacity will return to default momentarily(0.5 -1.5sec) before fading back to an unseeable opacity level.
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/263b2ab2-ce37-41f9-b3d0-47a9923b8e7e
Upon Further Investigation this may be linked to Mouse Behavior in SteamOS. It appears that if the Mouse is visible the Visual Menu remains retains its default settings, until it disapears.
Changing the Menu's Opacity in increments(from Default: 90-99) also does nothing, unless you choose 100%, which is Full Visibility.
Upon choosing 100%, it will immediately take effect & not ignore your previous entries.
With that said I'm of the belief that this bug has possibly been present since(at the earliest) Early Jan 2025, I have just been too busy during that time to make a proper report.
The issue still persists going into Late February, likely because nobody has noticed nor made a report, so I am doing so now to atleast bring awareness to this.