Cannot input Japanese/Korean/Chinese (CJK languages) in the Steam Overlay.

steamopen overlay

ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#11842 · opened 2025-03-24 by suykjay · updated 2025-05-17 · 1 comments · github

Ssuykjay 2025-03-24 github

Your system information

Steam client version (build number or date):
Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Fedora、Arch、Ubuntu
Opted into Steam client beta?: No
Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
GPU: AMD

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

When using the Steam Overlay (Shift+Tab) in-game, CJK input methods fail to work properly. The input field only accepts English characters despite:
CJK input functioning normally in the Steam client itself
CJK input working correctly in Steam Big Picture mode
Input method (e.g., fcitx5) operating normally outside of Steam Overlay

Steps for reproducing this issue:

Enable the fcitx5 input method.
Launch any game that supports the Steam Overlay. After entering the game, press Shift+Tab to open the Overlay and attempt to type in the browser or friend chat interface. The input method will fail to work.

Ii-h8-github 2025-05-17 github

What's more, cannot input CJK characters at all in chat. Cannot even paste CJK, as it shows up as some language I do not understand. Even if I change the entire Steam language to, say, Japanese, it makes a really bizarre font choice apparently based on the last Japanese font I installed on my system. And even then, all of the above remains broken.

Literally unusable.

Nothing extracted yet.