protonscr

Guide Button Chords No Longer Work

steamopen Distro Family: ArchGeneral controller / Steam Input
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#12392 · opened 2025-10-18 by Sterophonick · updated 2026-07-06 · 4 comments · github
SSterophonick 2025-10-18 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1760657741
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): CachyOS Linux
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
  • GPU: AMD

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Guide Button chords in Steam Input have largely been borked. On Steam Deck, you can no longer use the triggers for mouse clicks anymore, the keyboard and magnifier can also no longer be used.

On DualSense, this is also true, with Guide+(SOUTH) no longer bringing up the Quick-access menu. Previous Steam builds had borked the use of chords on external controllers, with the keyboard not being usable and the triggers and bumpers being flipped.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Boot Steam
  2. Boot a Game
  3. Try to open the keyboard, click the mouse, or use the magnifier with their respective chords.
SSterophonick 2025-10-30 github

Worth noting that this is also happening for a friend who is on SteamOS. Please take a look at this, I literally cannot take screenshots anymore.

RReoJack 2026-07-06 github

Im on bazzite with the same issue, guide chords no longer work on steam controller. Pressing guide trigger no longer clicks mouse however pressing the right trackpad does work, i cant take recording clips or turn of controller or any of the other chord shortcuts shown in the controller layout

Tteroshan 2026-07-06 github

FWIW I had the same issue but it started working again recently on Arch Linux, KDE Plasma 6.6.6, Wayland.

It started working when I fixed my XDG Desktop Portal services, which prevented me from sharing my screen using e.g. Discord or simply https://www.webrtc-experiment.com/Pluginfree-Screen-Sharing/.

In my previous installation I have tinkered with my portals which broke the services. It broke when I migrated from dwm/X11 to KDE/Wayland, another reason I suspect this issue.

Not sure if related, but stopping the user Systemd portal services crashes Steam right now when I use a Guide Button Chord to pause a video:

  1. Start Steam, start a video in Firefox.
  2. Use a Guide Button Chord to pause the video -> Works
  3. Use a Guide Button Chord to unpause the video -> Works
  4. systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal.service plasma-xdg-desktop-portal-kde.service
    both portals active (adapt to your DE)
  5. systemctl --user stop xdg-desktop-portal.service plasma-xdg-desktop-portal-kde.service
  6. Use a Guide Button Chord to pause the video -> Steam crashes
  7. systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal.service plasma-xdg-desktop-portal-kde.service
    both portals inactive
  8. Start Steam
  9. systemctl --user status xdg-desktop-portal.service plasma-xdg-desktop-portal-kde.service
    both portals active, Steam starts them for me

Anything systemd and Desktop Portal is black magic to me, not sure what additional scenarios I can test out. Can't share logs right now though.

RReoJack 2026-07-06 github

Might be a different issue but for me what fixed it was just guide+select, screen reader was enabled and when its enabled it blocks chord buttons, pressing guide+select toggles it. I heard someone made a script that makes sure its off on boot but mines stayed off so far

Nothing extracted yet.