protonscr

wireless Steam Controller + DualSense/XBoxOne controller crashes steam on any game startup

steamopen Steam clientSteam controller
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#13268 · opened 2026-05-27 by misomosi · updated 2026-08-05 · 2 comments · github
Mmisomosi 2026-05-27 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version 1779918128:

  • Distribution Cachy-OS:

  • Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes

  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes

  • Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz

  • GPU: Nvidia

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

When starting steam with a steam controller (via puck) and another controller like a dualsense or an xbox controller connected, launching any controller-enabled game crashes steam. This crash always accompanies an error in the console Assertion Failed: Error while parsing text KeyValues for resource controller_mappings.

Workarounds:

  1. Connecting the steam controller via direct USB avoids the issue. This only happens when utilizing the puck.
  2. Connecting the DualSense controller after Steam has launched avoids the issue
  3. Connecting steam controller after game has launched avoids the issue
    When using these workarounds, everything works fine until steam restarts.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Connect DualSense (wired or wireless)
  2. Connect Puck, turn on Steam Controller
  3. Launch Steam
  4. Launch controller-enabled game (my testing involves Ship of Fools)
Kkisak-valve maintainer 2026-05-27 github

Possible duplicate of #13195.

Bbdgerszewski 2026-08-05 github

Are you still able to reproduce the issue? I had the exact same problem. I was working on drafting a bug report and was seeing if I could reproduce in more games, and realized that I could no longer reproduce the issue. Since it's the same issue you described, I'll skip opening a new issue and add my draft here.

I'm currently on Steam client version 1785799196.

Also, to me this issue seems distinct from #13195. I've had no issue updating the firmware of the Steam controller, the Steam controller works fine when it's the only controller connected (including wirelessly), and Steam doesn't crash when the controller(s) are connected; Steam hangs after a game is launched, and then crashes if you wait a few minutes.

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1782866176, 1784778118, 1785187029
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): CachyOS
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: No
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: Added inline, can provide more if needed
  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 4070

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

When a Steam Controller (2026) is connected after another controller (Xbox Series X controller in my case), Steam hangs when launching a game and eventually crashes. The hang takes Steam Input with it, and the controller doesn't work, and games usually either fail to launch (Steam hung before it could launch the game) or crash soon after launching.

Looking at the controller.txt, when the Steam Controller is connected first, we see BYieldingRegisterSteamController followed shortly after by BYieldingCompleteSteamControllerRegistration. When the Steam Controller is connected second, we see BYieldingRegisterSteamController, but BYieldingCompleteSteamControllerRegistration never comes.

Working run (Steam Controller first)

BYieldingQueryAccountsRegisteredToController
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodCallFromClient - 124 bytes     <- query
WIRELESS SYSTEM DEBUG: UPTIME(ms) 1583
BYieldingRegisterSteamController
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodCallFromClient - 112 bytes     <- register request
WIRELESS SYSTEM DEBUG: UPTIME(ms) 2617
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodResponse - 271 bytes
BYieldingCompleteSteamControllerRegistration
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodCallFromClient - 124 bytes

Failing run (Xbox Series X controller first)

BYieldingQueryAccountsRegisteredToController
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodCallFromClient - 124 bytes     <- query, identical
WIRELESS SYSTEM DEBUG: UPTIME(ms) 1547
BYieldingRegisterSteamController
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodResponse - 532 bytes           <- unrelated inbound WebUI
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethod - 64 bytes
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodResponse - 21 bytes
Sent message: k_EMsgServiceMethodResponse - 21 bytes
Sent message: k_EMsgClientHeartBeat - 26 bytes

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Start Steam with no controllers connected (or a controller other than the Steam Controller)
  2. Ensure a controller other than the Steam Controller is connected
  3. Connect the Steam Controller (only tested with wireless connection via puck)
  4. Launch a game (mainly tested with Split Fiction)

Nothing extracted yet.