Your system information

• Steam client version (build number or date): Apr 18 2023, at 23:21:04
• Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Ubuntu 20.04
• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Have you checked for system updates?: Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Steam is constantly making network requests, resulting in ~30KiB/s constant download. I am not sure when this started, but I just noticed it looking at the network graph in gnome-system-monitor.

It is constantly requesting the same two files from steamusercontent-a.akamaihd.net every second.
These files are:

1. 1865225958_controller_config.vdf
2. 1865216935_controller_config.vdf

This also results in DNS queries for the domain every 5 seconds.
Both games are installed, having played Crash N Sanity Trilogy very recently. These look like default controller configs.
The URLs requested are in the form /ugc/NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN/NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. Unsure if they contain any personally identifying IDs, and as such I am not sharing them at this time.

The issue persists whether I have any controllers plugged in or not. I recently plugged in a second Steam Controller, which might have triggered this. I do not have any xbox or playstation controllers. Steam input is working fine.

I can't find any way to stop this constant request loop, or to change the behaviour in any way. I tried changing tabs (store, library), starting Big Picture, plugging and unplugging controllers, closing all steam windows, going offline in "Steam Friends".

The moment the Steam client was closed ("Exit Steam" from tray icon) is clearly identifiable due to the lack of network activity.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Start steam client
2. Look at network graph