How to deactivate Steam Input in Steam Deck or Steam

Several users of Steam Deck have reported experiencing strangeness when utilizing a controller. This is a result of the Steam Input feature, which permits the usage of any supported game controller. While this can be beneficial, at times it causes the controller to exhibit peculiar behavior. In this article, we will explore different approaches to deactivate Steam Input in Steam Deck or Steam Client.

Deactivate Steam Input in Steam Deck or Steam

The following are the methods available to deactivate Steam Input in Steam Deck.

1. Disable Steam Input from In-game settings
2. Disable Steam Input in Big Picture Mode
3. Switch Steam Deck to Desktop Mode and deactivate Steam Input
4. Switch to Old Big Picture Mode and deactivate Steam Input

Let’s discuss each method in detail.

1] Disable Steam Input from In-game settings

We can start by deactivating Steam Input from the settings of the specific game. This change will only affect the chosen game and not all installed games. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Close the game by ending its process from the Task Manager.
2. In Steam, go to your Library.
3. Right-click on the game and select Properties.
4. Go to Controller and choose Disable Steam Input from the drop-down menu.

This will accomplish the task.

2] Disable Steam Input in Big Picture Mode

If the previous method doesn’t work or you prefer an alternative approach, you can use Big Picture Mode. Big Picture Mode is primarily designed for controllers, making it crucial to learn how to disable Steam Input in this mode. Follow the steps below:

1. Open Steam and click on Steam > Settings.
2. Go to In-Game and enable Use the Big Picture Overlay when using a controller.
3. Launch the game in Desktop Mode and press Shift + Tab.
4. Navigate to Controller Options and set Steam Controller Support to Forced Off.

This will accomplish the task.

Read: Fix Game Controller not working in Steam on Windows PC

3] Switch Steam Deck to Desktop Mode and deactivate Steam Input

If you are a Steam Deck user, you can switch to Desktop Mode and deactivate Steam Input using the steps mentioned in the first method. To switch to Desktop Mode, press and hold the power button until the option appears, then select Switch to Desktop. You can exit the Desktop Mode whenever you’re finished.

4] Switch to Old Big Picture Mode and deactivate Steam Input

The old Big Picture Mode does not include Steam Input as one of its features. However, Steam does not have a built-in option to enable the use of the old Big Picture Mode. To overcome this, we need to modify the properties of Steam. Follow the steps below:

1. Right-click on the Steam shortcut on your Desktop and select Properties.
2. In the Target field, append -oldbigpicture.
3. Click Apply > Ok.

Once done, follow the steps mentioned in the second method to set Steam Controller Support to Forced Off.

Hopefully, you can deactivate Steam Input using one of the methods mentioned in this article.

Read: How to reset Steam Deck?

How can I deactivate Steam Input in non-Steam games?

If you want to deactivate Steam Input in a non-Steam game, you must start the game in Big Picture Mode. To do this, go to Steam > Settings > In-Game and enable Use the Big Picture Overlay when using a controller. Once the game is launched in Big Picture Mode, press Shift + Tab, go to Controller Options, and set Steam Controller Support to Forced Off. This will accomplish the task.

Read: How to install Windows 11 on Steam Deck?

How can I enable Steam Input?

Steam does not offer an option to universally deactivate Steam Input for all games. However, you can disable Steam Input for a specific game. To do so, first close the desired game, then access its settings. Under the Controllers tab, select Disable Steam Input. For more information, refer to the first method mentioned earlier in this article.

Also Read: Steam running slow or lagging on Windows PC.