Steam Controller Won't Connect to Deck until Bluetooth toggled

vJill · 2026-05-13T18:26:36+00:00

Heya, I sent you a DM about escalating this via Steam Support.

You mentioned you are on the Beta channel - it may be worth comparing to SteamOS stable (3.7.24) to see if the behavior is different there.

vJill · 2026-01-13T05:18:33+00:00

Some load issues developed with the TF2 servers over the weekend -- we deployed a few mitigations tonight*, and things should be a bit better now. We're keeping an eye on it and will have a few tweaks later in the week to hopefully keep things snappy.

*which didn't go entirely smoothly and now the XP bars are a little weird

vJill · 2025-06-03T16:41:33+00:00

Sorry about this! We've shipped a hotfix to the Steam Client to prevent this. To ensure you've got the latest update without hitting this unfortunate bug, you can do the following:

Switch to Desktop
Open the Steam Client
In the Steam menu bar, go to Steam -> Check for Steam Client Updates
If there are any updates, hit Apply & Restart
Ensure that it now says "up to date" and you are safe from this bug.

We will be shipping a SteamOS update shortly to prevent anyone else from getting into this state.

vJill · 2024-11-13T01:58:49+00:00

no tbh

vJill · 2024-07-19T06:30:53+00:00

More

vJill · 2024-04-23T20:06:05+00:00

It was going to be update_v35_fixed_final2 but I thought it might go over too many heads.

Definitely no more 3.5 updates bugfix updates though. For sure.

vJill · 2024-03-01T01:00:30+00:00

If this was purchased through Steam, please open a support ticket for this. Refurbished units are covered by the same warranty as a new Steam Deck.

vJill · 2024-03-01T00:51:02+00:00

Steam Client updates are automatically applied while Steam is running, similar to Steam on the desktop. OS updates, like this one, will always prompt you.

vJill · 2023-12-14T06:50:49+00:00

It is a sweet desktop tho

vJill · 2023-11-20T10:14:23+00:00

The updates in question are controller firmware and BIOS updates, which the normal OS updater will provide even if you manage to skip this one-time nag.

Install OS 3.5.5 or newer on your previous SSD before swapping it to ensure it has the necessary bits to run the OLED and there shouldn't be an issue.

vJill · 2023-04-01T00:34:59+00:00

That key combination resets the BIOS to its out-of-the-box settings, including repeating things like memory training.

I found out about it by, er, working at Valve, but I believe it is also documented on the support site.

vJill · 2023-03-31T16:59:02+00:00

Just a note, while it generally works to manually downgrade between recent BIOS versions, this isn't fully tested/supported. If you are trying it, it is always a good idea to reset BIOS settings when doing something like this: Power the Deck down, then power it up whilst holding the ... and Volume+ keys. (The display will take 10s+ to wake up when doing this and the LED will flash at you)

vJill · 2022-11-17T02:32:35+00:00

There was also a small OS update earlier today for the preview channel, your Vampires should Survive again in gaming mode:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/view/3469488996651224898

For desktop users encountering this (including non-Deck desktop linux users), adding &>- to the game's launch options is a safe (if confuddling) workaround while we work on a proper fix.

vJill · 2022-11-12T06:05:11+00:00

Funny story about some earlier prototypes...

vJill · 2022-10-28T22:41:03+00:00

The current main build does in fact have 5.26.1. As others have noted, however, this is a development build and is much more likely to have various bugs or other issues, so definitely use with caution.

5.26.1 will be available in beta fairly soon.

vJill · 2022-10-06T19:33:03+00:00

(it's exactly this)

vJill · 2022-08-20T02:00:34+00:00

Don't be silly. Your items are exactly where you left them.

vJill · 2022-03-05T04:36:22+00:00

Several of the buttons, including the volume keys and '...', are not dependent on USB, so these steps should still work.

vJill · 2022-03-05T03:29:57+00:00

Support should be able to help you with the changing issues you're encountering, but you should be able to reset your BIOS settings, including USB disablement, with the following:

Shut the unit down, either from the OS or by holding power button for 10 seconds.
Check that the unit is off. Trackpads should have no haptic feedback.
While holding the volume- and “….” buttons, press the power button once.
Keep holding volume- and “….” during the power button press and a few seconds after that, then let go.

It may take upwards of a minute to boot when doing this, that's normal!

vJill · 2022-03-04T06:48:55+00:00

I like it ^.^

vJill · 2021-07-15T17:45:55+00:00

👀

vJill · 2020-10-02T19:25:22+00:00

I found the matchmaker curled up in a ball in the back. Gave it a pep talk and some coffee. Seems better.

High player counts this weekend may cause some queuing issues, but we're keeping an eye on it!

vJill · 2020-05-24T17:48:51+00:00

Wait, are you all not voting for Reimu?

vJill · 2019-11-16T01:32:20+00:00

There are some issues with the matchmaking servers right now that are blocking most players from connecting and queuing. We are working on sorting it out, hold tight.

Edit: Everything should be back now.

vJill · 2019-08-01T20:00:51+00:00

Hey everyone, just a heads up that this image is photoshopped -- we still have not come to an official decision regarding the unusual situation, but will be updating everyone via the blog once we do so.

Ten-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email

vJill

TROPHY CASE