Main/3.5 beta channel controller firmware: strange left trackpad behavior

[dogtopus]

Your system information

• Steam client version: Beta (1690583737)
• SteamOS version: Main (3.5-20230727.1000)
• Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes/No] Y
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: [Yes/No] Y
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: [Yes/No] Y

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

Describe what you expected should happen and what did happen.

This is probably known internally, although it has been lingering for quite a while so I figured that I'd open a ticket here just in case.

The controller firmware shipped with main seems to have some strange sensitivity setting for the left trackpad. When applying pressure to one of the 4 corners, even just a little, seems to make the pressure readings jump all over the place between around 100 to around 2000. This could also cause the touchpad click event to repeatedly trigger due to the erratic pressure readings. Stable controller firmware doesn't have this problem and the pressure readings seem much more linear than its main counterpart.

Steps for reproducing this issue:

1. Switch to main OS update channel.
2. Go to Settings -> Controller -> Test Device Inputs
3. Lightly press one of the corners on the left touchpad
4. See the values jump

[dogtopus]

Slight update: the values sometimes jump even when no pressure is applied to the left touchpad (just my finger lightly placed on the corners or edges will trigger the behavior). Again this doesn't seem like a hardware issue since it works fine on stable firmware.

[dogtopus]

Also seems like it drifts over time/use but would re-calibrate after power-cycling the controller (cold reboot or suspend then resume).

[dogtopus]

Still reproducible on 3.5 beta.

[blastermaster77]

I have the same problem the trackpads the pressure sensitivity is erratic, it makes the click emulation trigger all the time. The only way to reset it is to shutdown the steam deck. This behavior it manifests more when you put the deck on sleep. This happens for either track pads.

[dogtopus]

I can't seem to reproduce it anymore after installing Nov 2 firmware (current stable release) so maybe it's fixed.

The readings seem to still be not quite as linear as the previous stable firmware but the click event no longer seem to trigger under low/no pressure on the trackpad.

[hajile95]

I can't seem to reproduce it anymore after installing Nov 2 firmware (current stable release) so maybe it's fixed.

The readings seem to still be not quite as linear as the previous stable firmware but the click event no longer seem to trigger under low/no pressure on the trackpad.

I'm still having this issue on my left touchpad with the Nov 2 firmware. Pressing the pads at boot time seemed to make it better, but my readings are still not linear as well.

[dogtopus]

After a month of use, I think I was wrong and the issue still indeed exist. I reproduced this about 3 times during the month, which seems to be slightly better than before but it's still not completely fine.

[Vincenzo160]

I recently had the same problem with the right trackpad, the pressure reading on the test controller screen was wrong especially at the edges of the trackpad, I was able to solve the problem by applying pressure to the center of the trackpads at boot.

[Bisu167]

Same problem on SteamOS 3.5.17. Even slightly touch on left trackpad (without clicking it) detect different value of pressure, higher on corners. After sleep/wake up cycle issue fix themselves temporarily, so it look like software error.

[emcy849]

The bug is NOT fixed. See this video, pay attention to the left pad click pressure. I am not clicking the pad with my finger at any point, just swiping it: https://files.catbox.moe/1w835l.mp4

Once again, just sleeping and waking the deck stops the aberrant click pressure problem for a while, i meant to get that in film but i forgot to do it.

[isijose2]

Hello. I have this exact same issue, it is just like @emcy849 shows on the video. The issue disappear temporarily after reset and event just sleep and awake the system. I have never used the beta channel, I always have used the stable version. At this moment I am using the version 3.5.17 (compilation 20240228.2).

I did a factory reset, but the issue is still there. I want to mention that it seems that there some games that seems to trigger the issue more often. For example the games 10 Second Ninja, SNK Heroines (especially at story mode) and Minit seems to trigger the issue pretty often. I can't reproduce the issue at Dirt5 and neither at Piball FX.

I would like to know if that is something affecting all the Steam Decks (issue related the operating system) or something wrong with my Steam Deck, so at this case I can proceed with the warranty.

Thanks you!