ValveSoftware
On Screen Keyboard: not all keys work in game
Your system information
- Steam client version (build number or date): 1721173382
- Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Arch Linux
- Opted into Steam client beta?: No
- Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
- Steam Logs: [generate by running this command in a terminal
tar -zcvf ~/Desktop/steam-logs.tar.gz ~/.steam/steam/logs] - GPU: AMD RX7800XT / Nvidia GTX960
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
Describe what you expected should happen and what did happen. Please link any large code pastes as a Github Gist
When trying to enter any text inside Steam Overlay while running a game, input from some keys is ignored or triggers another action (like switching to another input field). It doesn't matter if I use a physical keyboard, or a controller and the On Screen Keyboard. This only happens for some keys, at least "r", "t" and "o".
This issue can be reproduced in both Desktop Mode and Big Picture. I have tried on 2 boxes running Archlinux, one has an AMD gfx card, the other has an Nvidia card.
Expected behavior: Steam Overlay lets me enter text using all keys using both the On Screen Keyboard and a Physical Keyboard.
Observed behavior: Steam Overlay ignored some keys on both the On Screen Keyboard and a Physical Keyboard when entering text.
Steps for reproducing this issue:
- Plug in any kind of controller.
- Open the Steam Overlay.
- Edit the Input Configuration.
- Rename something. Some keys don't do anything, or seem to trigger another actions, such as moving to another input element. The "o" key consistently fails to do anything, "r" and "t" sometimes work after a fresh Steam launch, and then also fail. a. I have tried using a Steam Controller, a Dual Sense controller and a physical keyboard.
- Try again using the On Screen Keyboard in game.
- Exit the game and try step 3 and 4 outside of any game. This does work.
I have the same issue. Issue only exists in Big Picture Mode. It was introduced into the stable release a couple of months ago for me. Exact same behavior you described. Same results on Linux Mint 21.3 and Linux Mint 22. Both systems ran Xfce. Issue still not resolved, 6-21-25.
I have the same issue. Seems like no matter the keyboard layout I choose for Steam keyboard overlay, along with the selected keyboard layout, pressing certain letters like: O, R, T, L will act as pressing physical arrows keys, just like Dvorak keyboard layout functions. I tried editing the localconfig.vdf and change the SteamOverlay keyboard setting but to no avail.
O is the Up Arrow R is the Right Arrow T is the Down Arrow L is the Left Arrow
I'm not sure that is correct. R, T and O are consistently broken for me, but I have no problem with the L key.
Another thing, the keyboard worked correctly when I tried in a Gamepad UI session using this: https://github.com/ChimeraOS/gamescope-session-steam
Valve, I hope you're tracking this, since it seems to affect more Linux users. Can you reply and let us know if this on your radar?
Manjaro XFCE I have the same problem.
O is the Up Arrow R is the Right Arrow T is the Down Arrow
q goes left, but only if it's the 1st letter typed, i.e.:
- "qqqqqq" - moves left
- "abc qqq" - works fine
Happens on both stable and beta client.
Your system information
- Steam client version (build number or date): 1735842154 (Thu, Jan 2 19:10 UTC -08:00)
- Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Manjaro
- Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
- Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
- Steam Logs: (will add later if needed)
- GPU: AMD
This is also occurring for me in CachyOS. Submitted a ticket that I didn't realize was a dupe.
I'm curious if there's some bigger rework for Steam BPM on Linux coming, in the future. There's a lot of issues with it.
same thing exists on arch (x11) only exists in big picture mode's overlay for me
Bumping this.
Your system information Steam client version (build number or date): 1735842154 (Thu, Jan 2 19:10 UTC -08:00) Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Ubuntu Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes Have you checked for system updates?: Yes Steam Logs: (will add later if needed) GPU: NVIDIA
Happening on Nixos > Hyperland using stable or beta for many months now. same as previously reported with o,t,r keys.
Having the same issues on Mint Cinnamon, trying to get the on-screen keyboard working with my game.
Happening on Nixos > Hyperland using stable or beta for many months now. same as previously reported with o,t,r keys.
I switched to Bazzite, and the OSK DOES work on that distro. I believe I saw something about a special Steam keyboard driver or a Kwin window script for the OSK. I am not at my home, so I cannot verify that right now. I hope that it leads you in the right direction.
Having the same issues on Mint Cinnamon, trying to get the on-screen keyboard working with my game.
As a game dev? I don't think you can do anything about it. It's a Steam client issue. It doesn't happen on SteamOS, though, so no issue on Steam Deck, which AFAIU is where you'd need the OSK to work in your game. If you're trying to test OSK on Cinnamon, it won't work as expected until the issue is fixed on Valve's side. (Unless Cinnamon does whatever Bazzite did - maybe it works on Bazzite thanks to HHD.)
Same issue for me, using Endeavour OS which is arch based same as steamos on steamdeck it only occurs in overlay mode
+1 Same issue with R,T, and O keys on Bazzite.
Also seeing the issue running Steam in Docker with Games on Whales (Wolf).
Another EndeavourOS user here, same issue. Happens when using physical keyboard or the steam virtual keyboard.
Looks like this problem is exactly the same as https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/11236, according to the comment saying:
O is the Up Arrow R is the Right Arrow T is the Down Arrow
which is the exact same behavior i seem to have in that issue
Having this issue on Plasma running Arch with every kernel I have installed. Only happens in games, the guide button chord OSK doesn't have this issue and the O, R, and T keys work properly outside games launched with Big Picture. Relaunching doesn't fix it.
Certain keys also seem to activate my 6th Launch key for whatever reason, which I have bound to open ROG Control Center. Weird.
It seems the issue happens on Linux for Wayland environments. Which could explain why it's not happening on Steam Deck I think they have xwayland or maybe even x11 not 100% sure.
Was someone able to reproduce this on a non wayland environment?
The steam deck uses a wayland compositor, and im able to reproduce on a non-wayland environment which i also reported on https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/11236 with a lot more detail
Same here on Cachy + KDE (doesn't seem to make a difference though). Tested a few different Steam osk layouts as well in case it made a difference but no luck there.
I'm on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed using KDE Plasma and I've also had this issue when using Big Picture mode and trying to use the on screen keyboard with my controller.. I don't know if this was the game itself or part of this issue but when I shifted for an uppercase letter, it only entered a lowercase one. Otherwise R, O, T are an issue still.
I have the issue on Bazzite, when trying to use letters like O, T, etc it will act as a directional input instead of typing the character.
