Support for docked/desktop mode: external controllers and keyboard are not working

[XargonWan]

At the moment only the handheld mode is properly working, the keboard and the external controllers are not.

Moreover the Desktop Mode can break the controls. it's suggested to play only in handheld mode + game mode for the moment.

[XargonWan]

About desktop mode: seems like that Steam is failing to pass the controller config to any shortcut in desktop mode, including RetroDECK as well.

EDIT: some user on reddit are reporting that the external controllers are not working as well, I think it's a SteamOS limitation, for now at least. Maybe when the official dock will be release Valve will fix these stuff (and maybe that's why it's not yet released).

[craw0967]

I installed RetroDECK on an HP computer running PopOS. I noticed that when I launched RetroDECK from Steam Big Picture mode, I experienced this issue or a similar one, where an external controllers input would not be recognized by RetroDECK.

I realize you don’t support anything other than the Steam Deck and that ymmv, however in my situation, I found a workaround to get external controllers working and wanted to pass it along just in case.

I opened the RetroDECK page in Steam Big Picture mode, went to “Manage Shortcut”, then opened “Controller Options”.

From there I made sure both “Allow Desktop Configuration in Launcher” and “Enable Overlay on Non-Steam Game” were unchecked. I also changed “Steam Input Per-Game Setting” to “Forced Off”.

I saved these settings and restarted Steam and RetroDECK. My 8BitDO controller now works in RetroDECK when launching it from Steam Big Picture mode.

I’m not sure which option was preventing the external controller from working, and this may or may not work on the Steam Deck, but hopefully it’s helpful in some capacity.

[Lazorne]

We also have to take account for none standard controllers:

Dancepads, Plastic Instruments, Wii Motes, Lightguns and others. Most of them are supported by native emulators, but... we need an easy way to expose them and configure them.

[Lazorne]

We are working on everything with the

CUP Project and related CUP tagged issues https://github.com/XargonWan/RetroDECK/issues/194