Steamy Controller

Share your Steam Deck controller wirelessly over the network

A beautiful, modern GUI app for sharing your Steam Deck's built-in controller to your PC using USB/IP. Features automatic PC connection detection, screen dimming, and a touch-friendly interface.

Features

• Share controller over network - Use your Deck's controls on your PC
• PC connection detection - Automatically detects when your PC connects

Prerequisites

Steam Deck Setup

1. Install USB/IP tools via Nix:

   nix profile install nixpkgs#linuxPackages.usbip

2. Configure passwordless sudo (REQUIRED):

   The app needs to run certain commands without password prompts. Create a sudoers file:

   sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/steamdecky-controller

   Add these lines (replace deck with your username if different):

   # Steamy Controller - USB/IP and system control
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/modprobe usbip-core
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/modprobe usbip-host
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/modprobe vhci-hcd
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /home/deck/.nix-profile/bin/usbipd
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /home/deck/.nix-profile/bin/usbip
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/killall usbipd
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbip-host/unbind
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers_probe
   deck ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/tee /sys/class/backlight/*/brightness
   

   Save and exit. Test it works:

   sudo modprobe usbip-core  # Should not ask for password

PC Setup

Install USB/IP tools:

• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install linux-tools-generic
• Fedora: sudo dnf install usbip
• Arch: sudo pacman -S usbip

Quick Start

1. Add to Steam Library

1. Switch to Desktop Mode
2. Open Steam → Games → Add Non-Steam Game
3. Browse to: /home/deck/.../steamdecky-controller/
4. Select deck-controller-gui.py
5. Optional: Rename to "Steamy Controller"

2. Launch from Gaming Mode

1. Find Steamy Controller in your library
2. Tap START SHARING (green button)
3. Status changes to "Waiting for PC..." (orange)

3. Connect from PC

cd pc-scripts
./pc-connect.sh <deck-ip>

Status changes to "PC Connected" (green) ✅

4. Stop Sharing

Use touchscreen to tap STOP SHARING button

• Controller restored to Deck
• Screen brightness restored
• Status returns to "Ready"

How It Works

1. Start Sharing - Controller unbinds from Deck, shared via USB/IP
2. PC Connects - App detects connection, status turns green
3. Auto Screen Management:
   • Screen dims after 10 seconds
   • Tap screen to wake
4. Stop Sharing - Controller rebinds to Deck, everything restored

Important Notes

⚠️ Controller Disabled While Sharing

When sharing is active:

• Physical buttons won't work on the Deck
• Must use touchscreen to stop sharing
• This is normal - controller is bound to USB/IP

Screen Behavior

• Dims after 10 seconds - Tap screen to wake
• Auto-restores on exit - Brightness returns to normal

Network Requirements

• Both devices on same network
• Low latency connection recommended
• PC firewall may need USB/IP traffic allowed (port 3240)

Troubleshooting

"Permission denied" or sudo prompts

You need to configure sudoers (see Prerequisites section above). The app requires passwordless sudo for:

• Loading kernel modules
• Starting/stopping usbipd
• Binding/unbinding devices
• Controlling screen brightness

"usbip not found"

Make sure you installed via Nix and the path in sudoers matches:

which usbip  # Should show /home/deck/.nix-profile/bin/usbip

App won't start

Make sure you're using system Python with tkinter:

/usr/bin/python3 deck-controller-gui.py

The app should launch automatically when run from Steam.

Check USB/IP status

# On Deck (server side):
~/.nix-profile/bin/usbip list -l

# Check if PC is connected:
~/.nix-profile/bin/usbip port

# On PC (client side):
sudo usbip port

Can't stop sharing

If the app crashes or you can't stop:

# Restore controller manually:
echo "3-3" | sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usbip-host/unbind
echo "3-3" | sudo tee /sys/bus/usb/drivers_probe
sudo killall usbipd

Project Structure

steamdecky-controller/
├── deck-controller-gui.py    # Main Kivy app
├── background.webp           # Custom background image
├── lib/                      # Python dependencies (self-contained)
│   ├── kivy/                # Modern touch UI framework
│   ├── darkdetect/
│   ├── filetype/
│   └── packaging/
├── pc-scripts/
│   ├── pc-connect.sh        # Connect from PC
│   └── pc-disconnect.sh     # Disconnect from PC
└── README.md

Technical Details

USB/IP Approach

Uses Linux kernel's USB/IP functionality to share USB devices over the network:

• No plugins required - Pure kernel-level solution
• Low latency - Minimal overhead over LAN
• Standard protocol - Works with any Linux USB/IP client

Controller Device

Steam Deck controller details:

• VID:PID - 28de:1205 (Valve Software)
• Bus ID - Usually 3-3 (may vary)
• Device - /dev/input/event*

License

MIT

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Made for Steam Deck ☁️🎮