sd-drivers

By launching their very first portable handheld console, Valve not only provided consumers with an affordable way to play a considerable portion of the games purchased via their Steam platform, but choosing Linux as the basis for the operating system allowed them to have full control over the synergy between its hardware and software, thus paving the way for better optimization.

However, despite the company’s efforts to ensure compatibility with as many games as possible through the Proton layer, some users’ favorite titles may not be fully playable yet, prompting them to experiment with Windows — an endeavor that may require sd-drivers.

By default, the Steam Deck’s buttons, joysticks and D-pads emulate an Xbox controller’s input, which can be transformed into keyboard keystrokes manually through dedicated programs such as AntiMicro or Valve’s own Steam Input through the desktop client. However, without Steam running, the trackpads would not be recognized by certain titles such as Valorant, ultimately limiting the Deck’s full feature set.

As such, the app at hand seeks to completely bypass the need for the X-input emulation layer and translate the Steam Deck’s raw inputs to keyboard and mouse in order to prevent any input clashes with games that feature full controller support.

Once downloaded, users can preview the keyboard and mouse codes for their respective virtual input and assign them to the relevant buttons on their Steam Deck by editing the appropriate files within the app’s “configs” folder to make the most of the console’s plethora of input methods and make mouse-based games more accessible for those that happen to find joystick aiming rather limiting in comparison with the trackpad.

If you want to incorporate the dual trackpads into your gameplays for both First-Person Shooters and point-and-click style titles, then sd-drivers may be one of the few solutions outside Valve’s desktop client’s Steam Input settings, when it comes to bypassing the Xbox controller emulation layer.