By The Dongle Dilemma
Recently, I decided to pair my trusty Steam Controller up with my Steam Deck. But there was a catch. Out of the box, or at least how most of us left it, the controller relies heavily on its dedicated USB wireless receiver, affectionately known in the community as the puck. Now, the puck is fantastic. It offers a rock-solid connection and incredibly low latency. Back in the day, when I was gaming exclusively on a desktop rig with USB ports to spare, the puck was my absolute go-to.
However, my gaming habits have shifted dramatically towards portable PCs. Whether I am lounging on the couch with my Steam Deck or tinkering with my Xbox Ally X, port real estate is at an absolute premium. Especially with the Steam Deck, which only has a single USB-C port. If I am charging the device or using that port for external storage, plugging in a bulky USB-A puck via a dongle is the exact opposite of convenient. It completely defeats the purpose of a sleek, minimalist portable setup.
The Secret To Bluetooth Mode
I knew the Steam Controller had Bluetooth mode, but figuring out how to activate it wasn’t entirely obvious. There is no physical switch labeled Bluetooth, and the controller does not default to it. If you are like me and just got your controller, you might be scratching your head, wondering why your PC or handheld cannot find it in the Bluetooth pairing menu.
Step-by-Step: Making the Switch
So, how do we ditch the puck and embrace the wireless freedom of Bluetooth? It is actually quite quick and easy once you know the secret handshake. Here is exactly how I do it:
Step 1: First, ensure the controller is fully powered down. Just hold down the central Steam button until the unit completely turns off, make sure the puck is not connected, and USB-C is disconnected from the Steam Controller.
Step 2: Here is where the magic happens. You need to press and hold the B button along with the R1 bumper simultaneously.
Step 3: While holding both buttons down, press the Steam button to turn the controller back on.
If you did it right, you will be greeted by a delightful little chirping noise—one of those charming, quirky sounds the Steam Controller is famous for. The central LED will shift to a bright blue color and begin to rapidly blink. That rapid blinking is your visual cue that the controller has successfully entered Bluetooth pairing mode.
From there, simply navigate to the Bluetooth settings on your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or PC, and look for the controller in your list of available devices. Once you select it and the pairing process completes, the controller will make another funny, triumphant little noise. Just like that, you have a fully working Steam Controller connected via Bluetooth!
Performance Impressions: Puck vs. Bluetooth
You might be wondering about the performance. Is Bluetooth actually as good as the puck? In my honest opinion, it depends entirely on what you are playing. The puck definitely offers the lowest possible latency, which is crucial if you are playing fast-paced competitive shooters or precision platformers where every millisecond counts.
However, in 90% of my gaming sessions—think casual RPGs, strategy games that heavily use the trackpads, or narrative adventures—the Bluetooth connection is completely flawless. I have not noticed any frustrating input lag or dropped connections while playing. When I first connected it to my ROG Ally, I was blown away by how seamlessly it integrated. Having the Steam Controller’s trackpads makes navigating the Windows desktop environment infinitely easier than using traditional analog sticks. It essentially turns the controller into a wireless mouse. On the Steam Deck, the integration is natively flawless. SteamOS recognizes it instantly, and you get access to the incredibly deep Steam Input customization menus right out of the gate. The sheer convenience of not needing a dongle far outweighs the microscopic difference in latency for my daily use.
Switching Back to Puck Mode
If you need to switch back to puck mode, it’s just as simple.
Step 1: Power down the controller and make sure the USB-C is disconnected from the Steam Controller
Step 2: Hold the R1 and A button
Step 3: With both buttons held, press the Steam Button to turn the controller on again
If all is correct, the LED will be white again, and you can now seamlessly switch between Bluetooth and Puck mode at will