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There's a new Steam Deck Client Beta update available and with it comes some much needed improvements to the on-screen keyboard. Want to try it out? Head to the Settings > System and select either Beta or Preview from the Steam Update Channel dropdown box.

Here's what's new:

General

  • Improved the responsiveness of On-Screen Keyboard
  • Fixed missing keystrokes when touch typing on the On-Screen Keyboard in desktop mode
  • Fixed the in-game On-Screen Keyboard text entry dialog sometimes having buttons cut off

Steam Input

  • Fixed issue where command settings would not save
  • Fixed an issue where Mouse Edge Spin would be more sensitive on the left-side of the trackpad than the right

Remote Play

  • Fixed crashing issue when streaming from one Steam Deck to another

Testing out the typing in desktop mode myself this morning and yup — the on-screen keyboard typing accuracy seems to be vastly improved and works properly now.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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5 comments

gradyvuckovic Sep 21, 2022
Very nice improvement for the onscreen keyboard.

If I could have two wishes for the onscreen keyboard, I'd ask for these two features:
- An option to manually move the keyboard around the screen (and remembering the last position).
- A 'compact' mode where the keyboard is 2/3rds of it's current size.

With that, it'd be near perfect.
const Sep 21, 2022
Very nice improvement for the onscreen keyboard.

If I could have two wishes for the onscreen keyboard, I'd ask for these two features:
- An option to manually move the keyboard around the screen (and remembering the last position).
- A 'compact' mode where the keyboard is 2/3rds of it's current size.

With that, it'd be near perfect.
I'd add

- remove double mapping of LT/RT depending on state, it's damn irritating
- additional keys, like esc, f1-f12...
- augmented typing/auto-completion at least based on history (like why do I need to type my whole email address again and again in 2022)
- transparent mode and blind-typing mode where only the currently hovered keys are shown for each touchpad


Last edited by const on 21 September 2022 at 9:48 am UTC
LordDaveTheKind Sep 21, 2022
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Is the on-screen keyboard available now also in the login screen in desktop mode? In case it doesn't, I will still keep CoreKeyboard on my taskbar.

This is related to the only thing I seriously hate about the Steam Deck: the Steam login system, which deletes the password from the stored credentials when you change either country or network. This would make perfectly sense for a PC at home (which won't never change either network or country settings), but this is unacceptable for a portable device. I can't waste my time to enter back again the password in desktop mode any time I fly to a different country, where (guess what) you might not have the same quality of connection you have at home. This issue seriously has to be addressed.
gaboversta Sep 21, 2022
For me to uninstall onboard and exclusively use the steam keyboard in desktop mode one thing needs to happen: The layout should contain all the keys an actual keyboard of that layout has, including on other layers.
A keyboard without arrow up is not suitable for desktop use.

These fixes sound nice, though I never noticed anything wrong with the things they are mentioning.
Let's hope they keep working on the keyboard!
EWG Sep 21, 2022
I hope this makes it to Stable soon! It'd be much easier than having to dig out my Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. M. keyboard every single time I want to do something quickly, like look up a website.

I've been trying whatever OSK is available via Flathub and.. it works but it's certainly not enjoyable to use. I'll put it like that. lol
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