I quite like the DS4, but it seems a bit pointless to buy one if you already have the DS5? I'm sure support for the controller will mature in the future.

Doesn't Steam allow you to emulate other controllers if they don't support the DS5 natively?

Most standard Xbox controllers work, as does the Logitech F310 which I can easily recommend.

I've had a couple of Logitech F310 controllers and the wireless F710. All of them worked fine in pretty much everything, and I like the ergonomics, but the build quality seems pretty damn bad. All of these pads broke down the same way: the left trigger started acting up within months of purchase.

A while back I bought an 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ on recommendation of a couple of co-workers, and a cheap bluetooth dongle to go with it, and so far I'm really happy with this one. Costs a bit less than the F710, and in XInput mode it seems to work perfectly in every game I've tried so far. It's got a rechargeable battery (that can be switched out for normal AA batteries), but it can be used wired as well unlike the F710. Feels a lot more solid than any of the Logitechs, and the sticks and triggers are nicer.

I had the opposite, my Logitech F310 only broke due to dropping it often and i'm sure my kid rolled his chair over it. Meanwhile our 8bitdo had to be opened up, and some bits moved due to a button always being pressed down.

A while back I bought an 8BitDo SN30 Pro+ on recommendation of a couple of co-workers, and a cheap bluetooth dongle to go with it, and so far I'm really happy with this one. Costs a bit less than the F710, and in XInput mode it seems to work perfectly in every game I've tried so far. It's got a rechargeable battery (that can be switched out for normal AA batteries), but it can be used wired as well unlike the F710. Feels a lot more solid than any of the Logitechs, and the sticks and triggers are nicer.

Yeah, those are great! 8BitDo supports LVFS/fwupd so even firmware updates are working on Linux.

Size is a bit on the small side though. Almost never use mine, mostly bought them for a retrogaming build that never happened.

Thanks to everyone for the answers, I think I will buy the "8BitDo SN30 Pro +" controller even if in Italy (where I live) it costs 50 euros, more than foreign dealers.
I have 4 controllers, PS4, PS5, Nacon and the Steam controller, each of them works with some games and others not, Mass effect Andromeda only works with Nacon also The Outer worlds only works with Nacon. Outward perfectly recognizes all controllers ... etc etc ... strange isn't it?

Last edited by ghiuma on 22 Dec 2020 at 4:44 pm UTC

I had the opposite, my Logitech F310 only broke due to dropping it often and i'm sure my kid rolled his chair over it. Meanwhile our 8bitdo had to be opened up, and some bits moved due to a button always being pressed down.

I guess I might have just been unlucky, but three times with three different Logitech gamepads all developing the same problem? I think I'll give other brands a chance now.

8BitDo supports LVFS/fwupd so even firmware updates are working on Linux.

Seems like they might have stopped uploading new firmware though. At least manually grabbing and updating the firmware with lvupdtool worked fine.

Seems like they might have stopped uploading new firmware though. At least manually grabbing and updating the firmware with lvupdtool worked fine.

Oh, that's too bad. Hope it's just a temporary oversight!

Thanks to everyone for the answers, I think I will buy the "8BitDo SN30 Pro +" controller even if in Italy (where I live) it costs 50 euros, more than foreign dealers.
I have 4 controllers, PS4, PS5, Nacon and the Steam controller, each of them works with some games and others not, Mass effect Andromeda only works with Nacon also The Outer worlds only works with Nacon. Outward perfectly recognizes all controllers ... etc etc ... strange isn't it?

Are you sure it's not a Steam issue? Seems such a waste to keep buying controllers if it's just a matter of finding a working configuration?

I second Liam, never had any trouble with my wired Xbox 360 controller, strong as a rock, plug and play and 100% Xinput compatible. Except for the goddamn directional cross which is imprecise as f**k. Is this better with the Elite ?

Aside from the Nacon controller which the only problem it has is random disconnection, the ps4 and ps5 controllers when not automatically detected by the game can be changed with the big picture, but too often simply by changing the key set with the counterparts of the game in the keyboard. For that I needed to have "one ring to rule them all", I have been playing Steam Linux since the first day it came out for Linux, and now after years we have really gotten a big advantage in native games and especially those with Proton. I just wish I could use one controller for everything without going crazy for disconnections or other quirks. Think of playing Kingdom as in combat and any controller you use turns off or is no longer recognized. I think it's a driver issue, after all Steam does everything it can for those who play Linux...

Last edited by ghiuma on 22 Dec 2020 at 7:40 pm UTC

I use the DS4 with all steam games and it always works fine. Not all games show PS controller symbols, however, so you still need to know what the abxy buttons are.

Last edited by damarrin on 22 Dec 2020 at 9:36 pm UTC

Sorry if this is too off-topic as the OP mentioned Steam, but what about when you're not using steam? Do your suggestions remain or do they change?

Sorry if this is too off-topic as the OP mentioned Steam, but what about when you're not using steam? Do your suggestions remain or do they change?

I've only had the 8BitDo for a few weeks, but it has worked fine in all of the (relatively recent) Itch and GOG games I've tried so far. For oldies the Logitechs are probably the safer bet.

I second Liam, never had any trouble with my wired Xbox 360 controller, strong as a rock, plug and play and 100% Xinput compatible.

I'll third that. Xbox 360 controller acts like it was meant with Linux in mind
Plus, they are cheap to get on second-hand ; just make sure you get the wired ones (never really tried with the wireless ones, but I tend to not trust those...)

For me Steam Controller is still the best. But is now totally overpriced.

There are offers for the DS4 and the back keys.

I no longer wanted to play without back or grip keys.

Sorry if this is too off-topic as the OP mentioned Steam, but what about when you're not using steam? Do your suggestions remain or do they change?

The DualShock 4 seems to work fine outside of Steam.

I should mention that I'm not the kind of person who plays everything with a controller. I mostly use it for racing games and emulated Playstation games. Mouse and keyboard is still my bread and butter*.


* Not literally of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if my keyboard had enough breadcrumbs in it to make half a sandwich.

Anyone got an idea why most of the time my controller only works when I launch the game from BigScreen mode?

Last edited by Julius on 23 Dec 2020 at 8:15 pm UTC

!

The DualShock 4 seems to work fine outside of Steam.

I should mention that I'm not the kind of person who plays everything with a controller. I mostly use it for racing games and emulated Playstation games. Mouse and keyboard is still my bread and butter*.


* Not literally of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if my keyboard had enough breadcrumbs in it to make half a sandwich.

Thanks! I was looking at that or the logitech . And thanks to everyone else too. I like my steam controller, but I can't afford a second one. Last time I tried an xbox controller, it felt a little big, but maybe I was just being picky.

I was mostly thinking for the very few racing, simple FPS games that my kids could play in the living room with my steam link.

Last edited by denyasis on 23 Dec 2020 at 10:48 pm UTC

Does anyone have updated recommendations for wireless Bluetooth controllers that work reliably with Linux in general (and Steam/Proton in particular) nowadays? In case it makes a difference, I'm running Ubuntu.

We have a 8BitDo Sn30 Pro+ Wireless controller, which we've been happy with, but after a couple of years of heavy use it has begun to stop working randomly, so I assume the hardware is probably failing.

If we replace it, we'd probably prefer something with a similar layout (i.e. with the analogue sticks arranged symmetrically, like a PS controller, rather than the Xbox layout where the left stick and the D-pad are 'swapped'), because that's what we're used to, and our 'spare' controller is a Logitech F710, which has the same layout.

It looks like the original Sn30 Pro+ model has been superseded by the 8BitDo Pro 2, but I found a few posts around the web suggesting the newer model might not be as reliably compatible with Linux. Does anyone here have experience with the Pro 2?

Or, is there a more solid recommendation out there?