SteamOS
Wired
Solid support
Wireless puck
Solid support
Bluetooth
Solid support
Steam Controller Guide
Steam Controller Compatibility
A practical compatibility reference for Steam Controller across desktop, handheld Linux, and mobile setups, organized by connection method.
Last reviewed: May 2026. Wording has been normalized for clarity from community test results.
| Platform | Wired | Wireless puck | Bluetooth |
|---|---|---|---|
| SteamOS | Solid support | Solid support | Solid support |
| Windows | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. |
| macOS | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. |
| Bazzite | Solid support | Solid support | Solid support |
| Other Linux (Rocknix) | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. | Mostly inside Steam Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam. |
| Android | Best through Steam Link Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases. | Best through Steam Link Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases. | Lizard mode fallback Acts more like mouse/keyboard emulation than full Steam Input controller behavior. |
| iOS | Best through Steam Link Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases. | Best through Steam Link Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases. | Best through Steam Link Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases. |
| Switch / Xbox / PS5 | No practical support | No practical support | Not supported |
Windows
Wired
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Wireless puck
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Bluetooth
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
macOS
Wired
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Wireless puck
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Bluetooth
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Bazzite
Wired
Solid support
Wireless puck
Solid support
Bluetooth
Solid support
Other Linux (Rocknix)
Wired
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Wireless puck
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Bluetooth
Mostly inside Steam
Outside Steam, Desktop/Gamepad behavior is inconsistent. The SISR app can help expose Steam Input beyond Steam.
Android
Wired
Best through Steam Link
Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases.
Wireless puck
Best through Steam Link
Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases.
Bluetooth
Lizard mode fallback
Acts more like mouse/keyboard emulation than full Steam Input controller behavior.
iOS
Wired
Best through Steam Link
Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases.
Wireless puck
Best through Steam Link
Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases.
Bluetooth
Best through Steam Link
Remote play path. It can still work in background mode, but button mapping may be off in some cases.
Switch / Xbox / PS5
Wired
No practical support
Wireless puck
No practical support
Bluetooth
Not supported
How to read this table
- Solid support: stable daily-driver behavior without major caveats.
- Mostly inside Steam: strongest results when Steam Input is active.
- Best through Steam Link: primarily a remote-play flow.
- Lizard mode fallback: basic mouse/keyboard-style behavior.
Source and useful notes
The compatibility matrix is adapted from this community testing post on Reddit: Updated compatibility testing graphic.
- Desktop caveat: Windows, macOS, and several Linux setups tend to be strongest inside Steam, especially in Big Picture Mode workflows.
- SISR helper: SISR can improve Steam Input availability outside the Steam client.
- Steam Link caveat: background Steam Link can still function, but button mapping may not be exact depending on platform.
Steam Controller at a glance
The Steam Controller is designed around flexible input mapping with haptics, dual trackpads, configurable profiles, and Steam Input integration. It is still useful for players who want couch gaming workflows, retro emulation setups, and custom control layers.
Official product reference: Steam Controller on Steam.