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Choose the right binding system for the game
| Game type | Binding system | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Non-VR game, played locally or via streaming | Steam Input | Depending on the game and configured bindings, the controller may appear to the game as a generic gamepad or as keyboard-and-mouse input. Valve’s Steam Frame Input documentation describes this behavior. |
| VR game | SteamVR controller bindings | SteamVR uses a Frame Controller binding by default. If one is unavailable, Valve documents compatibility fallbacks described below. |
These are different configuration contexts: a non-VR game’s Steam Input layout is not a universal layout for VR titles.
Open a per-game Steam Input configuration
Valve’s Getting Started for Players (Steam Input) guide gives the following general routes. Its interface examples are generic and may be older; they are not confirmation of the current Steam Frame headset menu labels.
- Connect the controller. On a desktop client, open Steam > Settings > Controller to inspect controller settings.
- Choose the game in your Library. Open its controller configuration from the game’s options.
- On desktop, right-click the game and select Edit Steam Controller Configuration.
- In Big Picture mode, open the game menu and choose Manage Game > Controller Configuration.
Steam Support’s Steam Frame Support page links to Frame-specific getting-started and troubleshooting resources, but the exact headset menu sequence is not established by the readable directions cited above. Don’t assume the desktop or Big Picture route matches the headset UI.
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Why a non-VR game may need its own layout
Steam Input can translate controller bindings into different input styles. Depending on the layout and game, the title may receive standard gamepad inputs or keyboard-and-mouse inputs. If a game responds unexpectedly, check that the selected per-game layout matches the input style the game supports; a layout intended for one style may not behave as expected in a title configured for another.
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For VR, SteamVR uses a Frame Controller binding by default. Valve documents this fallback order when a Frame Controller binding is unavailable:
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- Refined bumpers and D-pad. Light but tactile.
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- Oculus Touch
In either fallback case, the bindings are remapped to the Frame Controller layout. This VR compatibility behavior is separate from choosing a Steam Input layout for a non-VR game. See Steam Frame Input for Valve’s description.
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If the layout does not work
- Check the game’s input style. Confirm whether the game supports the style your layout sends, such as gamepad or keyboard-and-mouse input.
- Check Steam Overlay as general troubleshooting. Valve’s guidance for the older 2015 Steam Controller includes checking the Steam Overlay and the game’s supported input style. It is general Steam Controller troubleshooting, not a Steam Frame-specific guarantee: Steam Controller configuration troubleshooting.
- Use the Frame-specific support entry point for headset issues. Steam Support links Frame setup and troubleshooting resources from its Steam Frame Support page.
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