What Controllers Work With the Steam Machine?

Short answer: almost any modern controller works with the Steam Machine. Because it runs SteamOS 3 with Steam Input, the system speaks Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch Pro, and 8BitDo pads natively, over both USB and Bluetooth. The bundled Steam Controller pairs out of the box. What varies isn't whether a pad connects, but which extras, gyro, haptics, adaptive triggers, actually carry through into a given game.

This is one of the genuine strengths of the platform: you are not locked into a first-party pad the way you are on other consoles. If you already own a controller, it almost certainly works. Here's how to connect each type and how to get the most out of Steam Input.

The short compatibility list

• Bundled Steam Controller / Valve pad — works immediately, full gyro and trackpad support.
• Xbox Wireless (Series X|S, One) — USB-C cable, or Bluetooth on newer models, or the Xbox Wireless Adapter dongle.
• PlayStation DualSense (PS5) — USB or Bluetooth; gyro and haptics in supported titles.
• DualShock 4 (PS4) — USB or Bluetooth; gyro and lightbar supported.
• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller — USB or Bluetooth; gyro and button remap.
• 8BitDo pads (Pro 2, Ultimate, SN30) — USB, Bluetooth, or their 2.4GHz dongle; deep remap support.
• Generic XInput/DirectInput pads — usually detected; remap anything odd in Steam Input.

Pairing over Bluetooth

SteamOS handles Bluetooth pairing from the controller settings, so you don't need to drop into desktop mode for most pads.

1. From the SteamOS interface, open Settings → Bluetooth.
2. Put your controller into pairing mode:
   • DualSense / DualShock 4 — hold Create (or Share) + PS button until the lightbar flashes.
   • Switch Pro — hold the small sync button on top until the LEDs run back and forth.
   • Xbox — hold the pair button on top until the Xbox logo flashes fast.
   • 8BitDo — depends on mode; consult the printed card, but typically a long press on Start plus a mode letter.
3. Select the controller when it appears in the list and confirm.

Once paired, the controller reconnects automatically on wake. If a pad won't show up, power it off, then start pairing mode fresh, Bluetooth controllers are picky about being in the right state before you scan.

Pairing over USB

USB is the most reliable path and the one to use if Bluetooth misbehaves. Plug the controller into one of the Steam Machine's USB ports with a data-capable cable (not a charge-only cable, a common gotcha with cheap USB-C leads). SteamOS detects it instantly, no pairing step. Wired also gives you the lowest latency, which matters for fast shooters; see our methodology for how we test input lag.

Steam Input: remapping and profiles

Steam Input is the layer that makes all this work. It sits between the controller and the game, translating inputs and letting you rebind anything.

• Open the Controller Settings for a specific game (gear icon on its library page) to set a per-game layout.
• Browse community layouts — for most popular games someone has already built a sensible profile, including ones tuned for gyro.
• Remap any button, add action sets (different layouts that swap on a button hold, useful for vehicles or menus), and adjust stick sensitivity and dead zones.
• Save your config to the cloud so it follows you across SteamOS reinstalls.

If a game uses an odd default, or shows the wrong button prompts, Steam Input's per-game override is where you fix it. You can force Xbox-style prompts even while holding a PlayStation pad, or vice versa.

Gyro aiming

Gyro (motion-aim) is the single biggest reason to use a DualSense, DualShock 4, Switch Pro, or the bundled Steam Controller over a plain Xbox pad, none of the current Xbox controllers have a gyroscope.

• Enable gyro in the game's Controller Settings → Gyro.
• The common setup is "gyro as mouse" or "as joystick", with activation "on right-stick touch" or "on trigger pull", so the gyro only steers when you want it to.
• Use the right stick for big turns and gyro for fine aim. It closes much of the gap to mouse-and-keyboard in shooters once you adjust.

It feels strange for the first hour and then hard to give up. Worth the effort on anything in our best Steam Machine games list that leans on precise aim.

Which features actually carry over

• Gyro — works on any pad that has a gyroscope (PlayStation, Switch Pro, Steam Controller, many 8BitDo), routed through Steam Input regardless of the game's native support.
• Rumble — standard rumble works broadly across pads and games.
• DualSense haptics & adaptive triggers — supported in a growing but limited set of titles, best over USB; many games fall back to ordinary rumble.
• Trackpads — only the Steam Controller / Valve pad have them; great for radial menus and as a mouse in desktop mode.
• Button prompts — Steam Input can show the correct glyphs for your pad in supported games; older games may still show Xbox icons.