Edit: found the solution. It wasn’t haptics settings for the trackpad, but haptics settings for the left stick that needed to be switched off.
I got an issue I just cannot wrap my head around. I got Dark Forces via Steam, the original version. I downloaded the most popular controller layout for Steamdeck, however it is really annoying to use since for some reasons when I move around using the left stick, the left trackpad starts vibrating as if I move via that.
This is not a hardware issue, I play plenty of games that use the left stick, which other than Dark Forces never leads to the left trackpad vibrating. Also I found a different controller layout that I liked for Dark Forces, where this issue isn’t happening.
Now why do I still bring it up. I hear of the Force Engine project that modernised Dark Forces quite a bit. Required some tinkering, but got it working on the Steamdeck. Managed to copy over my layout from original Dark Forces. Again, left trackpad vibrating when left stick is moved.
What setting do I need to try to get rid of this? I tried removing any mapping from the trackpad, this didn’t help. I found buried in some submenus a setting that was called haptics, I also switched that off. No change. It is really annoying and I just want to know which setting is causing this.
I tried searching online, but all I am getting is people saying it’s a hardware issue. Hope you agree, in my case it is not.
There’s two kinds of haptics with the trackpads, one is haptic feedback when using the trackpad, the other is simulating controller rumble using the trackpad haptic feedback.
I’m guessing it’s one of these two causing the vibration. you can individually disable them by pressing the QAM button (the “. . .” button), going to the gear menu, and scrolling down to the bottom where there should be toggles for game rumble and steam haptics.
I also might try switching to a different control profile and see if it still happens. Ideally a pretty blank profile where the left stick is configured to let you move and that’s it.
Thanks, so the first suggestion, that sounds like a global setting to me? Which unless specific controller templates can switch that on and off, wouldn’t be making sense here.
Same to your second suggestion, I mentioned in the post if I switch to other controller profiles from the same game, the effect goes away.
I will have a look at your first suggestion stil though, thanks!
Ok, I missed that changing controller profiles fixed it.
I’d still recommend trying the global toggles, that will let us know whether it’s haptic feedback or simulated rumble. From there we can hopefully narrow down what’s going on with the control scheme.
OK, had a little time to check this. If I switch off Steam Haptics this behaviour goes away. So its definitely that and not game rumble.
However I noticed something else. I only get the haptics feedback when I slightly move the joystick. If I move it fully in one direction the haptics feedback stops. So I guess it must be something in controller settings that changes stick behavior between full moves and moving them less than that. Maybe loops into what the other poster said.
Thanks again for the suggestion!