Steam Controller Gamepad Viewer

Local Steam Controller overlay for OBS. It runs a small local-only web server on 127.0.0.1, reads the Steam Controller through SDL3 plus Valve HID reports, and draws a Steam Controller viewer with live trackpad finger tracking, grip sense, and capacitive stick touch.

This is currently a browser-source overlay. A native OBS plugin would be a better long-term version, but the local URL works offline once the app is running and does not require gamepadviewer.com or any internet service.

How It Runs

The URL only works while SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe is running. After restarting Windows, run SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe again before OBS can load the local URL.

The release starts only when you explicitly run SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe. If you want to avoid clicking the exe every time, the same zip includes optional install/uninstall scripts for a Windows Startup shortcut.

There is one release zip:

• Portable by default: run SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe whenever you want the OBS URL to work.
• Optional Start with Windows: run Install Start With Windows.cmd from the extracted folder if you want Windows to launch it for you.

AI Disclosure

This viewer was coded with help from OpenAI Codex. The project is human-directed and reviewed, but AI assistance was part of the implementation. If AI-assisted software is a deal-breaker for you, please use another viewer or OBS input overlay.

Presets

Default v2.0.1 Preset:

http://127.0.0.1:31337/?bodyLines=10___innerBodyLines=10___joystickLines=10___btnLines=10___backBtnLines=10___linesColor=#ffffff___linesOpac=55%___bodyOpac=30%___bodyColor=#000000___btnIdle=#25a7ff___btnIdleOpac=0%___btnPressed=#25a7ff___btnPressedOpac=100%___triggerIdleOpac=0%___triggerIdleLinesOpac=0%___shine=100%

Slightly Thicker Outlines Preset:

http://127.0.0.1:31337/?bodyLines=15___innerBodyLines=15___joystickLines=15___btnLines=15___backBtnLines=15___linesColor=#ffffff___linesOpac=55%___bodyOpac=30%___bodyColor=#000000___btnIdle=#25a7ff___btnIdleOpac=0%___btnPressed=#25a7ff___btnPressedOpac=100%___triggerIdleOpac=0%___triggerIdleLinesOpac=0%___shine=100%

Thicker Outlines Preset:

http://127.0.0.1:31337/?bodyLines=20___innerBodyLines=20___joystickLines=20___btnLines=20___backBtnLines=20___linesColor=#ffffff___linesOpac=55%___bodyOpac=30%___bodyColor=#000000___btnIdle=#25a7ff___btnIdleOpac=0%___btnPressed=#25a7ff___btnPressedOpac=100%___triggerIdleOpac=0%___triggerIdleLinesOpac=0%___shine=100%

Much Thicker Outlines Preset:

http://127.0.0.1:31337/?bodyLines=30___innerBodyLines=30___joystickLines=30___btnLines=30___backBtnLines=30___linesColor=#ffffff___linesOpac=55%___bodyOpac=30%___bodyColor=#000000___btnIdle=#25a7ff___btnIdleOpac=0%___btnPressed=#25a7ff___btnPressedOpac=100%___triggerIdleOpac=0%___triggerIdleLinesOpac=0%___shine=100%

Customize

You can customize the overlay directly from the OBS Browser Source URL. Options can be separated with ___ for readability, as shown above, or with the normal & query separator. Both formats work.

Line thickness uses 10 as the default v2 look. Use 15 for 1.5x, 20 for 2x, 30 for 3x, or 0 to hide that line group.

Opacity values accept a percent sign, such as 55% or 0%. Colors use normal HTML hex colors, such as #25a7ff.

Useful URL options:

• bodyLines=10 changes the outer controller body and bumper line thickness.
• innerBodyLines=10 changes the inner body/handle line thickness.
• joystickLines=10 changes the joystick-area circle line thickness.
• btnLines=10 changes ABXY, dpad, Steam/View/Menu, touch-click, and trackpad line thickness.
• backBtnLines=10 changes L4/L5/R4/R5 line thickness.
• linesColor=#ffffff changes idle line and icon color.
• linesOpac=55% changes idle line and icon opacity. Pressed input outlines stay white and fully visible.
• bodyColor=#000000 changes the controller body fill color.
• bodyOpac=30% changes the controller body fill opacity.
• btnIdle=#25a7ff changes the unpressed input, dpad, joystick circle, and trackpad idle color.
• btnIdleOpac=0% changes the unpressed input, dpad, joystick circle, and trackpad idle opacity.
• btnPressed=#25a7ff changes the pressed/touched input color.
• btnPressedOpac=100% changes the pressed/touched input opacity.
• triggerIdleOpac=0% changes the unpressed trigger fill opacity.
• triggerIdleLinesOpac=0% changes the unpressed trigger line opacity. Pressed trigger lines are always fully visible.
• shine=100% changes input glow strength. Use 50% for half glow or 0% for no glow.

Extra testing options:

• title=1 shows the title.
• debug=1 shows connection/status text.
• bg=solid gives the page a dark background for normal browser testing.
• preview=all forces overlay layers visible for visual checking.

Run

Release build

1. Download and extract the release zip.
2. Double-click SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe.
3. Add one of the preset URLs above as an OBS Browser Source.

The release zip contains:

• SteamControllerGamepadViewer.exe
• README.md
• LICENSE
• THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md
• Install Start With Windows.cmd (optional)
• Uninstall Start With Windows.cmd (optional)

From source

Use Command Prompt or double-click:

Run-SteamControllerViewer.cmd

That script uses dotnet run and avoids PowerShell execution-policy issues. The PowerShell script is kept only as a developer convenience.

OBS Setup

Add a Browser Source with:

URL: use one of the preset URLs above
Width: 1200
Height: 900
Custom CSS: leave empty

The URL is local loopback, not a website. If the URL does not load, start the app first.

Controller Support

The current target is Valve's Steam Controller. The app does not open Steam's controller tester window; it reads current state and redraws the overlay directly, so button releases are shown as releases too.

Supported inputs:

• ABXY, dpad, bumpers, analog triggers, sticks, L3/R3, capacitive stick touch, Steam/View/Menu.
• Left and right trackpad touch position, click pressure, and live finger position.
• Four rear grip buttons.
• Left and right grip-sense strips.

Capacitive stick touch controls whether the large moving joystick dots are visible. The small center dots stay visible as neutral reference points. If a stick moves more than about 8% from center, the moving dot is shown even if the capacitive touch sensor misses your thumb.

Gyro is not displayed. A 2D gyro display was tested and removed because it was harder to read than the rest of the overlay. A dedicated 3D controller viewer is a better fit if you want to show gyro movement clearly.

SDL3 is loaded from the app folder first, then from the default Steam install folders. You can override the path with --sdl3 "C:\path\to\SDL3.dll" or the SDL3_PATH environment variable.

If SDL3 cannot open the controller after a firmware update, the app falls back to fresh Valve HID reports when they are available. That keeps the overlay connected for Steam Controller firmware/device-id changes that still expose the same raw HID report shape.

Building Release Zip

From a source checkout:

Build-Release.cmd

The release zip is created under artifacts\release:

• v2.0.1.Steam.Controller.Viewer.zip

Upload that zip to GitHub Releases. Do not upload the normal publish folder unless you specifically want a framework-dependent developer build.

License And Notices

The original source code in this repository is MIT licensed. Third-party components, referenced projects, and Valve/Steam assets are documented in THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.

Important: the Steam Controller name, Steam name, Valve trademarks, and the controller artwork/assets remain Valve property. This project is unofficial and not endorsed by Valve.