Linux Patch Updated For Rumble Support On Latest Microsoft Xbox Controllers

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Patch Updated For Rumble Support On Latest Microsoft Xbox Controllers

Last year I wrote about a Google engineer working on rumble support for the latest Microsoft controllers in conjunction with Microsoft's Xbox team. That patch seemed to have fallen through the woodwork but has been updated and sent out in "v2" form this week for allowing Linux gamers to enjoy rumble functionality with these latest Microsoft controllers...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Xbox-Controller-Rumble-Linux-v2

[mirmirmir]

Tell google to just add hardware support to mainline linux, adding support for Android and then linux is waste of productive hour

[Nille]

They had to do it either way. Android is under Googles Control and its easy for them to add it. For Mainline the benefit for them is smaller and need a bit more work since the patches may need a rework and even then, the patch land only is the newest release and android is not well know to its bleeding edge kernels.

[unic0rn]

they're pushing streaming, steam and gaming chromebooks, and you think it's about android?

get real folks. it's mostly for chromeos.

[puleglot]

I think everybody is using xpadneo these days

[puleglot]

I'm not. I just use a USB-C cable and plug-in for the native support.

Well, I mean everybody who is using it wirelessly of course

[ryuanlu]

I think everybody is using xpadneo these days

No. Use xone driver with the dongle. It's more stable than BT.

Although trigger rumble is only available in BT mode by accessing hidraw device node.

[Paradigm Shifter]

It would be nice if Microsoft would fix the fact that I can't update the firmware on my Elite 2, which means Bluetooth is completely useless.

[mirmirmir]

It would be nice if Microsoft would fix the fact that I can't update the firmware on my Elite 2, which means Bluetooth is completely useless.

Use someone's win machine to update your controller?

[Paradigm Shifter]

Use someone's win machine to update your controller?

Have a Windows machine.

The issue is that the program used to interface with the controller is supposed to have a "update firmware" button on it if the firmware is out of date (which it is, because it's reported as out of date in the details page)... but the program does not have said update firmware button. So far, Microsoft have (a) implied I was blind or incompetent even after sending them screenshot and video evidence, (b) told me to use a different version of Windows (first it was "Use Windows 11" then when I did, it was "Use Windows 10", (c) told me the controller wasn't being detected (when it was) and then finally, (d) told me that I should buy an XBox Series X to update the controller on because that "might work". Suuure, buy a console costing (at the time) four times what the controller cost (XBox is not popular in Japan, which means at the time there was a lot of ridiculous price gouging) to update the controller... maybe.

It works via USB and the wireless dongle, so I basically threw up my hands and said "screw it" at that point and stopped bothering to try to use Bluetooth.

Thing is, there are actually quite a few people reporting this problem to Microsoft, and they have yet to actually solve the problem for anyone who has reported it. The issue is that when connected via Bluetooth, pressing A/B/X/Y acts like you're pressing the XBOX button, thus opening the XBox overlay. This, of course, makes actually playing a game kind of hard.

I've had less trouble getting a PS5 controller to work on my PC. That was about ten seconds of work (which, to be fair, the Elite 2 is with the wireless dongle). The problem with the PS5 controller is that Microsoft Store games (Forza Horizon, basically) will not see it no matter what I do. But playing Disgaea 5 or Persona 4 on Steam with the PS5 controller? Flawless.

edit: To be fair, the last time I tried was a while ago. Maybe if I try now (with a new version of Win 11) it'll work. I guess I'll check tonight.