I want to play games like civ that are better played using mouse controls via the touch pads, so I want to use the steam deck as a controller. But the screen is a little too small and some games don’t have good ui scaling so I want to be able to play on the TV. What’s the best/easiest/cheapest way I can play on the TV while still using the steam deck as a controller? I have a Vizio tv that doesn’t support steam link but does support casting. Thanks!
Cheapest is just to buy a dock/usb-c to HDMI and use a long cable (either long usb-c or long HDMI) to plug into your tv.
There are wireless HDMI dongles and even USB type c ones that would let this happen wirelessly, but you’ll want to check reviews and make sure the latency isn’t that bad.
Alternative cheap option is to get an android based tv stream box/stick, install the steam link software, and try to stream to that.
Finally you could just get a wireless mouse or some other wireless control option for using a computer mouse wirelessly. Keyboard with a laptop touchpad, trackball mouse, etc.
I bought a cheap dock from aliexpress and a really long USB-C Male to USB-C Female Cable. My solution is not pretty or wireless but works.
deleted by creator
This seems to be the best option out of everything commented here so far, but it is really disappointing that there is not a way to use the Steam Deck as a Bluetooth controller for a different PC.
deleted by creator
If it’s about the touch pad controls you may want to check eBay for a Steam Controller.
I had mine in a drawer for years until the steam deck came out. Now I’m using it again quite a bit to play mouse-controlled games on my Steam Deck connected to the TV.
Thanks for the responses everyone! I ended up getting a long HDMI cable and using it with a usb-c hub I already had. The setup is pretty bulky so I might end up velcroing it per morgan’s comment to reduce the pressure on the connection. And having a cable run across the whole room is… less than ideal. I think if I end up using this a lot, I’d probably just opt for a Steam Controller
I’ve been using these usb-c extension cables. So I can leave the hub and charger behind the tv and have just one usb-c come to my steam deck. Highly recommend!
https://www.amazon.com/Extension-JSAUX-Female-Extender-MacBook/dp/B08DKH4CP9
Genki makes the Covert Dock, which I have experience with. It’s a bit expensive, but it’s easily portable and works with both the Deck and the Switch. With a long enough cable you could sit a distance away from the TV and still use the Deck like a controller.
There are some Anker USB hubs with HDMI that would work for this application as well (in theory).
The Genki covert dock was DOA when I got one, so I don’t trust them.
jsaux has a similar one, maybe that one’s better
You need a dock, and a power cord that is long enough to have the Deck a comfortable distance from your TV. I used a USB hub dock, and a charging adapter with a long cable. Can’t get into my Amazon account from my phone at the moment so I will try to remember to come back and share what I did tomorrow, feel free to reply to remind me.
Not what you’re asking for, but another option is to use a DualShock 4 controller which also supports touchpad (which can be divided in left/right if you want). I’ve found a pretty decent amount of community support and often use the touchpad (or gyro) for mouse games, though it’s not quite as comfortable as the Steam Deck .
(I’m sure Dualsense 5 works just as well but I can only speak to Dualshock 4, which you can find for the cost of a HDMI cable online).
I hope Valve will release at some point a Steam Controller 2 that has the exact same buttons, trackpads, etc. like the deck.
Same, getting used to the Deck has made me want to buy a Steam Controller.
In addition to what is mentioned here, you could also grab a steam controller. It is not quite as refined as the deck’s controller setup, but it works very similarly with two track pads for mouse emulation.
