Steam Deck is great, but a long list of first-person shooters, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Apex Legends, and more, have a frustrating bug that causes the mouse to point up or down. Fortunately, there is an easy solution.
Valve’s latest piece of gaming hardware bills itself as a mobile gaming device, allowing people to play anything from Stardew Valley to Elden Ring on the go. But at its core, Steam Deck is a PC that boots directly into a modified version of Steam Big Picture. This is a winning formula in many ways, but it results in problems for certain situations.
One such problem arises when using the Steam Deck as a desktop PC. If the Steam Deck is controlled with a Bluetooth or USB connected mouse and keyboard, the mouse does not work properly. When playing CSGO, Apex Legends, or other similar games on Steam Deck, a mouse-related bug forces the player’s perspective to lock up or down.
So how can gamers fix this? Fortunately, it’s a very simple solution, although it’s not particularly obvious.
How to fix Steam Deck mouse error in games like CSGO, Apex Legends and Battlefield
Players can fix Steam Deck Mouse Error in CSGO, Apex Legends, and Battlefield by launching the game in desktop mode.
Steam Deck is a real PC despite masquerading as a pure gaming device. This includes the ability to exit the Steam operating system and go directly to your Linux desktop. This can be done by pressing the Steam button, scrolling down to “On” and selecting “Switch to desktop”. From there, users can open the Steam app and launch the game as if they were on their regular PC. This fixes the mouse bug.
Here is the step by step solution.
- Close any open game
- Press the steam button
- Go to “Power” and select “Switch to desktop”
- Open Steam via desktop
- Open Steam Library, select and open the preferred game
This is a bit annoying but completely effective, allowing gamers to enjoy first-person shooter games on the Steam Deck similar to a desktop PC. Gamers can play with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard on the Steam Deck screen, or they can use a USB-C hub to connect wired devices and a monitor.
There is a chance that the Steam Deck mouse bug will be fixed, which will allow players to enjoy CSGO and Apex Legends without the extra steps. For now though, desktop mode is the saving grace for Steam Deck owners.
