Now it it time for the controls, what i would do is go to the steam deck game mode.. and either bind all the controls in the steam control layout, or look for my community layout(In Order to do so Do Not Rename fs2_open22_0_0_X64.Appimage Just yet, Instead Open My Community layout[Look In community Layouts and You will see Freespace Steamdeck] and Save it as a Template, Then You Can Change The file Name and Import the Freespace Layout to any Free space Game, Do note you would Have To rebind the Ingame binds Manually, Unless Their was a Way to Share binds as a file) , and bind these buttons in game, here is my layout:
Left Trackpad
make it into a touch menu, i name it to communications menu, Here are the binds that will have to be rebinded ingame
Touch Menu Buttons | | Keyboard Input Command (Not Numpad Binds)| | Ingame Control Config(Misc Tab)| |
1 | 7 | Engage Enemy |
2 | 8 | Disable My Target |
3 | 9 | Disarm My Target |
4 | Page Up | Attack My Target |
5 | 4 | Form On My Wing |
6 | 5 | Capture My Target |
7 | 6 | Attack My Subsystem |
8 | Page Down | Ignore My Target |
9 | 1 | Return To Base |
10 | 2 | Rearm Me |
11 | 3 | Cover Me |
12 | 0 | Protect My Target |
Left Pad Click[Long Press](Optional) | Backspace(Optional) | Communications Menu(Optional) |
Why the binds for page up and page down, and the number keys(not numpad keys), because they also double as the selection menu for communicating with your squad, page up and page down also function as page up and down for the ingame 'message what' menus hud,
now there are two ways to initiate a command, either by pressing the commands directly, then give the orders to the selected squad member, or by pressing the communications menu button first, then select the squad member, then give the command order. I prefer the 1st option, and this is why i have the left touchpad like that
. In addition the communications menu button can be used to cancel giving communications, but so can the Esc key, and that is why the communications menu bind is optional.
Right Trackpad
also a touchmenu,(note i would bind this last as a touchmenu just to make it easier as the mouse navigator)
Touch Menu Buttons | | Keyboard Input Command (Numpad Binds)| | Ingame Control Config(Misc Tab)| |
1 | Numpad 7 | Increase Weapon Energy |
2 | Numpad 8 | Increase Shield Energy |
3 | Numpad 9 | Augment Forward Shield |
4 | Numpad - | Increase Engine Energy |
5 | Numpad 4 | Transfer Energy Shield -> Weapon |
6 | Numpad 5 | Augment Left Shield |
7 | Numpad 6 | Transfer Energy Weapon -> Shield |
8 | Numpad + | Augment Right Shield |
9 | Numpad 1 | Decrease Weapon Energy |
10 | Numpad 2 | Decrease Shield Energy |
11 | Numpad 3 | Augment Rear Shield |
12 | Numpad 0 | Decrease Engine Energy |
Right Pad Click[Long Press] | Numpad Enter | Equalize Energy Settings |
note: the reason i binded the controls to the numpad is because, it was just convient to do so.
Left Joystick: I changed it to a directional pad
Buttons | | Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config(Ship Tab)| |
Left Stick Up | Dpad Up/Joy-0 Hat Forward | Up Thrust |
Left Stick Right | Dpad Right/Joy-0 Hat Right | Right Thrust |
Left Stick Down | Dpad Down/Joy-0 Hat Back | Down Thrust |
Left Stick Left | Dpad Left/Joy-0 Hat Left | Left Thrust |
L3 Click | Left Stick Click/Joy-0 Button 10 | Glide When Pressed |
Right Joystick: As a Joystick mouse for navigating menus
Buttons/Axis | | Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config(Targeting/Ship Tab)| |
Right Stick X-Axis(Left-Right) | Mouse X Axis(Left-Right) | Turn (Yaw) Axis(Ship Tab) |
Right Stick Y-Axis(Up-Down) | Mouse Y Axis(Up-Down) | Pitch Axis(Ship Tab) |
R3 Click | Right Stick Click/Joy-0 Button 11 | Target Ship In Reticle(Targeting Tab) |
note , i changed the Ingame Mouse Sensitivity to the Minimum, and changed the steam mouse sensitivity to %1000, and deadzone inner to 900 and deadzone outer to max
Triggers and Back Buttons: note axis, including trigger axis can only be bound to ingame axis not buttons,
Buttons/Axis | | Keyboard/Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config |
L1/Left Bumper | Left Mouse Click/ Mouse Left Button | Fire Primary Weapon(Weapons Tab) |
L2/Left Trigger | Middle Mouse Click/ Mouse Mid Button | Fire Secondary Weapon(Weapons Tab) |
L4/Left Grip Top | Left Bumper/ Joy-0 Button 5 | Launch Countermeasure(Weapons Tab) |
L5/Left Grip Bottom | Left Shift Key/Shift | Shift Modifier(No Tab, but in bottom left corner) |
R1/Right Bumper | Right Mouse Click/ Mouse Right Button | Afterburner(Ship Tab) |
R2/Right Trigger | Right Trigger Analog[Full Pull(Enter)]/ Joy-0 RZ Axis | Absolute Throttle Axis(Ship Tab) |
R4/Right Grip Top | Right Bumper/ Joy-0 Button 6 | Reverse Thrust(Ship Tab) |
R5/Right Grip Bottom | Right Alt Key/Alt | Alt Modifier(No Tab, but in bottom left corner) |
Note: the Right Trigger is bound to both RZ axis and the fulll pull enter, because it is just a Easy way to access the Enter key
Left Dpad And Left Menu Button(The tiny Button between The Left Dpad And left Joystick with the two Window Icons)
This Will Take advantage of the Modifiers Shift and Alt(L5 and R5) , and the left menu button will have a hold bind
the reason that the Dpad is binded to the arrow keys is to navigate the menus Easier, and to have modifiers, since mouse and joysticks are not allowed to have modifiers.
JoyHat/Button | | Keyboard/Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config | | Shift Modifier Ingame | | Alt Modifier Ingame | | Shift-Alt Modifier Ingame |
Left Menu Button | Tab Key | Chase View(Misc Tab) | Toggle Auto Speed Matching(Misc Tab) | Add Or Remove Escort(Misc Tab) | Toggle Auto Pilot(Misc Tab) |
Left Menu Button(Hold) | Spacebar | Toggle High HUD Contrast(Misc Tab) | Toggle Auto Targeting(Targeting Tab) | Clear Escort List(Misc Tab) | Enter Subspace(End Mission)(Misc Tab) |
DPadUp | Up Arrow Key | View Up(Misc Tab) | Target Next Closest Hostile Ship(Targeting Tab) | Target Next Closest Friendly Ship(Targeting Tab) | Increase Time Compression(Misc Tab) |
DPadRight | Right Arrow Key | View Right(Misc Tab) | Target Next Hostile Bomb Or Bomber(Targeting Tab) | Target Next Escort Ship(Targeting Tab) | Cycle Nav Point(Misc Tab) |
DPadDown | Down Arrow Key | View Rear(Misc Tab) | Target Previous Closest Hostile Ship(Targeting Tab) | Target Previous Closest Friendly Ship(Targeting Tab) | Decrease Time Compression(Misc Tab) |
DPadLeft | Left Arrow Key | View Left(Misc Tab) | Target Next Subsystem(Targeting Tab) | Target Next Uninspected Cargo(Targeting Tab) | Turn Off Targeting Computer(And Auto Targeting Too)(Targeting Tab) |
Right Face Buttons(A,B,X,Y) And Right Menu Button(The tiny Button between The Right Joystick And Right Face Buttons with the three Lines)
The Right menu button will have a hold bind
Buttons | | Keyboard/Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config |
Right Menu Button | Esc | Pause Menu(No Tab) |
Right Menu Button(Hold) | F2 | Options Menu(No Tab) |
A Button | A Button/Joy-0 Button 1 | Cycle Primary Weapon Firing Rate(Weapons Tab) |
B Button | B Button/Joy-0 Button 2 | Cycle Secondary Weapon Firing Rate(Weapons Tab) |
X Button | X Button/Joy-0 Button 3 | Cycle Secondary Weapon Bank(Weapons Tab) |
Y Button | Y Button/Joy-0 Button 4 | Cycle Forward Primary Weapon(Weapons Tab) |
Last We have the Gyro As an output of Left Joystick
Axis | | Controller/Joystick Input Commands | | Ingame Control Config(Ship Tab)| |
Gyro | Left Stick Analog/ Joy-0 X Axis | Bank Axis(Ship Tab) |
I have adjusted the deadzone on the gyro around 5, so that way it is not sensitive
These are all the binds That You may Need