TL;DR
Allow players to use the traditional Desktop (KBM) UI layout while keeping Controller/Gamepad input active, especially for Steam Deck and trackpad users.What?
Add an interface toggle in the settings that decouples the visual UI layout from the active input mode.Currently, the UI layout is strictly tied to the control scheme:
- Setting the game to Controller/Gamepad forces the console-style UI layout.
- Setting it to "Keyboard + Mouse" returns the classic Desktop UI, but completely disables native gamepad functionality, glyphs, and controller integration.
I suggest an option (e.g., a checkbox: "Force Desktop UI layout") that keeps native gamepad inputs active for movement and bindings, but renders menus, inventory, crafting screens, and tooltips using the standard Desktop interface.
Why?
1. Handheld PCs / Steam Deck: Devices like the Steam Deck feature precise trackpads that make standard mouse-driven menus effortless to navigate, while analog sticks and physical buttons remain ideal for movement and shortcuts.2. Information density & Muscle memory: Players coming from the PC version find the desktop layout much denser, quicker to scan, and more familiar than the controller-oriented wheel/block layout.
3. Eliminates workarounds: Today, getting the desktop UI requires binding the gamepad entirely as keyboard/mouse emulation through Steam Input, which loses native controller responsiveness and dynamic button glyphs.
Decoupling the visual UI layout from the active input mode (or adding a simple "Force Desktop UI layout" checkbox in Interface settings) would provide the best of both worlds for handheld players.
Thank you for considering this!
EDIT: Formatted the post into the correct BB Format