Can’t wrap my mind around the difference between modeshifting and action layers, though. The former seems much easier to use, but somehow doesn’t work that consistently for me, so yeah, I end up doing what you’re showing.

Action Layer

So action layers is like a copy of your default controller config that you can switch to and have the changes you want made to it. Example of how I use this is in the Finals is when I play light I have it set up so left touchpad click is dash/grapple compared to the default config I use for medium and heavy where left touchpad click is crouch as opposed a specialization. I switch between my light and medium/heavy controller set by holding down the select button. Action Layer is similar and I’ll use it for temporarily switching between configs. Example is if I hold down the left bumper going to an action layer where my right trackpad is outputting a right joystick to make selecting from the conversation wheel easier and when let go reverts back to the default where right trackpad is a mouse.

Modeshift

Modeshifts are similar but more reliable when it comes to in game actions. So use cases of modeshifts might be having the trackpad when clicked modeshift into a dpad, and it’ll revert back to a regular trackpad afterwards. Or when the left trigger is fully pulled it modeshifts into a different gyro sensitivity that is lower than what the gyro is normally, which comes in useful if a game doesn’t offer aim sensitivity adjustments for ADS.

Chords

Chords are similar to modeshifts and I use them to add on additional functions on top of the modeshift. Like if I have the trackpad modeshift into a dpad on a click with the inputs 1,2,3,4 mapped to it. Then I might set up a chord, so that when the left grip is held and the trackpad is clicked the inputs are 5,6,7,8. Or in some games like the Finals sprinting can take you out of ADS and I bind the sprint button on the outer edge. So I’ll set a chord so that when I am holding down the left trigger to aim the outer edge become an empty bind so I don’t take myself out of aiming by accident. If you find yourself accidentally triggering things on the dpad modeshift you can set up a chord that returns an empty bind to help. Like in the Finals I found myself sometimes accidentally reloading (left click) or meleeing (center click) on the touchpad when I was firing a gun and interrupting it during tense moments, so I set up a chord so that when I am holding down the right trigger the left click which normally outputs reload and center click which is melee turns into an empty bind that outputs nothing.

Were you yourself ever able to adjust to this kind of scheme on Steam Deck?

As for the Steam Deck and fps. I find myself playing more hack and slash and platformers on the Deck, since I haven’t found the touchpads ergonomic for my hands. I’ve found the touchpad experience feels like a downgrade compared to the Steam Controller touchpads, since the location is better on the Steam Controller. I also found the concave circular shape of the steam controller touchpads to be more consistent when it comes to swiping the camera to turn 180 as shown in this demo. With Deck I found I was only able to replicate it adjusting the rotation until it went from corner to corner, but did not find it comfortable.

Some games doing a poor job at mixed input doesn’t help either: things like prompts rapidly switching between that of MKB and controller, or the game not allowing you to switch on the fly, etc.

Yeah that has been an annoyance for a long time. And even worse when there is no mixed input support. When that happens if the game allows sprint and walk to be set to a hold as opposed to a toggle I will use soft presses to set up a pseudo analog experience.