Hi everyone, it’s Tia. I’m excited to bring you a big support update for Steam Deck!

In our previous announcement, we said support for the Steam Deck would be delayed until after the console’s release. Since then, our tech lead Piotr Walczak has been working hard to put together this integration update.

The update focuses on Steam Deck changes and improvements. The UI changes make it easier to read on-screen text and type with the Steam Deck keyboard, and menus look a lot better. The controls make more sense now with improved scrolling, zooming, time control, and touch screen navigation. Overall, playing RimWorld on Steam Deck should be a lot smoother with more intuitive controls.

We also fixed some sources of annoyance in the ideoligion configuration screen.

You can read the changelog below. There may be more changes on the way to get RimWorld a “Verified” status for Steam Deck.

This update should be compatible with all saves and mods.

Thank you for all of your feedback on the public RimWorld Development Discord. (Readers, you’re welcome to help us test!) We’re looking forward to hearing how those with a Steam Deck are enjoying RimWorld!

• Tia

Ideology Improvements

• Fix: Reforming a fluid ideo lists some precepts as "incompatible" when they actually are.
• Fix: Ability gizmos are still available for roles that have been removed via reformation.
• Display incompatible issue and precept names instead of just precept names in reformation confirmation dialog.

UI Improvements

• Show accept key command hotkey on SteamDeck.
• Set new, better SteamDeck menu icons.
• Larger float menu options on SteamDeck.
• Main buttons position change (change height instead of y).
• Keyboard on a SteamDeck now shows automatically when a new text field is focused.
• Show a special window at the top of the screen which shows the typed in text, since SteamDeck keyboard can sometimes block the text field view.
• Increase text input font size.
• Don't show tooltips when the SteamDeck keyboard is open.
• Change quests SteamDeck icon.

Controls

• Touch screen scrolling improvements on SteamDeck.
• It's now possible to scroll through lists by dragging your finger on SteamDeck.
• Make zooming faster on SteamDeck.
• Holding a special "middle mouse button" button on SteamDeck, now translates left clicks into right clicks. This makes it possible to give goto orders to drafted pawns by using the touch screen.
• Don't pan the camera if the middle mouse button is held and a colonist is selected on SteamDeck.
• Allow more zoom on SteamDeck for better touch screen support and easier navigation.
• Better time controls on SteamDeck, it's now possible to increase/decrease time speed with back buttons.
• Accept key on a SteamDeck now activates the first command.

Misc Improvements

• Tutorial now mentions the correct button names on SteamDeck.
• Added triggered modal ConceptDefs which explain SteamDeck controls.
• Added controller configuration button to options on SteamDeck.

Technical

• Added SteamDeck configuration file.
• Added SteamInput.
• Make ScrollWheelZoomRate a static property.
• Suppress SteamDeck ConceptDef warnings.
• Added UnityGUIBugsFixer calls to LearningReadout since it uses GUI.BeginScrollView directly.
• Ensure FixSteamDeckMousePositionNeverUpdating() works even for non-1 scales.
• Updated steam dlls in root directory.
• Updated Steamworks so that it's possible to show the correct on-screen keyboard on SteamDeck.
• Added "Simulate using Steam Deck" debug setting.
• AllTypes now tries to use all types it could load instead of failing entirely.

Fixes

• Fix: Missing EventUp event in MultiPawnGotoController on SteamDeck
• Fix camera movement on SteamDeck. "Middle mouse button" camera movement on SteamDeck now works as well. This also allows using touch screen to move the camera.
• Fix Unity bug with GetMouseButton() returning false.
• Fix: Changing GUI.matrix also breaks mousePosition, added 1 more UnityGUIBugsFixer callback to fix this
• Fix: Main buttons have a 1px gap at the bottom and they can't be clicked there
• Fix: Keyboard instantly hides after appearing
• Fix: Mouse position never updates on a SteamDeck
• Fix: Error after pressing quit to OS button
• Fix: The "absorb clicks area" around gizmos is too large and it makes the left part of every gizmo unusable, even though the gizmo is highlighted.