DS5 through bluetooth disconnected when launch Steam

Hi, everyone.

For the past few days, I’ve been having trouble connecting my DS5 (PS5 Dualshock) to my PC via Bluetooth.

I only have this problem when I open Steam and, as I understand it, Steam Input kicks in.
When I connect and pair the controller via Bluetooth, and it’s successfully paired, there’s no problem with it. The system itself detects the controller’s input and responses through the “Game Controller” settings section. But when I open Steam, a notification appears saying the controller is connected within Steam itself, and after about half a minute, the controller disconnects (even though the controller’s light stays on), and a Steam notification appears stating that the controller has disconnected.

After that, it’s so complicated reconnect the controller unless I unpair it not only from the paired devices interface in the Bluetooth section but also by deleting the files in var/lib/bluetooth/.

Someone had this problem with the Steam+DS5+Bluetooth combo?

These are my specs (showed with inxi -Fazy command)

System:
  Kernel: 7.1.6-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 16.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-7.1-x86_64
    root=UUID=7b7d6fab-4cbc-41ba-b506-df0cea6abde7 rw quiet
    cryptdevice=UUID=df6dd55e-b2d2-4260-89fe-3a184f8b1241:luks-df6dd55e-b2d2-4260-89fe-3a184f8b1241
    root=/dev/mapper/luks-df6dd55e-b2d2-4260-89fe-3a184f8b1241 splash
    udev.log_priority=3
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.7.4 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.28.0
    wm: kwin_wayland vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Manjaro base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: ASUS product: N/A v: N/A serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI v: Rev 1.xx
    serial: <superuser required> part-nu: SKU uuid: <superuser required>
    Firmware: UEFI vendor: American Megatrends v: 1681 date: 06/18/2026
Battery:
  Device-1: ps-controller-battery-ac:fd:93:01:9a:24 model: N/A serial: N/A
    charge: N/A status: charging
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Zen 5 gen: 5
    level: v4 note: check built: 2024+ process: TSMC n4 (4nm) family: 0x1A (26)
    model-id: 0x44 (68) stepping: 0 microcode: 0xB404038
  Topology: cpus: 1x dies: 1 clusters: 1 cores: 8 threads: 16 tpc: 2
    smt: enabled cache: L1: 640 KiB desc: d-8x48 KiB; i-8x32 KiB L2: 8 MiB
    desc: 8x1024 KiB L3: 96 MiB desc: 1x96 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 603 min/max: 603/5272 boost: enabled scaling:
    driver: amd-pstate-epp governor: powersave cores: 1: 603 2: 603 3: 603 4: 603
    5: 603 6: 603 7: 603 8: 603 9: 603 10: 603 11: 603 12: 603 13: 603 14: 603
    15: 603 16: 603 bogomips: 150108
  Flags-basic: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3
    svm
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: ghostwrite status: Not affected
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: old_microcode status: Not affected
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow mitigation: IBPB on VMEXIT only
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS; IBPB: conditional;
    STIBP: always-on; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsa status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
  Type: vmscape mitigation: IBPB on VMEXIT
Graphics:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Navi 48 [Radeon RX 9070/9070
    XT/9070 GRE] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: RDNA-4
    code: Navi-4x process: TSMC n4 (4nm) built: 2025+ pcie: gen: 5
    speed: 32 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3,
    Writeback-1 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:7550 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Granite Ridge [Radeon Graphics]
    vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: RDNA-2 code: Navi-2x
    process: TSMC n7 (7nm) built: 2020-22 pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 16
    ports: active: none empty: DP-4,HDMI-A-2,Writeback-2 bus-ID: 0e:00.0
    chip-ID: 1002:13c0 class-ID: 0300 temp: 41.0 C
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.24 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.13
    compositor: kwin_wayland driver: X: loaded: amdgpu
    unloaded: modesetting,radeon alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: radeonsi
    gpu: amdgpu display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 model: LG (GoldStar) TV SSCR2 serial: <filter>
    built: 2021 res: mode: 3840x2160 hz: 60 scale: 200% (2) to: 1920x1080 dpi: 61
    gamma: 1.2 size: 1600x900mm (62.99x35.43") diag: 1836mm (72.3") ratio: 16:9
    modes: max: 3840x2160 min: 720x400
  API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: amd radeonsi platforms: device: 0 drv: radeonsi
    device: 1 drv: radeonsi device: 2 drv: swrast gbm: drv: radeonsi surfaceless:
    drv: radeonsi wayland: drv: radeonsi x11: drv: radeonsi
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 vendor: amd mesa v: 26.1.6-arch1.1 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (radeonsi gfx1201 ACO DRM
    3.64 7.1.6-1-MANJARO) device-ID: 1002:7550 memory: 15.62 GiB unified: no
    display-ID: :1.0
  API: Vulkan v: 1.4.357 layers: 13 device: 0 type: discrete-gpu name: AMD
    Radeon RX 9070 XT (RADV GFX1201) driver: mesa radv v: 26.1.6-arch1.1
    device-ID: 1002:7550 surfaces: N/A device: 1 type: integrated-gpu name: AMD
    Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-Core Processor (RADV RAPHAEL_MENDOCINO) driver: mesa radv
    v: 26.1.6-arch1.1 device-ID: 1002:13c0 surfaces: N/A
  Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
    de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor wl: wayland-info
    x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Audio:
  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Navi 48 HDMI/DP Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 5 speed: 32 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 03:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:ab40 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Creative Labs CA0132 Sound Core3D [Sound Blaster Recon3D /
    Z-Series BlasterX AE-5 Plus] driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 08:00.0 chip-ID: 1102:0012 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Radeon High Definition Audio
    vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s
    lanes: 16 bus-ID: 0e:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1640 class-ID: 0403
  Device-4: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Ryzen HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 0e:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k7.1.6-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api with: aoss
    type: oss-emulator tools: alsactl,alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: JACK v: 1.9.22 status: off tools: N/A
  Server-3: PipeWire v: 1.6.8 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE vendor: ASUSTeK driver: r8169 v: kernel
    pcie: gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: d000 bus-ID: 0a:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:8125 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8922AE 802.11be PCIe Wireless Network Adapter
    vendor: AzureWave driver: rtw89_8922ae v: kernel pcie: gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s
    lanes: 1 port: c000 bus-ID: 0b:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8922 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp11s0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager, systemd-timesyncd, wpa_supplicant
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: IMC Networks Bluetooth Radio driver: btusb v: 0.8 type: USB
    rev: 1.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-6:6 chip-ID: 13d3:3617
    class-ID: e001 serial: <filter>
  Report: rfkill ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: see --recommends
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 2.77 TiB used: 2.35 TiB (84.8%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 model: FO-SSD-PLUS2TB size: 1.86 TiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4
    tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: H231225a temp: 38.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Toshiba model: MQ04UBF100
    size: 931.51 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B type: USB
    rev: 2.1 spd: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 tech: HDD rpm: 5400
    serial: <filter> scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 1.86 TiB size: 1.83 TiB (98.37%) used: 1.67 TiB (91.0%)
    fs: ext4 dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 253:0
    mapped: luks-df6dd55e-b2d2-4260-89fe-3a184f8b1241
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 688 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 45.2 C mobo: 37.5 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
  GPU: device: amdgpu temp: 34.0 C mem: 62.0 C fan: 1 watts: 9.00
    device: amdgpu temp: 42.0 C
Info:
  Memory: total: 32 GiB note: est. available: 30.53 GiB used: 3.26 GiB (10.7%)
  Processes: 380 Power: uptime: 3h 10m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep
    avail: s2idle wakeups: 0 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot,
    suspend, test_resume image: 12.12 GiB services: org_kde_powerdevil,
    power-profiles-daemon, upowerd Init: systemd v: 261 default: graphical
    tool: systemctl
  Packages: 1770 pm: pacman pkgs: 1751 libs: 526 tools: pamac pm: flatpak
    pkgs: 19 Compilers: gcc: 16.1.1 Shell: Zsh v: 5.9.2 running-in: konsole
    inxi: 3.3.41

Thanks!

I am seeing the same DS5 Bluetooth behavior on Manjaro: the controller works in the system Game Controller settings, then disconnects about half a minute after Steam Input starts even though its light stays on. Re-pairing is also difficult unless the device is removed from both Bluetooth settings and /var/lib/bluetooth, so I am looking forward to a solution for this Steam plus DS5 combination. Has anyone found what causes the disconnect when Steam takes over the controller?

Hi, Emery!

After the last update, I’ve installed Linux 7.2 and now my controller works perfectly. That behaviour you were describing sounds exactly the one I had. Could you try the 7.2 linux’s kernel and see if it’s still happen?