Linux 7.3 HID Updates Add 2026 Steam Controller Support and New Gaming Drivers

Updated Oct. 26, 2026, 3:21 a.m. ET: Adds later Linux 7.3 HID fixes for Logitech, Elecom and SteelSeries devices and that Linux 7.3 shipped as a stable kernel on Oct. 18.

The Human Interface Device updates for Linux 7.3 bring native kernel support for Valve’s 2026 Steam Controller and several new gaming drivers, Phoronix reported after the HID pull was merged during the merge window.

The new Steam Controller began shipping in May with support in Steam on all major platforms, and the SDL library later added support for use outside Steam. The kernel’s hid-steam driver, introduced in 2018 for the original controller, lets it work as a conventional HID device without the Steam runtime or SDL. Vicki Pfau modernized that driver and extended it to the 2026 controller, bringing support up to parity with the original 2015 model. Pfau also closed a long-standing gap in sensor support for the original controller.

Other Additions

The same pull includes:

• A new HID-HyperX driver that reports microphone mute status on the HyperX QuadCast 2 USB gaming microphone.
• A new MSI Claw gamepad driver for the company’s handheld gaming PCs.
• HID++ 2.0 reprogrammable button support for Logitech devices.
• Tablet-mode switch support in the AMD Sensor Fusion Hub driver.

Fixes Later in the Cycle

A later round of HID fixes, sent on Sept. 22 for Linux 7.3-rc5, added more hardware, according to Phoronix. The Logitech HID++ driver gained IDs for the G502 X Lightspeed mouse when it is connected over USB, the Elecom driver added the left-handed EX-G wireless trackball (M-XT4DRBK), and the SteelSeries driver can now report connection and battery status for the 2018 Arctis 7 headset. The pull also fixed broken touchpad palm detection on the 2025 ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (GZ302EA) and added a keyboard quirk for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11.

For Linux gamers, the Steam Controller work matters most. Native kernel support means the controller behaves as a normal input device in any application, not only in games launched through Steam, and handheld owners get first-class gamepad support for the MSI Claw without out-of-tree modules.