When the touchpad is set to emulate a mouse scroll wheel while using a circular gesture, swiping clockwise is scroll down and swiping counter clockwise is scroll up. Of course, you can change this if you want:

Steam>Settings>Controller>Pair and Manage>Desktop Layout>Edit>Edit Layout>Trackpads>Left Trackpad Behaviour>[gear icon]>Invert Swipe Direction

Or just swap the “Clockwise Command” and the “Counter Clockwise Command” under Steam>Settings>Controller>Pair and Manage>Desktop Layout>Edit>Edit Layout>Trackpads>Left Trackpad Behaviour

But regardless of the fact that it can be changed, there must be some logic to why the Steam Deck touchpad behaves that way by default, right? Help me make sense of why some dev team at Valve decided that the default should be “clockwise=down” despite these other common scenarios in which “clockwise=up”.

  • Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    8 hours ago

    I always thought one side of the pad was inverse, sliding down to go up, while the other side was normal. I had no idea it worked in a circular way.

    • SatyrSack@quokk.auOPEnglish
      3·
      6 hours ago

      I have definitely seen similar confused comments saying “My touchpad is broken! It works correctly when touching the right side, but the left side always scrolls in opposite direction!” Then once it gets explained that it is using a circular gesture, it is immediately understood, and they might even end up preferring that.