Then change it Ian!

I used to use i3 as my main desktop, now I run sway. But I haven’t installed i3 or sway on the steam deck. Mainly because I have spent years perfecting my i3wm config, used days converting it over to sway, then used months tweaking it. And I just don’t want to do that again on my steam deck.

But here is what I would try if I didn’t have two kids and lots of responsibilities.

I’d try installing sway, or i3wm if I couldn’t get that going in an arch Linux distrobox. Arch Linux just because I am familiar with it, and it’s very maluable. Pick which you are most familiar with if you want. And then I would launch that as a non steam app.

Then what I am dredding the most comes next. Configuring the window manager. I’d take my current sway config, or my current i3wm config and just rip out what is not needed. And plan and craft keybinds together with a steam input configuration… I think it would be possible to make a very comfortable and usable configuration.

the main thing I think valve should do to make desktop more usable is to detect when a keyboard input is in focus and show the on screen keyboard automatically. And also show move it to the top if it means you would see the text input field. Or maybe use some gamescope magic to move the viewport you are looking at the desktop so that you always can see the text input. Or some apps like terminal emulators would have to be resized.

It won’t be perfect, at least without improvements to gamescope. But it can be quite interesting

The only other thing that I know also is needed is case folding

If there are other features needed I don’t know about them

I agree with all of your points. But to answer your question regarding charging.

You can buy joy con chargers, I’ve seen them in stores, they have like a whole stand that also charges your joycon. There are various licensed and unlicensed designs like this. Alternatively I’ve seen on Ali express, just a cable that splits into two, and can connect to the bottom of the joycon rail, just where the connector is, and can be plugged into a USB-a port.

Another official way to charge them is they in I think only released in Japan, as an arms 2 accessories? I may be wrong pulling this from memory and I don’t play arms. They sold joycon aa battery packs. Which were joycon grips, with two aa batteries making them thicker, and also a strap on them.

Lastly Nintendo announced before the switch came out, a charging grip for the joy cons. Like the one that was included with the switch, but it also had a battery that could let you play for even longer, and charge via USB-c. I don’t think this was ever released, I misunderstood and thought my release day switch would come with this product, so I was sad to see the grip that came with the switch was only a plastic holder. But I can wager a guess that some other 3. Party accessories maker has released either a licensed charging grip or an unlicensed one.

I haven’t seen it, but IMO the best product for me, if I was in a situation where I wanted to use the joycons exclusively on a non switch device. I’d like to have something similar to the official joycon straps, but it had a USB-c port on them for charging.

The steam controller 1 already has wifi, its not the only controller that does this, the nvidia shield controller also does. The standard these and a very few other controllers use is called wifi direct, and basically uses an adhoc network to connect. This is seamless for the user.