Steam Switch

Seamlessly automate your couch gaming experience on Windows.

(Binaries will be released soon)

1. Administrative Privileges: This project requires Admin privileges to run.
2. Hardware: A libcec compatible HDMI CEC USB adapter is required for TV power automation.
3. Setup: It is highly recommended to use Task Scheduler to run this application automatically from Program Files when you log in to Windows.

Steam Switch improves the user experience when using a television as your primary display for Steam Big Picture Mode. When Steam exits Big Picture Mode, all changes are automatically reverted to your desktop preferences.

• Auto-Hide Cursor: Automatically hides the mouse cursor to prevent it from obstructing the view.
• HDMI CEC Automation:
  • Powers on the first HDMI-connected display and sets it as the primary monitor.
  • Powers off the active HDMI display when exiting Big Picture Mode.
• Game Settings Swapper: Automatically swaps configuration files (graphics/controls) based on your display mode.
  • Example: Automatically load "Controller + 4K TV" settings when in Big Picture, and "Keyboard + 1440p" settings when at your desk.
• Smart Cursor Positioning: Moves the cursor to the bottom-right corner.
  • Why? This fixes visibility issues in games like Left 4 Dead 2 where the cursor can break the UI when using a controller, and hides custom game cursors.
• Audio Switching: Automatically toggles the default sound device between your TV and your desktop output device.

To ensure the application controls the correct display, you must define the HDMI port number:

1. Navigate to: %USERPROFILE%\Steam Switch\
2. Create File: Create a text file named cecHDMI_Port.txt.
3. Edit: Open the file in Notepad and type the number of the correct HDMI port (e.g., 1, 2, etc.).
   • Note: The file should contain only the single number, with no extra spaces or text.

To enable automatic audio switching between your Couch (TV) and Desk setup:

1. Navigate to: %USERPROFILE%\Steam Switch\
2. Create Files: Create the following three text files:
   • BPAudioDevice.txt
   • DESKAudioDevice.txt
   • LastBPAudioDevice.txt
3. Define TV Audio: Open BPAudioDevice.txt and paste the exact name of your TV/Couch output device (e.g., SAMSUNG (NVIDIA High Definition Audio)).
4. Define Desk Audio: Open DESKAudioDevice.txt and paste the exact name of your preferred desktop output device (e.g., Speakers (3-Dell AC511 USB SoundBar)).
5. Initialize Cache: Open LastBPAudioDevice.txt and paste the Desktop output device name (same as step 4).

Tip: You can find the exact device names in the Windows Sound Settings.

To enable the automatic swapping of game config files (e.g., changing graphics settings automatically):

1. Create Directories: Create two folders inside %PROGRAMFILES%\Steam Switch\:
   • \BP\ (For Big Picture/TV settings)
   • \DESK\ (For Desktop/Monitor settings)
2. Create Game Folders: Inside both the BP and DESK folders, create a subfolder with the exact name of your target game.
3. Define the Path:
   • Find the local config path for your game (check PC Gaming Wiki).
   • Create a file named path.txt inside your new game folders.
   • Paste the path to the game's config folder inside path.txt (e.g., %LocalAppData%\Activision\Call of Duty\players).
   • Important: Do not use forward slashes (/) or leave a trailing backslash at the end of the path.
4. Copy Config Files:
   • Copy your desired config files into their respective folders (\BP\GameName\ and \DESK\GameName\).
   • Ensure path.txt exists in both.

Use these shortcuts to manage features while in-game or using Steam.

Note: "Select" refers to the Back (Xbox 360), View (Xbox One/Series), Share (PS4), or Create (PS5) button.

Steam Switch has been tested on Windows 11 (24H2 and later).

It has not triggered issues with standard kernel or non-kernel anti-cheat systems during testing.