If you’re in the market for a high-end gaming mouse, the ASUS Chakram X is a solid choice. This sleek and innovative device comes from a well-respected manufacturer and offers a unique multimedia experience. One standout feature is its built-in joystick, located next to the standard back and forward buttons.
While extra buttons on a mouse are generally welcome—allowing for customizable functions beyond their default uses—some quirks can arise. For instance, the back and forward buttons on the Chakram X can be easily remapped using ASUS’s Armoury Crate software. Setting them to control volume, for example, can make adjusting your PC’s audio seamless. However, in certain games—specifically Counter-Strike 2—this remapping results in an unexpected issue: adjusting the volume also causes your in-game character to jump.
Investigating the Issue
By default, Counter-Strike 2 binds the jump action to the spacebar. Pressing space makes your character jump, as expected. However, using the Chakram X’s side buttons—mapped to volume control—somehow triggers the same jumping action in-game. This issue does not occur when using a different mouse, such as a Logitech model with similar side-button mappings via Logitech’s G Hub software. This strongly suggests that the Chakram X’s additional hardware—most likely its built-in joystick—is interfering with Counter-Strike 2’s controls.
This isn’t an isolated problem. Other mice featuring keypads with multiple programmable buttons have exhibited similar behavior. Historically, Counter-Strike (across all its iterations, including CS 1.6, CS: Source, CS: GO, and now CS2) has had issues with joysticks, gamepads, and any form of keyboard-joystick emulation. In fact, the game outright refuses to launch if such a device is connected. A common workaround has been adding the -nojoy launch option in Steam, but in this case, that solution does not resolve the issue.
The Fix: Disabling Steam Input
It turns out that the problem stems from Steam’s built-in controller support, known as Steam Input. Even though Counter-Strike 2 explicitly states that it does not support controllers, Steam Input overrides this restriction, enabling joystick support across all Steam games. This likely traces back to the days of the Steam Controller and the more recent Steam Deck, where universal gamepad emulation is necessary for controller-only gameplay.
To fix this issue, follow these steps:
Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
Right-click Counter-Strike 2 and select Properties.
Go to the Controller section.
Disable Steam Input for this game.
Close the settings and launch Counter-Strike 2.
Once Steam Input is disabled, your Chakram X’s side buttons will correctly control system volume without causing unintended jumps in-game.
Final Thoughts
While the ASUS Chakram X is an impressive gaming mouse, its built-in joystick can cause unintended interactions with certain games. If you’re experiencing issues where volume controls affect in-game actions in CS2, the simple solution is to disable Steam Input. Hopefully, ASUS or Valve will address this quirk in a future update, but for now, this workaround ensures a smooth gaming experience.
Have you encountered similar issues with other gaming mice? Let us know in the comments!