Steam Controller shows signs of life, as leaker suggests that Valve has received its "first large quantity" shipments

I'm too twitchy for gyro aim to be better than just using the sticks. My crosshair would just be jiggling all over 😔

Gross!

Thanks for the reminder. I don't think I encountered payment issues with the Deck (I used a credit card and was early enough to be in one of the April 2022 waves), but better safe than sorry.

I hear you. I preloaded my Steam with 150cad. During the steam deck pre order the hold up when the website worked was payment processors.

Fortunately it doesn't contain RAM or flash storage or a GPU, so you may not need to go to humiliation levels of money.

I broke my first steam controller, and an old xbox controller, beating the final boss of Sekiro. My replacement is more-or-less a shelf ornament at the moment due to its irreplaceable nature. That old man's got a lot to answer for.

I will also be at the front of the queue for this. Hesitation is defeat, after all.

Yeah I only really use track pad as mouse in steam desktop. It's pretty cool there tho.

The Dishonoured games and Prey by Arcane Studios actually bothered to make proper Steam Controller configs and use the proper glyphs too, it makes a difference

The trackpads on the deck are nice, it's a great substitute for a mouse when you don't have a mouse. But that's all they are. Not a single game* has done anything to show off any greater potential. Binding ten keyboard keys into a dodgy ring menu is not a pleasant interface. I have never once wanted to use a trackpad as a redundant joystick input. I would like to freely pan around with one pad and point with the other - imagine that in a puzzle box game. Nothing can do this, the closest to an independent view control i've found is "bind mouse wheel up/down buttons to vertical swipes".

Heck, I would like a water filled toy game where you just press the pads to squirt rings upwards, and it feels just a little bit haptically squooshy. Nobody has done even that much to make a game feel truly at home on the Deck with the deck's controls.

The new controller looks nice, but I don't see any reason for it to replace the lowest-common-denominator xbox style controller. Especially when there are some really good xbox clones with magnetic sticks being sold for super cheap.

*okay, there's Aperture Desk Job. That hardly adds up to a game, it's basically the manual that comes with the Deck controller. I've spent more time playing the PC Jr's bios tutorial.

The issue with the first one is that it loses basic controller functionality for the touchpads. Many games that come with controller support don't work well on it without adjusting the controls.

The new steam controller should be fully functional as a standard controller, while having a lot more capabilities when the user can use them.

Try out a steam deck if you get a chance. The haptics are fantastic and makes using a mouse with your thumb feel very natural

You’re allowed to not fiddle with it.

There is a system for official or community configurations, on a per game basis. Being able to customize that further, and easily, is the best of all words, and I very often wish one could do something similar on consoles.

The standard layout "just works" 99% of the time, the exact same as a console controller layout. All the fancy stuff is there if you want it, but very rarely required.

It's voice coils all the way down, baby!

I _think_ they actually use a setup of basically .... something like minature subwoofers, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

To test this on a Deck, try clicking with the unit switched off and keep trying as you hit the power button and it starts up.

I genuinely thought my Deck had a defect when the trackpads didn't click when it was asleep. Like I had somehow ruined the trackpads.

The haptic feedback is so god damn good, it fooled me.

Ah, you're correct!

It quite literally fooled me, but you are right.

The first generation of controllers clicks. Or at least it simulates clicking so much I don't realise it isn't, but I'm pretty sure it does

If they're the same track pads as on the Steam Deck they don't actually physically click in anywhere, but they have really good pressure sensitivity and can be configured to deliver a haptic feedback "click" back to your thumb when you press hard enough. It feels just like clicking a physical button, but it's all a clever electronic illusion.

To test this on a Deck, try clicking with the unit switched off and keep trying as you hit the power button and it starts up.

I really like how rotating the camera works on the track pad - the right track pad works as a right joystick, but crucially has momentum. So I could do a quick swipe on the pad and the camera would continue moving for a moment after. It also allows fine speed control by changing how quickly I swipe. Once I got used to it, I could make very quick and accurate orientation changes. Much better than joystick imo where you have to hold it down, using up your thumb for a second or two while you turn. As a bonus, the track pad also could be used as buttons so your thumb is already in position to get mashing again.

And the haptics feel fantastic, you can't really judge it correctly without feeling it

I don’t like fiddling with configuring a controller. On consoles it typically just works.

Ok, but you do realize that even if you didn’t purchase it day 1, that the battery begins decaying from the first day it’s created right? And maybe you’re not in the US, but at least where I’m at you have to go out of your way to purchase a miniUSB cable.

Why would t it matter? Does age not matter when it comes to how an electronic is expected to perform? I don’t expect to get more than 10 years Of perfect play out of any controller.

You do know that not everybody who owns a PS4 controller bought them on day 1 when they were originally released, right? That it's possible people like myself bought them much later than in 2016, correct? And you also realize that the problems I'm talking about -- those didn't start yesterday.

How often do you even see miniUSB cables?

Literally daily.

Why would t it matter? Does age not matter when it comes to how an electronic is expected to perform? I don’t expect to get more than 10 years Of perfect play out of any controller. Whether it stick drift or buttons wearing out or whatever the case may be. Nothing lasts forever even in perfect conditions. Not to mention the battery is the quickest thing the degrade anyhow. How often do you even see miniUSB cables?

I'm not sure when they came out. Why would it matter, though?

Didn’t the PS4 Pro controller come out 10 years ago?

this is the only controller that *might* retire my wavebird

I wish the alpakka 2's kickstarted had exceeded. That would have been sweet

Huh???

>to reach over those pads and touch the sticks

Plz stop

It's an interesting thought, but no amount of software is going to conjure up new physical buttons. You pretty much always need to use the ABXY buttons at the same time as the D-pad, so this remapping trick wouldn't be possible.

That's a good idea actually!

Interesting. I played Hollow Knight on Switch and joycons were my favorite option for this exact reason. The few times I tried with a Switch pro controller .... did not go well. It's too squishy, and I absolutely do blame the controller there! Presumably 8BitDo is much better and clickier.

Silksong I actually played on PC, with a keyboard. It was great for me, the biggest downside personally is the lack of rumble - I love haptic feedback. The game definitely plays better with a controller but the button layout on keyboard was totally playable.

Was about to recommend the same thing; I just couldn't get anywhere on Silksong with a normal pad, had to set it up for a fight stick to have proper control.

Only got yourself to blame for diagonals with these bad boys:

https://www.8bitdo.com/arcade-controller-transparent-purple/

Of course, 8bitdo's stuff is awesome, but Steam controllers are awesomer.

After years of conditioning to play platformers with a D pad I just can't play them with the Joy Cons. I played Hollow Knight with the 80BitDo SF30 Pro. Of course sometimes I died :D But I don't blame the controller for that.

I don't know what you mean, Hollow Knight is unplayable with accidental diagonals. Try attacking in mid-air while moving left, but then oops! Instead of an attack to your left, you do a pogo or an upwards attack. You miss your target, and you die.

In some use cases the 4 buttons instead of the D pad on the Joy Cons are amazing. As you say, you have no false diagonals. I really like them in Tetris for example.

But in 2D platformers or metroidvanias like Mario or Hollow Knight? Literally unplayable.

Xbox Series controller dpad is very clicky and well defined, so accidental diagonal inputs aren’t a concern with that one.

There’s likely a number of other similar clicky dpads on the market nowadays, it’s been popularised again with quite a few retro handhelds.

I only accept it because I have become used to it.

Otherwise, I do tend to agree with you for the pretty rare time I need to not go accidental diagonal.

8bitdo d-pad is very clicky and defined

luckily the steam controller is very configurable. All the buttons can be remapped, with layers, for basically anything you could imagine. I have an OG steam controller that I use to play helldivers 2. The OG steam controller does not have a D pad at all, and D pad input is very important in that game. Normally you hold LB and then use the D pad to input stuff. So for the steam controller, I added a layer where when holding LB (and only when holding LB) the ABXY buttons become a D pad. So it's ABXY or a D pad depending on the context and proper layers mean I don't even have to think about it. I'm sure if the D pad on this one isn't clicky enough, you could do something like that.

I mean, arguably... it isn't a D **Pad** if its actually seperate buttons.

But anyway, with the Steam Deck, which the Steam Controller 2.0 is basically a scaled down version of, that doesn't have the whole computer and screen... you can at least get after market uh... contact boards?

I'm not sure of the term, but like the internal platter board thing, that the dpad/abxy buttons actually physically connect to, with the trigger/switch mechanisms.

For my deck, I got a kit that replaces the original ones with ones that are much 'clickier', like a mechanical keyboard as compared to a membrane keyboard.

It has more tactile and also audio feedback, beyond just being more responsive... that was like $30 bucks or something?

For a while, it was the case that to do this kind of mod, you'd have to do your own solder, but I waited and eventually somebody in China somewhere started making ones that are pre-soldered, and just require an appropriate screw driver and some dexterity to install.

So... if the Steam Controller takes off, I'd say give it 6 months, and by then something similar will probably exist for it.

Somehow I never noticed that everything is nice and symmetrical until you mentioned. That… yeah, I think that’s even better than Sony’s design.

I don't think the positioning will feel too different from the Deck honestly. Your hands are going to be closer together holding the controller and thus rotated more inward. It looks like Valve rotated the grips and stick/button/trackpad triangles to match this angle, hence the lower sticks and tilted trackpads. The ergonomics on the Deck, original Steam Controller, Index controllers, and Index headset have all been great, so I trust them here.

It’s okay, if it’s the steam deck type. Each thumb is half a keyboard. It’s okay… but it’s not anything like having a nice full size TLK keyboard with a touchpad! I would LOVE a wireless mech touchpad keyboard that can switch between devices. I have a RK 98 keyboard that can do wireless2.4, wired, and three BT devices—my dream is that keyboard but with a touchpad built in! Alas, the k400 is the best we can get right now, and that’s okay. My only issue was figuring out how we kept enabling and disabling tap-to-click… it took us YEARS to realize we were accidentally hitting FN+clic! x3

Same! It's perfection.

I was reading that comment and thinking, how will you type!?

I hope it's not the same horrendous on screen keyboard as with the previous controller.

Got the Rii 4 recently to use with my Steam Deck since I got tired of my Roku I bought 6 years ago sending telemetry/statistics outbound (and getting blocked by my PiHole/router combo) that I unplugged it and threw it into a drawer. Excellent little piece of kit!

What other way? The A and B buttons?

The sticks? I just explained to you why they have the layouts they do.

It was kind of a pain to find a good controller for PC back in the day. It was nice when standard console controllers just worked with it.

Roommate has one and I didn't like the feel as much as the DS4 and the DS4 is cheaper than the DS5. But I had been considering the DS4 over the 8-bitdo, and this is so minor, but I liked that the DS controllers had the speaker compatibility with Death Stranding 1 and 2 to add some little sound effects to the game. Tho those are the only two games I've seen it work with on the PC so it's so so minor.

Universal glyphs are better imo. In my head I call them north, south, east, west instead of a, b, x, y (I’m pretty sure that’s how the facebuttons are labeled in the Linux kernel, regardless of Xbox,Nintendo,ps)

I play so many retro games that i just found it easier to memorize all the different controllers.

I'm the opposite, Xbox button labels drive me crazy. I learned the layout on the SNES, so it's hard for me to adjust. I've gotten better since playing more PC games on my Steam Deck since the XBox layout is the default, though I always choose PS button prompts if the game has the option.

Did your 8bitdo only have nintendo buttons as an option? I was able to pick from three designs for my 8bitdo pro 2

I love every 8bitdo I own. The pro2 is great, aside from the Nintendo face button labels, it’s become my daily driver and dev controller.

What about a PS5 controller?

I keep rebuilding the same DS4 controller as it's ideal as a PC controller, both wired and Bluetooth protocol. But it keeps breaking or wearing down on me and parts keep going up in price and the dang thing is getting beat up. I looked into the 8-bitdo controllers but I didn't care for the only one they had with the DS layout, their retro one.

I'll heavily consider the Steam Controller 2 if the price and quality is right.

that's not what the discussion is about

I prefer assymetrical xbox style for modern games where the analog stick is more important than dpad. For oldschool games I prefer the dpad on the outside (symmetrical) like Playstation does. Just my opinion.

hardly any of those are still in production by that logic a regular TV is a crt lol

I said it was first I didn't say it was standard. But being the first it definitionally can't be "nonstandard" since it was the only one at the time!

The layout was very very non standard and had a single stick. I’m smoking a lot of weed but I can tell you the n64 controller doesn’t count here.

I'll just include consoles that came with symmetrical or asymmetrical for simplicity's sake:

Symmetrical:

PS2: 160 million

PS3: 87 million

PS4: 117 million

PS5: 92 million

Wii U: 14 million

Symmetrical total: 470 million

Asymmetrical:

Xbox: 24 million

Xbox 360: 84 million

Xbox One: 58 million

Xbox Series X: 35 million

Gamecube: 21 million

Switch: 155 million

Switch 2: 17 million

Asymmetrical total: 394 million

More people have played on symmetrical controllers than asymmetrical.

Why would a single analog stick be relevant in a discussion of whether symmetrical or asymmetrical analog sticks are "regular"?

n64 is relevant in any discussion about analog sticks on console controllera

1. Wii, Wii U, and Steam Deck (soon Steam Controller) did it that way

2. N64 wasn't dual analog, so not relevant since it wasn't symmetrical or asymmetrical.

This controller was peak design. I was using a DS3 as my go to pc controller for years before the sticks died.

The PS1 controller was my first real PC controller btw, with an adapter! Back then it was such a blast to play emulation with such a great controller. As other PC controllers sucked for the most part.

"DEBATE ME"

lol but seriously who cares who's first if we're going with who's thumbstick layout was first then it's n64 and I think we agree nobody wants that

"Regular" thumbstick layout? PlayStation's was first.


EDIT: I see you edited your comment to remove "regular". Thank you! I've always been able to use either kind just fine, but I do prefer symmetrical, probably because I play a lot of 2D games and actually use the d-pad.

The PlayStation controller is the same as a SNES controller, but with two sticks and finger grips.

Xbox took thier controller design from the Dreamcast. Which came out long after the SNES, and before the xbox.

Oh thank you for the heads up! I might add money myself for this.

Same. Its a perfect device for running an HTPC / living room gaming device. Im planning navigate through streaming options, kodi, steam remote play, moonlight, and a bunch of emulators all with the same controller.

I hear yeah, I want that Controller, its everything I asked for after using the Deck plus more. My Steam Account is preloaded with Money cause I remember when the Steam Deck went pre order the payment processing couldnt keep up. Frame is interesting. But probably way to expensive for the little interest I have.

I know you didn't ask but i recommend looking into a rii mini keyboard with trackpad as well.

Look up the Logitech k400. All my home theaters have computers and they all have that keyboard hahaha

is it significantly better than a ps4 controller? i’ve been using one of those and it works fine…

Me too, I have my home theater set already and this would be the icing on the

Same. I desperately hope they release a version with the regular thumbstick layout instead of the PlayStation layout that's on the Deck.

That controller is the lynchpin for making a mini PC my future home theater center. I care for it more than the steam machine

I guess worth noting for Steam newbies:

The trackpads can be configured to act as basically any possible kind of input.

You can break them down into 4 way buttons, 8 way buttons, 2 buttons, one button... make them work as a joystick, or as a mouse... they click in a bit at multiple points...

So, if you prefer a different kind of thumbstick orientation, you can basically emulate it.

Literally all of the buttons on one of these things can be reconfigured to do a whole bunch of crazy shit, you can make macros, you can make it so that a little hud popup with scrollable selectable options pop up, you can make combos of key presses do different specific inputs, you can make a turbo function.... etc.

Hell, you can make the gyros act as a mouse/joystick input, in several different modes, maybe only when you hold the aim button down, if you want that.

Anything you run through Steam can be made to work this way with the Steam Input system they invented for with the Steam Deck, the Steam Controller 2.0 is basically a shrunk down Steam Deck without the PC and screen.

EDIT:

There is also an onscreen keyboard functionality, which pops up a keyboard overlay, and then you use both trackpads as basically two thumbs on a smart phone, sort of.

So, if you're playing a game that is 99% controller input, but has a few UIs popups where you get prompted to type in your name or something like that, or I guess even a chat box in an mmo, you can handle it with this.

Also also: Most/Many games come with preset default Steam Input layouts made by the developers. Also, Everyone who uses Steam is capable of basically uploading their control schema for any game to the cloud, and then you are capable of grabbing it and using it.

So, with some games, the developer provided inputs are good, sometimes users develop alternate schemes that are actually better/quite popular, or, maybe you could be the one to make a better config that people like!

Will pay a frankly humiliating amount of money to get one of these ASAP. My OG Steam Controller (my second, in fact) is on death's door.

After getting the Steam Deck 2 months ago and playing quite some time with it I used my Xbox One controller this weekend for this first time since it couple of months.

It felt weird. Just because the ergonomics of the Steam Deck are actually pretty good.

I thought about getting the Steam Controller (once it's released). But I am still no fan of both sticks being in such a low position. The thing I really like about the Steam Deck is the fact, that all primary inputs (sticks, face buttons and d-pad) are positioned at the same height.

this is the only controller than will retire my alpakka 1

This is the only new valve hardware I am interested in. I love the steam deck track pads, so having them on a controller will be awesome.

I have a bunch of nice controllers that all work on my gaming PC and Macs, etc.

But I’ll probally buy one of these too. I feel like it’s compulsory in a weird nagging way.

Oh snap it's got the Playstation joystick config.... I kinda want this to replace my dying DS4 I've repaired a few times now. I wonder how easy it'll be to reach over those pads and touch the sticks

I want this controller, but I am so annoyed that no controller on the planet comes with separated directional buttons for the D-Pad. Accidental diagonal input is the bane of my existence. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons have separate buttons and I freaking love it! But the ONLY reason they did that is to allow them to serve as ABXY when held sideways. No "real" controller does this.

The only option I've found to achieve this is to get a PlayStation controller (PS4 or PS5), and mod it with a kit that separates the buttons under the faceplate. But the extra features of the Steam Controller sound too good to sacrifice just for that.

The only D-Pad I've ever actually liked is the 3DS (XL), because it's *so clicky* and never caused accidental diagonal input. Seriously, how do people accept this crap?

So yeah, I *really* hope the D-Pad on this is clicky. I'll probably be buying it either way.

Gimme gimme gimme

Hell yes.

I have a setup with my Dualsense Edge (and Steam Deck) for FPS games where I use flick stick and gyro to aim, and swipe on the touchpad to switch weapons. It works disgustingly well. I play FPS games on controller now.

I have a first gen but I'm not really a fan. My one non-gamer kid likes it though.

I'm waiting years for this, even longer than the Steam Deck exists! I think that I buy it twice, one to use it and the second one as collection (and backup). :-) (Edit: typo, I didn't meant unpacked)

Yay. My Playstation controller is at the point where it needs to be replaced. It's got both battery capacity issues and charging issues. I'm hoping that the Steam controller lasts longer than the PS4 Pro controller b/c for the price that Sony charges, I'd expect those to last longer than mine has, especially given how little time I spend playing / using it.

I've been looking forward to the Steam controller. I was starting to think I should give up and just go get another PS controller. Granted, I'm sure I won't get a first release Steam controller. They'll have a limited quantity and wouldn't surprise me if they're gone by the time that the steam store has recovered from the outage and bugs that crop up every time a new product goes on sale.

I want

Just a note, as someone who owns a Stream controller ignore the sticks, it's the pads you should be using.

Maybe get some Decks back in, first...