Features:
- 4 Custom Buttons to assign Functions
- Full Gyro Support (only when “Steam Mode” is activated)
- A customization feature to only activate Gyro when a specific joystick is touched
- Continuous button pressing or “Rapid Fire” mode for face buttons
- Supports both Bluetooth and Wired connections
- A dedicated Steam button to start big picture mode or bring Steam up
- A Quick Access Menu button
However it doesn’t have:
- vibration function
- trackpad
- Headphone jack
It will cost around $50
I said it elsewhere, but it’s almost like they looked at the market research showing Steam PC gamers would buy a gazillion Steam Controller 2s or Steam Deck Controllers if they made and sold either one, or both.
And then they decided to make something that was neither one of those things. It’s totally bizarre.
Yeah, I’m uninterested in buying any new controllers until they make a Steam Deck without the screen. I’m convinced no controller has ever been more comfortable or more versatile than the Steam Deck
I seem to be in the unpopular opinion camp with this, but I actually really like it. I am a huge fan of the gyro+stick combo with touch capacitance, and this is the only controller to release with that steam deck touch capacitance feature. Biggest criticism I have for it is the lack of vibration, but im optimistic about this controller
No vibration is a strange choice given that Nintendo and Sony went out of their way to make that much better in recent years.
Lack of trackpad is more understandable. Sony have had that for two generations now, and I’ve never really seen it used as anything other than a big Select button. I bounced off the Steam Controller simply because games designed for controllers feel much better with thumbsticks. If I want to play a mouse controlled game like Civ, I will use a mouse. Even from my sofa.
50?
So they left out vibration so it wouldn’t be the usual 60?
Those savings don’t take the price down to “will buy” they take the featureset down to “will never buy”.
Honest question, is vibration that important of a feature in your opinion? I don’t think I notice it all too much whether it’s there or not, so I don’t really have much of a preference and wouldn’t consider this a deal breaker. I didn’t realize people felt strongly about it. Is it an immersion thing?
Immersion, yes, but also haptics provide feedback.
Lots of games use it to tell you things, like when your health is low, when to time something, when you took damage vs blocked successfully, when you’re close to a secret…
Used right, it’s another sensory input channel in addition to sound and visuals.
One of the biggest genres that I use a controller for, because I consider KBM to be unplayable for it, is racing games. And there haptics are used to tell you TONS about what is happening in the game.
You know I didn’t realize how much you rely on it for all kinds of different things until just now. When it’s done right, you kinda don’t even fully notice it is there. Dam, you totally switched me on this.
I appreciate the feedback! I’m primarily a kbm player, and I don’t really play any racing games so I see how I totally would have missed that. Thank you for your response homie!
Yes very important. I miss it when it isn’t there.
Some games don’t really use it in a meaningful way, others make it a key component of gameplay. Sometimes gimmicky, obviously. For example I tried Mario Galaxy on the Deck, there’s a puzzle that requires finding the right spot with the HD rumble. The Deck has the same kind of haptics, but it didn’t translate at all into something meaningful, so that one puzzle cannot be solved. Old school rumble is ok and nice, but modern devices (Steam Deck, Switch, PS5, something like last 10 years of iPhones, obviously the Steam Controller) have proper haptics and can really do weird things. Click on the trackpad of your Deck when it’s off. The click is faked with haptics, so there’s none when it’s off! Main problem is that both Microsoft and Nintendo are strikingly dumb, so Microsoft is still clinging to 30 year old tech with the classic rumble, and Nintendo has HD Rumble only on the real Switch… so developers can’t expect everything to have proper haptics, and fall back to rumble.
Thank you, that makes a lot of sense. I think my misunderstanding comes from being a kbm gamer and just not experiencing games that took proper advantage of those features. I kind of just assumed we were talking about the same rumble from a PS2 or 360 controller. I hadn’t realized it’s become so much more advanced.
There are a lot of games where it is a crucial or at least very useful extra layer of feedback. Some games you cant tell whats happening without it. In many cases it adds to immersiveness for a lot of people. Both Nintendo and Sony have put a great deal of effort into their current gen haptics.
It’s a big deal.
Not who you asked, but I find myself turning it off more often than not. I just never see it as adding much to my experience. I tend to notice it more as annoyance more than anything else.
Most people online seem to feel quite strongly about it.
I’m quite strongly against it. I was really happy that my Nintendo Switch Hori controller didn’t have rumble, because then I didn’t have to bother turning it off in every game.
But then again I’m odd with a lot of things. I see no difference between 60Hz refresh and 120 Hz. High end speakers mean nothing to me. Movies are all the same to me in 4K or high quality 1080p. High settings in games add nothing for me over medium graphical settings. It works out really well for me. I can buy cheap electronics that I really enjoy.
Lmao, I think you and I share the same opinions on a lot of those things. I’m a very simple person, all those extra frills are wasted on me
Yup. I’m still waiting for the perfect controller that has gyro and bindable paddles through Steam Input. This is finally a controller that delivers those things, but then lacks such a basic feature like rumble. I really hope they have a pro version planned.
No vibration at all? That’s a really strange choice…
I prefer the PS5/SteamDeck joystick layout to the Xbox/Switch layout but I’m addicted to back paddles now — I even got 3rd party joycons for Switch that have two (and also are as thick as the Steam Deck so it feels familiar when I jump over to play Zelda or whatever).
They’re BINBOK controllers and have been great for my needs in handheld mode. The back paddles aren’t fully programmable and I think there’s some features missing but nothing I really notice. And they’ve probably lasted longer than the official Joycons.
What I’d really like is a controller that’s basically just the deck without a screen.
Hal effect or GTFO
My controller has all of these features and 3 more! Also a screen, and a whole computer
That’s awesome!!! For the cost of 50$ too! Tech is growing so fast
No u
Mmm… seems rather mediocre. I am personally a big fan of the 8bitdo ultimate line
Yeah but gyrooo! And joystick touch sensorrrr arghhh
Oh yea the joystick touch sensorr is nice, but the ultimates also have gyro I believe.
They do but only on Bluetooth/Switch mode and has a very low polling rate. On my Deck it only works if I turn my controller off and on twice.
Yeah, underwhelming. But at least not Chinese.
Yea? Isn’t that also just made in china?
I don’t know where they manufacture but from what I could find Hori is a Japanese company.
It’s funny that it doesn’t have a headphone jack but it clearly has a little notch in the center where those usually go
If it sells well they may do a deluxe/pro version for $70 or $80 with a bunch of extra bells and whistles
Useless without trackpads. I can just use any other controller instead of this.
Honestly the OG stream controller would have been perfect if they could find a way to fit a 2nd analog stick on there
I don’t use mine much anymore but I still have it out, was a really cool idea and while it had a learning curve, definitely made controller gaming possible with a lot of titles, steam input in general these days is fantastic for that but even so I’d totally buy a steam deck layout steam controller v2.
Ah yes, the four horse-controllers of the apocalypse — Xbox, PlayStation, Gamecube, and Mountain Dew
Looks ugly as fuck and is missing pretty standard features but thanks for trying, I guess?
I hope this prompts other companies like 8bitdo and King Kong to make their own Steam-first gamepads
What are you missing in terms of features.
All the things mentioned at the bottom. No vibration, audio, or trackpad. I think what people would want in a new steam controller is the controls of the steam deck without the screen
I would call those standard features (except vibration) though.
Vibration is a pretty big one
Alright, personally I don’t really care too much about that.
Ooh, I want an 8bitdo Steam controller.
What’s the point of an official Deck controller if it doesn’t have touchpads?
These aren’t official, just probably licensed to be able to use Steam branding.
Yes, sorry, I forgot to put the quotes on official.
Hori in shambles after learning they could have had a button bound to recording
