At my desk, with the PC buzzing beside me, my games are one of my few comforts. They are rarely comfortable. My desk is a cell where I must hunch over a mouse and keyboard. Valve’s $100 Steam Controller changed how I game on PC by letting me play my favorite RTS and CRPGs while reclining in my best impression of a Roman-era hedonist.
That doesn’t mean it will be the same for the casual crowd. Those who don’t want to edit control schemes for every game they play will be ill at ease with the Steam Controller and should look elsewhere for a cheaper, more ergonomic gamepad. I talked with Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais and engineer Jeff Mucha about the gamepad. They told me the company doesn’t imagine it is an “enthusiast”-level controller. It contains all the buttons, triggers, and—yes—the two joysticks players expect. Unique to the Steam Controller are its two Steam Deck-like square trackpads that act as either a mouse or thumbstick alternative. It’s this feature alone that makes this gamepad more versatile than even ones with swappable buttons like the 8BitDo Pro 3 that I reviewed last year. 4 Steam Controller Valve's redesigned Steam Controller will let you play all your PC games comfortably on the couch. It will probably be even better on Steam Machine. Pros Precise trackpads play RPG and RTS games Comfortable fit Clacky controls Drift-resistant joysticks Cons Need to change controls for every game Lack of instant triggers Magnetic puck connects only one way Not great for smaller-sized hands One piece of the Steam hardware puzzle The Steam Controller was designed for PC gaming, but more specifically, it’s a component of Valve’s PC/console hybrid, the Steam Machine, as well as its upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. Neither device has a release date yet. The Steam Controller is an early glimpse of how we can make PC gaming more living room-friendly. If anything, it’s just one way PC gaming may not exactly become less expensive, but at least it will feel more comfortable.
