![]() Unless you have a terrible need to play keyboard-and-mouse games on your television, I’d recommend waiting before buying the Steam Controller. But it is certainly a problem for anyone thinking about buying it. It’s not this thing’s fault that Valve hasn’t built a game to take advantage of it. Maybe this isn’t a problem with the controller itself. It’s a unique sensation, and I bet you won’t even notice it because I couldn’t find any games that take advantage of it. For example, if you slide your finger across the right thumbpad like it’s a track ball, the haptic motor will continue to rumble afterward as if it is continuing the momentum of your swipe. The touchpads and rumble feedback are so damn interesting. Yes - the Steam Controller is different, but it’s a distinction without a purpose. Nothing uses its most interesting features But we’re at a point where everything we own is so precisely engineered that it’s disappointing when every aspect of a product doesn’t come together. Its analog stick (it’s weird to use the singular of that term) and haptic feedback both have a good feel. Now, it doesn’t exactly feel like a $20 third-party Nintendo 64 controller you would have bought from Blockbuster. The Steam button’s click has no oomph until the haptic feedback kicks in. It is $15 less expensive than a DualShock 4 or Xbox One controller, but it also feels way cheaper than either (at least the latest revisions of those peripherals). ![]() Its plastics feel hollow - like a toy you’d get out of a cereal box. This does not feel like a premium piece of equipment. Maybe it will, but I think it’s hard to feel good about any controller with a harsh learning curve. I understand that other people said that it has clicked for them - it hasn’t for me. I tried all kinds of big games - Skyrim, The Witcher, Far Cry, and Fallout 4 - and I don’t see how I could ever get this pad to work in a way that I would find acceptable. I am not compatible with all of this change, and I think you’ll need time to grow accustomed to it as well. Nintendo didn’t remove the D-pad to add the analog stick, for example.īut Valve, to include its two thumbpads, has removed the right analog stick and moved the face buttons way down and to the left. What you notice, if you look back at that technological progression, is that each new controller built on top of the last. The right analog stick with the PlayStation’s DualShock and secondary shoulder buttons. Shoulder buttons with the Super Nintendo. As my hands became more capable and I learned better manual dexterity, hardware manufacturers added more complexity to their pads. I learned to first play on the Nintendo Entertainment System’s D-pad and two-button configuration. This means I have aged alongside the video game controller. I don’t know if I really need to play Civ on my couch, but I now know that the control input is no longer a barrier to doing so. I know because I accidentally ended up playing Civilization V for way longer than I intended to after booting it up on my Steam Link. Unsurprisingly, the Steam Controller doesn’t fall short here. That’s something two analog sticks have never handled well. The Steam Controller was always pitched as Valve creating a couch-friendly input device for mouse-and-keyboard games. It work well with games that have no business working with a controller And that’s exciting even if it’s mostly unfulfilled potential at this point. The truth is that the Valve controller can do things the other devices simply cannot. I’ve used similar Valve tech with the HTC Vive, and I know they’re capable of empowering very interesting mechanics. The big change here are the two touchpads. So instead of producing another me-too product, the Steam Controller flies boldly in another direction. It knows that if you want a gamepad for your PC, Steam Machine, or Steam Link, you can’t go wrong with the DualShock 4, Xbox One, or Xbox 360 controllers. ![]() Valve is in a weird position with the Steam Controller. It’s crazy - and even after a few weeks with it, I’m still not really used to it. It does feature two circular trackpads that can act as virtual sticks.
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