Why the Steam Controller is (and isn’t) a big deal

Most PC gamers already person a controller they emotion utilizing pinch Steam — a Sony DualSense, a 8BitDo Ultimate, a Nintendo Switch Pro, aliases thing else. Part of that emotion comes from Steam treating them for illustration “native” controllers. They tin do the things that made the first Steam Controller worthy buying. Namely, they connection a level of customizable power ne'er earlier seen connected PC and that you still can’t get connected a console.

With Steam Input, immoderate of those controllers tin person aggregate power schemes for different crippled scenarios (flight, on-foot, successful menus), and you switch betwixt them pinch a fastener press. You tin besides create onscreen menus that bloom erstwhile you property a fastener aliases touch a trackpad, revealing an array of civilization commands — weapons, spells, consumables, you sanction it.

That’s why the thought of a caller beingness Steam Controller doesn’t deed the aforesaid measurement it utilized to. But Valve nevertheless improved upon its misunderstood predecessor pinch a 2026 exemplary that has features you can’t find anyplace else. Basically, it crams the Steam Deck’s immense suite of inputs into a azygous gamepad, including those copy touchpads. It’s a Steam Deck without a screen, positive a small spot more.

I admit the mini hardware refinements complete the Steam Deck. For instance, the caller Steam Controller has drift-resistant TMR joysticks that shouldn’t degrade complete clip — thing Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo person yet to offer. I find it has amended ergonomics than the Deck, 4 rear buttons that are easier to press, and unsocial touch-sensitive sensors embedded successful the sticks and grips that tin beryllium mapped to immoderate input. It is ridiculously customizable, and it’ll beryllium user-repairable, too, pinch replacement parts yet hitting iFixit’s shop.

Some group won’t request immoderate much convincing than that to bargain 1 erstwhile orders unfastened May 4th for $99. Even those who don’t often customize controls whitethorn still excavation what the Steam Controller offers. It’s comfortable to use, offers agelong artillery life, and the build value is amended than the original — conscionable weighty enough, pinch a tough, somewhat gritty integrative that looks and feels high-end. Beyond each that, its included 2.4GHz USB-C puck makes pairing and charging a batch much seamless than astir different models.

The five-foot-long aliases truthful USB-C-to-A cablegram lets you spot the puck wherever it’s astir convenient astatine your setup, beryllium it a gaming PC aliases successful your intermezo center. Maintaining statement of show betwixt the puck and the Steam Controller isn’t required, but it’s perfect for maintaining a bully signal. Another logic to support the puck accessible is because it’s a magnetic charging dock for the controller, attaching pinch a satisfying snap.

First-time pairing is simply a breeze. Just connect the controller to the puck and travel an onscreen punctual to tether them (and apt instal immoderate firmware updates). You tin forgo utilizing the puck arsenic a wireless receiver by putting the Steam Controller into Bluetooth mode, aliases by utilizing it arsenic a wired gamepad. Importantly, you tin aftermath your PC aliases Steam Deck from slumber by pressing the controller’s Steam button.

While some, including me, spot the worth successful what I’ve laid out, others whitethorn not beryllium truthful easy persuaded to ditch the controllers they’re already using. There’s nary contiguous request to bargain this if you’re happy pinch what you already have. You tin still person a bully clip by connecting the gyro-equipped Sony DualSense aliases an 8BitDo Ultimate 2 complete Bluetooth to a Steam Deck, a PC, aliases to the upcoming Steam Machine.

Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais tells The Verge that some its Bluetooth and civilization 2.4GHz puck are “very comparable” successful latency, pinch a hold of only astir 8ms aft your fastener property sloppy of which wireless tech you use. But 2.4GHz is the measurement to spell if section multiplayer gaming is celebrated astatine your get-togethers. Bluetooth latency gets worse the much controllers you link — but the puck’s latency tin clasp dependable moreover pinch a afloat 4 Steam Controllers connected to it, says Griffais. (I only person the 1 pad, truthful I couldn’t test.)

Compared to the Steam Deck, the caller controller offers somewhat deeper customization acknowledgment to its Grip Sense grips that observe erstwhile you touch them, thing you won’t find connected rival controllers. They activity akin to the Deck’s touch-sensitive joysticks, which are coming present too. It was nosy making subtle changes to really games control, for illustration mapping the faster-than-light Pulse Drive characteristic successful No Man’s Sky (originally bound to L1 + R1) to activate erstwhile I firmly clasp the correct grip. In Marathon, I was tired of clicking the near instrumentality to sprint, truthful I group holding the near grip to commencement sprinting. I can’t hold to spot what the Steam organization does pinch them.

The caller Steam Controller isn’t needfully a nonstop competitor to “pro” controllers for illustration Sony’s $199 DualSense Edge, the $200 Xbox Elite Series 2, aliases Razer’s $229 Kaiju V3 Pro. It lacks swappable joyousness sticks, while its competitors see shorter, taller, convex, aliases concave instrumentality caps to switch connected the fly. It besides doesn’t person trigger stops for shortening the propulsion of its triggers to consciousness for illustration a rodent click. But for what it lacks, the Steam Controller makes up for by having dual trackpads, 4 rear buttons, and a dedicated Steam Quick Access button, not to mention the expertise to usage it to type and navigate connected your PC (even successful your BIOS, if you plug successful a USB-C cable). Plus, it costs only astir half what those competitors do.

The Steam Controller doesn’t person onboard retention for your controller profiles for illustration immoderate different high-end controllers, but Valve didn’t needfully driblet the ball. Griffais tells The Verge that Steam tracks a unsocial identifier for each controller independently of your computer, truthful you tin usage your saved power schemes moreover if you’re plugged into a PC that’s signed into personification else’s Steam account.

Even if you’re intrigued by the caller Steam Controller’s polished hardware and heavy customization, it’s not an basal upgrade if you already person a preferred controller for Steam games. That mightiness look for illustration a unusual conclusion to get at, but it’s good, arsenic astir different companies would person locked down immoderate and each typical features for their ain “native” controller.

Valve isn’t for illustration astir companies, and its Steam Controller isn’t rather for illustration different controllers. If you chiefly play connected a Steam Deck, like my workfellow Jay Peters, seamlessly getting to usage each your existing power schemes mightiness beryllium worthy the value by itself. If not, its unsocial features whitethorn still make it worthy buying.