The Steam controller was ahead of its time
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The steam deck controller addresses all of these issues. I was literally an anti-controller (wasd gang) zealot and the steam deck controller converted me because I can literally play city skylines in bed now..
Unfortunately for steam controller users the touchpads were an downgrade in size, shape, and location for those who liked using them as their main inputs. So even people like me who use dual touchpads on the Steam Controller opted for joysticks on the Deck, since they weren't satisfied with the touchpad experience.
Which was unfortunate, since there's lot of options for dual joystick controllers but I'm still searching for a Steam Controller upgrade.
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And yet, when I look at my library, only half of new games released within the past five years support X-input. They are still exclusively keyboard-and-mouse.
Granted, that’s way more than what was available 10 years ago, but it’s still a problem.
Or it would be if the Steam Deck didn’t make it trivially easy to adapt keyboard-and-mouse controls to a controller. Which happened because of the innovation first introduced with the Steam Controller.
It’s now at the point where keyboard-and-mouse is optional—just a preference if you want to use it.
I mean... if you look at what I bought in the past five years you would think everyone was obsessed with spreadsheets and 100 hour CRPGs. That doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of games are made with cross platform in mind and many historically "M+KB only" games have excellent gamepad support. Sometimes, annoyingly, only in the console build but...
Yes. I do think Steam Input is awesome (even if it was basically just a cleaner interface to xpadder/joy2key). That isn't the Steam Controller. The Steam Controller is what Valve was using to promote The Steam Machines which was their failed attempt at a console.
Again, just to make this clear: I am not saying the Steam Controller was bad. I am not saying Valve is bad. I AM saying it was not "forward thinking" and was very much rooted in a PC gaming era that was ending as orders were being shipped out.
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I can say this confidently: the most killer features on the Deck originated with the Steam Controller.
I have to strongly disagree. The killer feature is Proton (if you consider that a feature)
That’s more of a killer feature for Linux in general.
And I can’t undersell how big of a deal that is. When Windows 10 dies, I’m switching my desktop to Linux simply because Proton makes me want to use Linux.
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Yeah, but counter point.
It's got Steam branding.
Another win for the good guys.
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The original Steam Controller is undoubtedly one of the coolest pieces of gear I own—and one of the most innovative, too.
I got mine right when it launched in 2015. I wanted to solve a very real problem: I was trying to turn my PC into a console.
You see, Valve had Big Picture Mode, which truly turned your PC into a console-like experience. The problem was that some of my favorite PC games didn’t support controllers. They were keyboard-and-mouse only.
But then—here comes the Steam Controller. Suddenly, I was able to reprogram all the inputs. I could take basic keys, like the spacebar, and map them to a button on the controller—like the A button. And once you did that, you could share your controller configuration with the Steam community, or reuse a config someone else already made. It was pretty awesome.
And those dual trackpads? They were swank. Incredible for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. They were the next best thing to a mouse. And because of the angle of the handles, it all felt very comfortable in the hand—probably the most comfortable controller experience I’ve ever had.
It’s funny—just a little over five years ago, gamers hated it. Not because they ever used one, but because it was a failure. And as we all know about gamers, there’s nothing they hate more than a failure. It was dismissed as a novelty—something no one would ever use again.
Well, Valve had the last laugh. A few years ago, they released the Steam Deck. And what do you know? It’s a direct evolution of the Steam Controller. And now everyone loves the Steam Deck.
Just take a look at it—it’s got so many of the same things the Steam Controller had: dual trackpads, back paddles, the ability to remap buttons and customize layouts. Having owned a Steam Deck since launch, I can say this confidently: the most killer features on the Deck originated with the Steam Controller.
That said, it wasn’t perfect. There were a few quirks I wish they had fixed. For one, it would’ve been nice if it had dual analog sticks instead of just one. Using a trackpad in place of a right stick is fine in theory, but let’s be real: a trackpad does not replace an analog stick.
Also, unlike most modern controllers, this one didn’t have a rechargeable battery. You needed AA batteries. Now, to be fair, those batteries lasted a long time—but it still would’ve been nicer to just recharge it and forget about replacements.
Then there’s the back paddles. Only two of them. In hindsight, yeah, Valve knew they needed to evolve. I’ve grown so used to having four back paddles on the Steam Deck. They’re incredibly useful—especially in games with lots of inputs. Just good to have.
Still, this was one of the first mainstream controllers to even have back paddles. So hats off to Valve for that.
Honestly, I really wish there was another Steam Controller on the market. I know Hori makes a licensed controller for the Steam Deck in Japan, but it’s missing a core feature the original had: the dual trackpads.
To me, the dual trackpads make the Steam Deck experience. It’s something almost no other handheld has. My wife has a Legion Go, and it does have a trackpad—but only one. And honestly? That makes all the difference. It’s fine. But man… it would’ve been a better handheld with two.
Definitely one of the most innovative controllers ever made.
And yeah, I still use mine. I use it when I dock my handheld. Or when I’m on my living room PC.
Big fan of the steam deck layout, seems to resember the steam controller.
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Yeah, but counter point.
It's got Steam branding.
Another win for the good guys.
Why are Valve the good guys?
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I mean... if you look at what I bought in the past five years you would think everyone was obsessed with spreadsheets and 100 hour CRPGs. That doesn't change the fact that the vast majority of games are made with cross platform in mind and many historically "M+KB only" games have excellent gamepad support. Sometimes, annoyingly, only in the console build but...
Yes. I do think Steam Input is awesome (even if it was basically just a cleaner interface to xpadder/joy2key). That isn't the Steam Controller. The Steam Controller is what Valve was using to promote The Steam Machines which was their failed attempt at a console.
Again, just to make this clear: I am not saying the Steam Controller was bad. I am not saying Valve is bad. I AM saying it was not "forward thinking" and was very much rooted in a PC gaming era that was ending as orders were being shipped out.
You’re not wrong that the market has changed.
I often tell people that the biggest innovations in PC gaming are not graphics but form factors and inputs.
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For me it mostly excels in games that were designed exclusively for mouse and keyboard. Ime it's pretty bad for fps games though, maybe if you used the gyro, but I haven't tried that much personally. I love it for Rimworld, Dwarf Fortress, and lots of little indie games that don't have gamepad support ootb.
It's absolutely fantastic for FPS. I use it for games like Doom Eternal and The Finals.
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It didn't fail because of a lack of a dpad but because of lack of two joysticks, but I'm glad the controller exists because I came to absolutely love the dual touchpads. And I wouldn't trade the left touchpad a dpad, since I like using it for movement.
I wouldn't trade the right touchpad for a joystick either, since I like using it to do quick 180s, quick swap between 5-10 inputs to bypass reloading in games like Doom Eternal by setting a dpad modeshift on a click, and touch activate gyro all on one touchpad.
Will probably be the last controller of its kind but I'm glad at least one did get made, since otherwise I'd still just be using a xbox or playstation controller like I did before getting Steam Controller.
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That’s more of a killer feature for Linux in general.
And I can’t undersell how big of a deal that is. When Windows 10 dies, I’m switching my desktop to Linux simply because Proton makes me want to use Linux.
Was it around before the Steam Deck?
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It was a good 5+ hour learning curve, but I now swear by it for all Souls games (except DS remastered, since you can't use joystick + mouse movement at the same time). In Elden Ring: Jump and dodge on the grips, holding LB engages gyro for aiming with the bow, and touch instead of click left trackpad for dpad input. Being able to swing the camera around instantly, or just being able to maneuver it while sprinting is so nice. Customizing the guide chords is great too: Guide+X = save OBS replay, Guide+Y = turn off controller, Guide+A = toggle MangoHud, etc.
Although, I'd probably trade the left trackpad for an actual dpad, though it is nice for typing if i ever need it. It's a shame they removed "require clicks" for navigation in the new Big Picture mode. I also wish the LB/RB weren't so clicky and loud. Maybe there's a DIY mod for that.
Sadly I didn't like the steam deck for Souls games. Maybe it's because the trackpad is too far down and just feels more awkward to use. Steam controller just fits so nice.
EDIT: forgot to mention that I use Guide+right trackpad to simulate right analog stick, since in Elden Ring you need it for zooming the map or adjusting the camera angle during dialogue or character creation.
I personally love the left touchpad for movement. When the game lets you set a sprint hold over a sprint toggle I love to set an outer ring bind for it at the edge to go in and other of sprint without clicking. And I like setting up stuff like dash, crouch, slide on a touchpad click. Frees up buttons for me to be able to bind other stuff to.
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The original Steam Controller is undoubtedly one of the coolest pieces of gear I own—and one of the most innovative, too.
I got mine right when it launched in 2015. I wanted to solve a very real problem: I was trying to turn my PC into a console.
You see, Valve had Big Picture Mode, which truly turned your PC into a console-like experience. The problem was that some of my favorite PC games didn’t support controllers. They were keyboard-and-mouse only.
But then—here comes the Steam Controller. Suddenly, I was able to reprogram all the inputs. I could take basic keys, like the spacebar, and map them to a button on the controller—like the A button. And once you did that, you could share your controller configuration with the Steam community, or reuse a config someone else already made. It was pretty awesome.
And those dual trackpads? They were swank. Incredible for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. They were the next best thing to a mouse. And because of the angle of the handles, it all felt very comfortable in the hand—probably the most comfortable controller experience I’ve ever had.
It’s funny—just a little over five years ago, gamers hated it. Not because they ever used one, but because it was a failure. And as we all know about gamers, there’s nothing they hate more than a failure. It was dismissed as a novelty—something no one would ever use again.
Well, Valve had the last laugh. A few years ago, they released the Steam Deck. And what do you know? It’s a direct evolution of the Steam Controller. And now everyone loves the Steam Deck.
Just take a look at it—it’s got so many of the same things the Steam Controller had: dual trackpads, back paddles, the ability to remap buttons and customize layouts. Having owned a Steam Deck since launch, I can say this confidently: the most killer features on the Deck originated with the Steam Controller.
That said, it wasn’t perfect. There were a few quirks I wish they had fixed. For one, it would’ve been nice if it had dual analog sticks instead of just one. Using a trackpad in place of a right stick is fine in theory, but let’s be real: a trackpad does not replace an analog stick.
Also, unlike most modern controllers, this one didn’t have a rechargeable battery. You needed AA batteries. Now, to be fair, those batteries lasted a long time—but it still would’ve been nicer to just recharge it and forget about replacements.
Then there’s the back paddles. Only two of them. In hindsight, yeah, Valve knew they needed to evolve. I’ve grown so used to having four back paddles on the Steam Deck. They’re incredibly useful—especially in games with lots of inputs. Just good to have.
Still, this was one of the first mainstream controllers to even have back paddles. So hats off to Valve for that.
Honestly, I really wish there was another Steam Controller on the market. I know Hori makes a licensed controller for the Steam Deck in Japan, but it’s missing a core feature the original had: the dual trackpads.
To me, the dual trackpads make the Steam Deck experience. It’s something almost no other handheld has. My wife has a Legion Go, and it does have a trackpad—but only one. And honestly? That makes all the difference. It’s fine. But man… it would’ve been a better handheld with two.
Definitely one of the most innovative controllers ever made.
And yeah, I still use mine. I use it when I dock my handheld. Or when I’m on my living room PC.
Use NiMH batteries in it, then you can recharge them. They also don't leak as easily as alkaline batteries.
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Why are Valve the good guys?
Because they've been good guys so far. They made PC gaming so much easier and have pushed linux into the mainstream.
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Why are Valve the good guys?
Because the Cult of Gaben says so.
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Was it around before the Steam Deck?
wrote last edited by [email protected]Yes, otherwise the Steam Deck would probably not have as much game support as it did when it came out
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Same here. The thing was neat and innovative, but missing the dpad and right stick really brought it down significantly imo. The steam deck got it right - the trackpads are incredibly useful when used as a supplementary feature, but rarely as a full replacement for traditional inputs. Plus the form factor. Dear god the thing was MASSIVE. Incredibly uncomfortable to use and such an awkward shape.
Here's hoping the leaks come to fruition, because a 2.0 version based on the Deck would be 10/10.
I use a steam controller everyday and it feels like my first handjob every time. Given, or received.
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Yes, otherwise the Steam Deck would probably not have as much game support as it did when it came out
Unless it was released with the Steam Deck...?
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I couldn't get one myself. The battery issue is none for me. It's not rare that battery replacement becomes (nearly) impossible for final users once it reaches its EOL, so I switched to gadgets that use standard size rechargeable batteries if possible.
I've used a rotating group of four steam controllers for years with no leakage, i use rechargeable eneloops. Is this written by a bot?
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The original Steam Controller is undoubtedly one of the coolest pieces of gear I own—and one of the most innovative, too.
I got mine right when it launched in 2015. I wanted to solve a very real problem: I was trying to turn my PC into a console.
You see, Valve had Big Picture Mode, which truly turned your PC into a console-like experience. The problem was that some of my favorite PC games didn’t support controllers. They were keyboard-and-mouse only.
But then—here comes the Steam Controller. Suddenly, I was able to reprogram all the inputs. I could take basic keys, like the spacebar, and map them to a button on the controller—like the A button. And once you did that, you could share your controller configuration with the Steam community, or reuse a config someone else already made. It was pretty awesome.
And those dual trackpads? They were swank. Incredible for first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. They were the next best thing to a mouse. And because of the angle of the handles, it all felt very comfortable in the hand—probably the most comfortable controller experience I’ve ever had.
It’s funny—just a little over five years ago, gamers hated it. Not because they ever used one, but because it was a failure. And as we all know about gamers, there’s nothing they hate more than a failure. It was dismissed as a novelty—something no one would ever use again.
Well, Valve had the last laugh. A few years ago, they released the Steam Deck. And what do you know? It’s a direct evolution of the Steam Controller. And now everyone loves the Steam Deck.
Just take a look at it—it’s got so many of the same things the Steam Controller had: dual trackpads, back paddles, the ability to remap buttons and customize layouts. Having owned a Steam Deck since launch, I can say this confidently: the most killer features on the Deck originated with the Steam Controller.
That said, it wasn’t perfect. There were a few quirks I wish they had fixed. For one, it would’ve been nice if it had dual analog sticks instead of just one. Using a trackpad in place of a right stick is fine in theory, but let’s be real: a trackpad does not replace an analog stick.
Also, unlike most modern controllers, this one didn’t have a rechargeable battery. You needed AA batteries. Now, to be fair, those batteries lasted a long time—but it still would’ve been nicer to just recharge it and forget about replacements.
Then there’s the back paddles. Only two of them. In hindsight, yeah, Valve knew they needed to evolve. I’ve grown so used to having four back paddles on the Steam Deck. They’re incredibly useful—especially in games with lots of inputs. Just good to have.
Still, this was one of the first mainstream controllers to even have back paddles. So hats off to Valve for that.
Honestly, I really wish there was another Steam Controller on the market. I know Hori makes a licensed controller for the Steam Deck in Japan, but it’s missing a core feature the original had: the dual trackpads.
To me, the dual trackpads make the Steam Deck experience. It’s something almost no other handheld has. My wife has a Legion Go, and it does have a trackpad—but only one. And honestly? That makes all the difference. It’s fine. But man… it would’ve been a better handheld with two.
Definitely one of the most innovative controllers ever made.
And yeah, I still use mine. I use it when I dock my handheld. Or when I’m on my living room PC.
Then there's the back paddles. Only two of them.
Speak for yourself. Mine has 14 lol
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Then there's the back paddles. Only two of them.
Speak for yourself. Mine has 14 lol
Lol omg no
