Steam Controller trailer, $50

This controller is so funky. I absolutely must have it and try it for myself. It looked pretty slick to use with Cities: Skylines and I do prefer a good controller option even if I'm sitting by my PC. Being able to lean back in your chair and just relax while gaming is the GOAT. I hope users will be able to upload their own controller profiles for various games, like XPadder
 
I'm strictly a console player right now. I want to get a PC soon, if this and the steam link work amazingly then it will speed up that process. I can only imagine playing multiplat games like The Witcher 3, and The Division on PC.


Also will the steam link be able to just grab games playing on steam and free up your PC to be used for other stuff (browsing, work, etc)?
 
For games like that though, why wouldn't you just stick with the mouse and keyboard? Valve's argument is for comfy couch use a KB&M isn't always practical. But then for games like Cities:Skylines, I imagine it would be difficult to play sitting 8-10ft away from a big TV anyway?
I sit on my couch 3 meters from a 2.2 meter diagonal projection screen. Works for me ;)
 
You can fling the ball with your thumb and grab it to stop, and use different areas of your thumb to roll the ball. If you watch the thumbs in that video they are very active on mouse games, and that's bad. You can also place a trackball mouse in any location and retain complete control, no grip necessary. I rest mine on chair arms, couch cushions, my chest, my leg, the laptop, etc.

Certain tasks are very difficult with a thumb ball, like drawing, but other things are great. It's also great for carpal tunnel because, again, you can set it anywhere. If civ 5 is your main desire then an excellent option has been long available.

You can use momentum of a virtual trackball with the Steam Controller as well. Not being limited to just a virtualised track ball is an advantage over a trackball controller. You can vary the simulated size, weight, momentum.

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I also don't think "being active" is as much of an issue as you think. Watching any number of youtube vids shows similar "jerk" approaches to analogue stick use
 
Wish Valve would have taken a hint from Logitech.

Make it use AA or AAA but include rechargeable Eneloop batteries that the control itself can charge when plugged.

Its the best of both worlds.

Probably didn't do that to keep the price down. By MSRP, this thing is $10 less than a xbox one controller, and will most likely be $20/$30 cheaper compared to an xbox one controller and their wireless dongle.

Since this comes with a wireless dongle, this is valve trying to keep the cost down as much as possible to get more people to try it. It is so radically different, after all.
 
I sit on my couch 3 meters from a 2.2 meter diagonal projection screen. Works for me ;)

I think we know by now you're a pretty special case ;)

projector for PC games is something I should really try though - sounds good. Wonder if steam streaming holds up well when blown up large.
 
Can it work just like a normal controller? I mean, would it be able to play some old game like FFVII that has no mouse feature, etc.

I need a controller to play a few game and I kinda like this one, 55€ though :(

Doesn't the PC version of FFVII support mouse?

But it should work with basically anything. You just configure what suits you best. The trackpads can emulate multiple things.
 
Not really. I don't see a need to reinvent the wheel here.

Because in this case the wheel is a sluggish, imprecise piece of shit. Name any of the currently available methods of placing a cursor and dual analog is the worst of them- a mouse, IR camera, gyroscope, trackball, trackpad- are all better, faster ways of targeting.

When I play games on PC I use dual analog just because I can't handle the awkwardness of kb+mouse, but for moments where I need precise aim- like headshotting a distant guard in Ground Zeroes- I find myself reaching over and using the mouse just because it's so much easier. Dual analog is fine for general character movement and camera control, but it blows for fine adjustments like that.


No matter how I look at it I can't see this but being a halfway point between keyboard and mouse instead of a replacement for both. It seems to inherit the problems with a trackpad while maintaining the imprecision of a controller.

The point is that it's a compromise. It's not as precise as a kb+mouse, but it's way more comfortable and intuitive than using a fucking keyboard to play video games.

PC gamers may swear by keyboard and mouse, but these things were never designed to play games. Think of all the evolution that console controllers have gone through since the NES, constantly getting more comfortable and fully featured, while PC gamers are still using shit that was designed for office work and largely unchanged since the 80's.


On the other side, the Steam controller isn't as simple or comfortable as dual analog, but it offers far more precision and depth. It enables games to be played with the comfort of a controller that never would have worked with dual analog before, and for the games that did work OK with dual analog, it just offers that much more precision.


There definitely is a market for something like this. Not everyone is still happy with dual analog. I think the Wii remote and nunchuk was a great precursor to this- an fair middle ground between dual analog and kb+mouse- and it's nice to see that evolution continue.
 
I'm quite surprised Valve has let them get away with this. I suppose a strong retail presence is necessary for this thing to get traction.
I get the impression that Valve doesn't really care too much about international markets for their hardware. They're probably happy to let GAME absorb the risk of selling it in the UK- would be very interested in what sort of deal they've worked out. Given Valve's clout, I'd be surprised if it was SOR.
 
The reason I feel the controller won't work as a mouse input is that it will just feel like a touchpad on a laptop. And you'll have to lift your thumbs back and forth to use it as a mouse. As opposed to a joystick in which you just hold your finger in a direction.

This just seems like by trying to be. A mouse and normal controller, it's neither, and at best a mediocre attempt to be either of those things.
 
Probably didn't do that to keep the price down. By MSRP, this thing is $10 less than a xbox one controller, and will most likely be $20/$30 cheaper compared to an xbox one controller and their wireless dongle.

Since this comes with a wireless dongle, this is valve trying to keep the cost down as much as possible to get more people to try it. It is so radically different, after all.

That's understandable but I think they could of gotten away with having a higher price for the controller. A controller that simulates the precision of a mouse and keyboard will probably attract the same amount of people to purchase it despite a $20-30 in price.
 
Ugh, AA batteries. I don't want to deal with recharging yet another of these things.

Wish Valve would have taken a hint from Logitech.

Make it use AA or AAA but include rechargeable Eneloop batteries that the control itself can charge when plugged.

Its the best of both worlds.

That would have been acceptable.
 
I just pre-ordered the Controller + Link bundle. Hopefully this will be a good solution since im moving my consoles and TV to my basement and my PC is upstairs. Luckily my house is hardwired with CAT5.
 
2 AA batteries ?
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I still want to give it a try, mainly to test the trackpad. Just have to find someone who will actually buy it first, which is going to be hard for me.
 
In for both, being able to stream my entire Steam library to my TV for $99 (with the controller obviously) is a steal.
 
Gyroscope and accelerometer sensors enabling tilt-to-steer racing wheel functionality and other motion-controlled input

What I really hope after playing so much splatoon, however, is the ability to use the built in gyroscope to aim. Could be fun to try
 
Curious to try it, but the idea of moving my fingers for hours on a sort of touchpad doesn't excite me at all.
 
My mind just can't grasp how that controller can be as comfortable / precise in comparison to traditional analogue sticks.

I'm not willing to pay $50 to find out. The XBO controller works fine, and it'll be all the more better when we get the wireless receiver.
 
fuck it, jumped in on the link+controller from steam. They have a 30 day returns policy so I figure it is a no-risk purchase. Other than however much it costs me to return to wherever it is I have to return it.

Also £94.78 including shipping is a bit cheeky Valve for something that was £79.99

Steam Link & Controller
82.44 GBP - hang on, they said £79.98. Where did £82.44 come from?

Shipping:
12.34 GBP

Total:
94.78 GBP
 
I think we know by now you're a pretty special case ;)
Well, I'll buy the controller for me, not Joe Sixpack, so it's somewhat relevant :P

I do agree that even with the Steam controller and big picture mode and Steam machines and so on, playing PC games on TVs is probably still ot a mainstream proposition. (But I also don't think it needs to be, seems to be doing well enough)
 
fuck it, jumped in on the link+controller from steam. They have a 30 day returns policy so I figure it is a no-risk purchase. Other than however much it costs me to return to wherever it is I have to return it.

Also £94.78 including shipping is a bit cheeky Valve for something that was £79.99

Wouldn't it be better to just buy the package from Game then?, its £99.99 for the pad, link & £20 steam credit - why pay £95 for the pad and link only, when for £5 more you can get £20 credit to.
 
  • Wired or wireless (dual mode)
  • USB 2.0 via Micro USB port (cable not included)
  • Estimated 5 meters of wireless communications range. Actual results may vary.
  • Provides up to 80 hours of standard game play using the included AA batteries during preliminary testing. Battery life will vary based on usage and other factors, such as type of batteries used. Actual results may vary.
So dreamy, it might end up replacing my Xbox One controller. I wonder why other controllers can have such horrific battery life while this and the Wii U Pro controller can get up to ~80 hours.
 
Great video. Getting one for sure, playing at a desk on monitor sucks compared to couch, and many games still do not support controllers.

Plus I am sure this will be better even for the games that do support x360pad. Looking forward to actual precision for once.
 
Far less interested in the controller as I am the Steam Link. Preordered one of those.

The controller looks really hard to get used to, and since the Link supports 360/Xbone controllers I may as well just plug one of those in.
 
How does the haptic feedback stuff work? Explain it to me like I'm a newborn

"Force actuators" in the controller stimulate where your thumbs are on the pads to give different sensations to simulate different things. It's apparently much much more accurate that usual force feedback so they can give the illusion of of a small ball being in the pads for example or boundaries of segments. The original used to make a clicking noise for when you "flick the ball" and it carries on spinning from its simulated momentum. I read somewhere that they have similar feedback in the triggers but I am curious about traditional force feedback that more heavy and whether the controller does anything with that
 
AA batteries that last 80 hours vs PS4 controller which lasts maybe 4 hours unplugged.

I'll take the batteries.

I'll take not having to spend extra money on batteries.

And the fact that the PS4 has a crappy battery doesn't mean the solution is AAA. You can, you know, use a good battery instead. The DS4 being crap doesn't make a case for using AA batteries.
 
PS4 controller with inputmapper suits me just fine for multiplatform games. I suppose this might be okay for PC exclusives with no controller support.

so what do yalls think will happen when you plug this steam controller into a PS4? doubt you can map that right touch pad as the right analog stick. But maybe it would be looked as a usb mouse.

just throwing shit at the wall here.
 
Very curious to try this, but I'll hold off for impressions & widespread game support. Definitely seems like the kind of things games will need to support natively for good results.

Hey, if it's good it'll definitely get widespread support & eventual console (ripoff) versions.
 
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