Steam Controller trailer, $50

I don't think I've ever been this excited for a controller before. Really looking forward to seeing if the trackpads work as well as they make it seem. I've never been able to use a mouse and keyboard setup before so I used to use a controller or just keyboard for FPS games. But I've really become good at playing FPS games on my MacBook with the Magic Trackpad. It sounds weird but I play a lot better with the trackpad than I ever did with a controller. So I am hoping this will let me play just as well when I get my Alienware Alpha in the fall/winter. I really don't want to have to have a keyboard and mouse/trackpad on my lap on my couch if I don't need to. When I have one, I shall give it the DOOM test. If I can play DOOM as well with it as I can with my trackpad and keyboard, then it wins.

I should pre-order. But I'm betting that if I wait, when the next Alpha comes out, it'll probably come with one instead of a 360 controller. (Which I don't need a second one of. I already have one I use all the time for non-FPS games.)

Glad they changed the design from the original preview that came with the original SteamBox preview. The final design looks so much nicer and has the right balance of buttons and trackpad joysticks.

I like that they started the video off showing Skylines. A mainly mouse-driven game. Games like that will be the ultimate test. As well as games that don't use sticks for movement but rather just use directional controls like Spelunky. If it feels too much like you're using a touch-screen smartphone then it fails. But if it works well enough that you forget it's there, it's doing its job.
 
SirMossyBloke said:
Are you brain dead? Actual question.
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Seriously.

magnumpy said:
what a meaningless statement. maybe get a little more specific, don't just paint with a broad brush "it solves a number of issues" what specifically does it solve, how specifically does it solve those issues, what specifically are you talking about?
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It's not meaningless at all. I just didn't feel like restating every feature that the Steam controller has that other controllers don't.

Literally compare every aspect of it to every other control method on the market, and all of those differences add up to a unique device that is better, individually, for PC gaming overall than any of the others.

An analog stick is not as precise as a mouse, but a mouse requires a mouse pad. The Steam controller uses a trackpad that is as precise as a mouse, but fits on the face of the controller and doesn't need a flat surface or mousepad.
 
The Real Abed said:
I don't think I've ever been this excited for a controller before.
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Me too, besides brainstorming what the wiimote would be like I haven't felt this excited to try a controller. I'm really interested in seeing what this can do for my desktop games on a tv, I have a pile I haven't even run once because of the lack of couch controls.

I'm so used to using xpadder for non-controller games and point n clickers, that I'm wondering if this will render that obsolete or what. Like, I have an elaborate, trigger-toggling xpadder setup for The Secret World and for an MMO, it really works beautifully.
 
They should release two versions of the controller. The actual with batteries like x360 and another with internal batteries like the ps3 one and let the people choose
 
magnumpy said:
what a meaningless statement. maybe get a little more specific, don't just paint with a broad brush "it solves a number of issues" what specifically does it solve, how specifically does it solve those issues, what specifically are you talking about?
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There are 35 pages dedicated to answering the very questions you ask in extreme detail, you might want to take a peek at them.
 
magnumpy said:
no, that is a fact. an undeniable fact. using a gamepad to navigate windows is a bad experience. it's possible, but it's a bad experience.
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Trackpads or trackballs, which are the easiest comparison, can deliver a perfectly fine experience on Windows for the mouse part of the equation.

Now, it may definitely feel not as accurate and convenient as mouse and keyboard, but that doesn't mean the experience is bad.

In fact, the experience would definitely be much more desirable for me than keyboard and mouse, or even the Logitech wireless keyboard with trackpad I use. The reason for that is that I like to not sit behind my desk to use my PC and play a game on it. It is super convenient for me if I can grab a controller to start and play immediately. The alternatives are walking back and forth to my kb + mouse to do something or grabbing the bulky wireless keyboard and keep switching between that and the controller.

And that is part of the experience.

As for your question about how it compares to other control methods in games. The thing that the Steam Controller offers is that it is a compromise so that you can play nearly all PC games on a controller. It's likely the only input method where I'd feel comfortable playing both Civilization and Dark Souls with, which is something no other input method can offer me and this is also part of the experience.
 
The Real Abed said:
I should pre-order. But I'm betting that if I wait, when the next Alpha comes out, it'll probably come with one instead of a 360 controller. (Which I don't need a second one of. I already have one I use all the time for non-FPS games.)
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The Alienware steam machine, which is for all intent and purposes identical to the Alpha, comes with a Steam Controller in November.
 
Can't wait for this. The price is good too. $50 isn't much considering all the things you can do with it. Smart on their part for making it relatively affordable. I'm sure this will sell pretty well if they keep marketing it


magnumpy said:
I'd be interested to see these control methods compared. have someone using a kb+m, someone use an xbox controller, someone use a PS controller, someone else use the steam controller, throw them all into a multiplayer FPS and see how they all do. mix things up a bit with some racing games, flight sim games, etc. and tally up the results.
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In the end the best way to know is to use one yourself and see how it performs


Majukun said:
wait, where is the directional cross? you know if I wanna play fighting games
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You'll most likely be more comfortable on an arcade stick if you're playing fighting games. This thing isn't a magical solution to everything


magnumpy said:
might be able to give? might be?

there are a huge variety of controller options available on PC. gamepad, mouse and keyboard, steam controller, whatever. it's all good. use whatever you prefer.

I stand by the fact that using windows with a gamepad is an inherently bad experience.
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Seriously what are you talking about? Have you even used the steam controller yet? And when it comes to thing like preference there are no facts. People have different preferences
 
Remind me, for games that are only designed for 360 controllers is this going to work out of the box? What about non-Steam games?
 
magnumpy said:
no, that is a fact. an undeniable fact. using a gamepad to navigate windows is a bad experience. it's possible, but it's a bad experience.
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All you need are buttons to slow down and speed up the cursor and the device becomes both fast and precise enough to do the job. joy2key provides that functionality. The main reason why I keep a wireless keyboard in the living room is because the 360's chat pad doesn't have Windows drivers.
 
Auto-Reply said:
On the steam page it says you can pre-order at Gamestop.... is that world wide?
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US.

edit: nvm http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=174391725&postcount=1777

onken said:
Remind me, for games that are only designed for 360 controllers is this going to work out of the box? What about non-Steam games?
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It'll work.


I think slowly it's going to be time to make a comprehensive overview thread about the controller, so that we don't have to go over the same questions over again.
 
onken said:
Remind me, for games that are only designed for 360 controllers is this going to work out of the box? What about non-Steam games?
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1 - It can emulate xinput, yes. Or even mix inputs in different buttons if you want.
2 - Sure. Like the other guy said, it works even in MS-DOS. Hell, it works in a freaking Dreamcast.
 
I ordered two of these; one to review and one to give away. Can't wait til October to get here, hopefully my opinion changes since I last played with the controller during PAX East 2015.
 
Krejlooc said:
The Alienware steam machine, which is for all intent and purposes identical to the Alpha, comes with a Steam Controller in November.
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Does it come with Windows? And does it have the pass-through HDMI so I can have my Wii U connected as well to my one-HDMI-port HDTV? And does it cost the same?
 
UnaiGamer said:
1 - It can emulate xinput, yes. Or even mix inputs in different buttons if you want.
2 - Sure. Like the other guy said, it works even in MS-DOS. Hell, it works in a freaking Dreamcast.
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I can't find any videos showing it on a Dreamcast, but that is another reason which makes me want to buy one.
 
grandwizard said:
No they aren't. If you go frame by frame you can see the center of the crosshair where the bullets are actually going is never exactly on the head hitbox at the time that he fires, until the last shot where he fires and does hit.
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Durante said:
Huh? They aren't hits. A hit is when, well, you hit something. Those are a bunch of almost-hits.
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I stand corrected, frame by frame indeed shows that.
 
The Real Abed said:
And that's where they lose me. No Windows, no sale. I'll wait for the Alpha's to get the controller. Or just get an Alpha and controller separately if I have to.
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you could just install windows on it. or buy a windows alpha and a steam controller separately. Whichever is cheaper.
 
It's pretty hideously designed, but I'm really interested in the trackpads and whether they can offer the tactility of a thumbstick.
 
Will the Steam controller act as a 360 controller when used with games that support that, or would it need to emulated via a profile setup via Steam?
 
Vinterbird said:
Will the Steam controller act as a 360 controller when used with games that support that, or would it need to emulated via a profile setup via Steam?
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You can do both. The controller immediately supports the games with controller support as is, with the right pad defaulting to right stick emulation and the left pad as a dpad, everything else the same as always.

It's a default template requiring no setup or selection. However, should that not be to your taste you can mix and match. Have trackball-like mouse movement on the right stick and leave everything the same, map the keyboard and mouse bindings to whatever you want (as long as the game supports both controller and keyboard/mouse) or just mix up the controller configuration even if the game doesn't support that. On top of that you can customise each input to multiple combinations (X+Y etc) and customise the emulation of the pads in so many ways.
 
mrklaw said:
you could just install windows on it. or buy a windows alpha and a steam controller separately. Whichever is cheaper.
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You say that as if Alienware has no plans at all to put the Steam controller in the next Alpha. They already have the port for the dongle. I see no reason to not put it in if they plan on keeping the Alpha. And if they do keep the Alpha, I don't understand why the SteamBox version has to exist.

I really don't want to have to install Windows as the first thing I do with a "console" out of the box. It's bad enough todays consoles need to update themselves first thing. Installing Windows manually would be an even bigger and more expensive hurdle.
 
The Real Abed said:
You say that as if Alienware has no plans at all to put the Steam controller in the next Alpha. They already have the port for the dongle. I see no reason to not put it in if they plan on keeping the Alpha. And if they do keep the Alpha, I don't understand why the SteamBox version has to exist.

I really don't want to have to install Windows as the first thing I do with a "console" out of the box. It's bad enough todays consoles need to update themselves first thing. Installing Windows manually would be an even bigger and more expensive hurdle.
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Alienware most likely will want some distinction between the Alpha and the Steam Machine.
Sure there may be an option with the Alpha to get the Steam Machine controller instead of the 360 one. But probably through Dell, and not retail. I don't think it will happen by default though. Plus Alienware went to some trouble to update their UI with Hivemind, because the first Alpha UI was pretty terrible.

The reason the port is underneath the Alpha was because Valve delayed the Steam Machine and Alienware was itching to get something out.

Alienware even has a tutorial on how to turn your existing Alpha into a Steam Machine if you so desire.
 
I still wish it came with a concave joystick rather than convex. Is there any chance it will be moddable (for anyone in the know)?
 
How will the Steam Link box work? Do I just stream my games wirelessly from my PC, and then I'll have a SteamOS user interface on the screen, like the one with Big Screen Picture? And I'll connect the Xbox controller dongle to the Steam Link to use my Steam controllers?
 
Madridista said:
Do I just stream my games wirelessly from my PC, and then I'll have a SteamOS user interface on the screen, like the one with Big Screen Picture?
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Wired or wireless, it's up to you. No idea if it will have a specific interface, but BPM is good bet.

And I'll connect the Xbox controller dongle to the Steam Link to use my Steam controllers?
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Steam controller has its own dongle.
 
Does anyone know if this will work with the Xbox to PC streaming? As of now, I have to plug in my Xbox One controller. That would be great if this would work.
 
ashecitism said:
Wired or wireless, it's up to you. No idea if it will have a specific interface, but BPM is good bet.



Steam controller has its own dongle.
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It will be BPM afaik.
It does, have it's own dongle, but again, afaik the Link has it built in so the dongle is only required if you want to use it on your PC etc.
 
Here's a question

My ethernet port is connected with my cable modem. How do I connect my PC to Steam Link if I want to stream over ethernet? I only have one ethernet port.
 
Tarin02543 said:
Here's a question

My ethernet port is connected with my cable modem. How do I connect my PC to Steam Link if I want to stream over ethernet? I only have one ethernet port.
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You could get a wireless router, which would have additional ethernet ports to break out the connection. That'll cost between $50 and $100.

If you just want to keep it all hardwired, without a wireless signal, then all you'd need is a network switch. That'll cost about $20 (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QUA6R0/?tag=neogaf0e-20)
 
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