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[Miletius]

The biggest problem I have with it now is the how not out of the box friendly it is. There are still issues -- even aside from creating custom configurations that surprise me. For example, I'm trying to configure SWTOR, but I can't because it's doesn't play nice with steam overlay. I found a workaround for that but it doesn't save the custom configuration. So now I'm stuck trying to find a solution for that -- and hearing it may need a driver update to do so.

Steam controller seems like it has a lot of potential, but I'm finding it hard to find that potential right now. My feeling is that it really needed some more TLC on the back end in order to make it shine. I see the potential for games that aren't normally controlled via controller, but it's not quite there yet.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Or maybe, just maybe, it's a shit controller?

If it was a case of hating change because, you know, we just hate change, then Xbox controllers wouldn't have become the defacto standard on PC and the widely accepted best controllers in the console space over the last decade.

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

For me, it seems the steam controller is for people who don't have dedicated set up like myself. I have an office with my gaming PC and all the bells and whistles to go with it. I also have a great entertainment center with me TV, headset, surround sound and consoles. I would just rather use my KB/M and PC for games that require it and my console set up for controller based games. I don't see the need or want for the steam controller when my corsair k70/rat7 and xbox elite controller. Would love to get my hands on to at least try it but I don't see myself ever purchasing one.

 

[TheSeks]

Or maybe, just maybe, it's a shit controller?

If it was a case of hating change because, you know, we just hate change, then Xbox controllers wouldn't have become the defacto standard on PC and the widely accepted best controllers in the console space over the last decade.

The thing is, the 360 controller came out WAY before this and was standardized because MS was able to "trojan horse" the drivers and support into developers. Valve doesn't have that sort of muscle. Which is why "official Steam Controller Support" binds are rare (right now). Double so when you can't even configure the goddamn thing without booting into Big Picture Mode/without Steam.

 

[not psycho]

Surprisingly stupid article.

They themselves argue that it takes a long time to get used to it... and that's enough explanation right there. Should be the end of the article.

There is no need to assume that early adopters who wanted to try a new thing hate that new thing because it is a new thing. People don't hate new things which are immediately intuitive and easy to master.

 

[lukeskymac]

A track pad will never be as good as an analogue stick. Being different for the sake of it isn't a good enough reason to use the device. The steam controller is on the same level as a 3 wheeled car.

What the actual f... A trackpad is by definition better than an analog stick for pointing.

 

[Shawsie64]

For me, it seems the steam controller is for people who don't have dedicated set up like myself. I have an office with my gaming PC and all the bells and whistles to go with it. I also have a great entertainment center with me TV, headset, surround sound and consoles. I would just rather use my KB/M and PC for games that require it and my console set up for controller based games. I don't see the need or want for the steam controller when my corsair k70/rat7 and xbox elite controller. Would love to get my hands on to at least try it but I don't see myself ever purchasing one.

I have my PC/Sim rig in the room and my 140" projector with 5.1 surround sound in my home theater room, I used to be a PC game at desk type but I feel like I'm isolating myself from my wife and kids when I do that so now I prefer to PC game on the home theatre.. Each to their own though, thats what great about PC gaming, choice

 

[cityhunter]

Not everything valve shits out is gold.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Well, you have to show why something is better or more fun. Motions controls for example never really showed why hardcore gamers should care.

Mmm I don't think that's necessarily true. Gyro and pointer aiming have been shown in multiple games ranging from minigames to single player titles to fast paced multiplayer shooters to be superior to dual analog but "hardcore" gamers refuse to look silly or are intent on remaining perfectly still while gaming or whatever other ridiculous reasons they come up with to discredit them.

 

[GRaider81]

I could see the controller being easier to pick up than a dual stick controller or kb+m for someone who has been mostly/only mobile gaming in the future with its touch+gyro, plus games that are probably similar to what they are used too. People I've seen learning an analogue controller or kb+m tend to have the same habits when starting out: not moving and looking at the same time with both sticks at first, picking up the mouse a bunch when moving it, etc. Maybe it could be a bigger deal to newcomers, than to people who have been using a regular controller or kb+m.

yeah this is my personal thinking. Ive just got a PC and im having real trouble adapting to Mkb. The mouse is fine but i cant stand using the keyboard to try and move, slide, wall jump etc (using BO3 as an example)

Im thinking if i need to learn something better than a standard controller for PC then this might be it.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Steam controller, Steam machines, Steam OS, and Vive will never be popular. Valve doesn't care enough about self promotion to make a big deal about their hardware ventures, and their existing market is already well served by alternatives. As they said, it's something that's nice to have because it fills a niche, but it's an uphill battle to convince people they need yet another input device just to play 3D action games.

Mmm I don't think that's necessarily true. Gyro and pointer aiming have been shown in multiple games ranging from minigames to single player titles to fast paced multiplayer shooters to be superior to dual analog but "hardcore" gamers refuse to look silly or are intent on remaining perfectly still while gaming or whatever other ridiculous reasons they come up with to discredit them.

See my response above. No one cares about minigames anymore outside of touch gaming (newest Kinect sports and Wii Sports flopped), people are more comfortable playing shooters with dual analog. Their preference cannot be wrong.

 

[scitek]

I don't like it because it doesn't feel intuitive and makes lots of games more difficult to play than with either keyboard/mouse or a traditional gamepad. It's trying to be the best of both worlds and it fails to be good at either.

But yeah, it's a lot easier to make a point if you just dismiss my opinion as me simply bring ignorant or afraid of change.

I've been gaming for 25 years, and through that time I've adapted to plenty of change. New controllers, the introduction of 3D, new and reinvented genres, online multiplayer, etc. I don't think new concepts and new things are this controllers biggest problem.

I feel like if we get control schemes for games designed with the controller in mind, opinion of it will largely be different.

 

[Ishida]

Or maybe, just maybe, it's a shit controller?
.

No, it's obviously because 'you just don't get it.'

 

[TouchMyBox]

There are people who have used the steam controller don't like it?

It's definitely not an improvement for every single genre out there (I was playing some Assault Android Cactus on it, and while it definitely works, you're better off using dual analog sticks for games like that) but genres that it does work well with destroys every other controller on the market by a wide margin. I could never imagine using analog sticks to aim in a first person game ever again.

 

[LQX]

Hoping for a good black Friday deal on it and I so I can try it myself, but reading the OT after it it was released to see if I should order one now rather than later and I got the impression many were trying to convince themselves it was better alternative than a KB/M or regular 360 pad. I was not convinced in the least.

 

[TheSeks]

There are people who have used the steam controller don't like it?

I own one and don't really consider it the radical improvement Valve advertised it to be. Controller games I try it with, I just go "why am I not just using a PS360 controller?"

Non-controller enabled titles (see: Witcher 1) are a mixed-bag. IF they have bindings, and they're good (see: Witcher 1) it could show the potential of Valve's controller. But if they don't (see: Just Cause 1, I'm still waiting Steam community...) it's a pain in the ass to set up binds yourself and most of the time you may not feel comfortable with it if you come from a controller-enabled sequel (see: Just Cause 2/3).

FPS are a mixed bag. You can be successful there, but I don't think you'll be "pro-level" with it.

Civ on the couch is possible, but I don't think that's worth the $50 asking price Valve wants.

So yeah, I'm not really happy with the controller. Double so when Valve should've taken it on tour to let people get hands on with it. The article is right in that some peoples mindview is already set without touching it and Valve's "try this with certain titles" would've at least helped people try it without spending money if they did a tour.

The whole thing is completely bungled, IMO. Valve took three years and are asking their community to do most of the leg work for it for them.

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

I have my PC/Sim rig in the room and my 140" projector with 5.1 surround sound in my home theater room, I used to be a PC game at desk type but I feel like I'm isolating myself from my wife and kids when I do that so now I prefer to PC game on the home theatre.. Each to their own though, thats what great about PC gaming, choice

I do to, for the most part (game on my couch compared to PC). I actually have a 30' HDMI cable running from my office PC to my console gaming TV, so any controller based gaming is on the big screen. Any KB/M games though, I want to be at my desk. I am with you on choice though, that is the best part of PC gaming, you can customize to however you like to.

 

[Nzyme32]

A track pad will never be as good as an analogue stick. Being different for the sake of it isn't a good enough reason to use the device. The steam controller is on the same level as a 3 wheeled car.

Top tier bullshit, as demonstrated by the Steam Controller itself. It isn't "different for the sake of different", it's different to support they myriad of games and entire genres of games that analogue sticks categorically fail at, while also allowing you to be competitive vs keyboard and mouse players - something you do a lot of on a PC. Not to mention even a basic laptop trackpad is supporting 1:1 velocity based movement, while analogue sticks use a positional turning rate - by its very nature less accurate, precise or fast. The issue with trackpad is lack of surface area, feedback and comfort / usability. The steam controller gets around this with trackball simulation for flicking and traveling larger distances, haptics for understanding that and getting some form of tactility, and on top of all that gyros for fine grain adjustments. It works fantastically and surpases the analogue stick - if you can take the time to adjust.

 

[7DollarHagane]

Im better served with kb/m and a xb1 pad that I already own. No reason to buy this.

 

[Burt]

Eh, it's niche, but I do think that it'll catch on as time progresses. We're talking about a market segment where a huge number of people spend hundreds of dollars on upgrades multiple times in a single console generation. As the hardware and software improve and the config catalog expands, I could see it becoming a relatively mainstream peripheral.

I mean, as someone who's been solely on PC for the last couple years, I tried to play Shadow Warrior on the couch the other night to unwind with some mindless fun, and shit was damn near impossible with a controller. If Larian hadn't cracked the CRPG controller code, I would probably be using it for that, and I still might simply because of the benefits with inventory management. There are tons of smaller games and indies too that don't have controller support, so the sum of all of them is a pretty significant thing.

It's first generation hardware, same as a smart watch or VR or a console with a shit launch lineup or whatever. It'll come around eventually, and given the amount of input and influence the community has on it, 'eventually' will probably come around a lot sooner than most first generation hardware.

 

[zero shift]

Gamers hate change ESPECIALLY in regards to controls. Just look at many Wii games with fantastic controls that gamers claimed were "broken". Or look at console gamers who swear that analog is superior to mouse and keyboard or IR controls.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

See my response above. No one cares about minigames anymore outside of touch gaming (newest Kinect sports and Wii Sports flopped), people are more comfortable playing shooters with dual analog. Their preference cannot be wrong.

And read my response again. They've proven themselves in way more than just minigames. People only like dual analog because they're too resistant to changing what they've used for the last 10+ years...but motion control aiming IS better. Just like kb&m is better.

Red Steel 2 and Metroid Prime 3 and numerous other games proved pointer controls work. Splatoon, Uncharted Vita, and Oot 3D among games have shown gyro controls work

 

[Crayon]

I feel comfortable saying anyone who thinks a 360 pad is more accurate for fps is flat out wrong. For speed and accuracy in aiming, it's case closed.

 

[yongeandcollege]

This sounds like the rebuttal used against people that didn't like Windows 8.

 

[nib95]

What the actual f... A trackpad is by definition better than an analog stick for pointing.

Not necessarily. It depends on the size of the track pad and the size of the finger or thumb clicking it.

 

[Shawsie64]

I feel comfortable saying anyone who thinks a 360 pad is more accurate for fps is flat out wrong. For speed and accuracy in aiming, it's case closed.

Yeah it's not even a subjective opinion. They are wrong. Topping CoD and Insurgency games against KB/M players using the Steam Controller is all the proof I need.

 

[TSM]

Gamers hate change ESPECIALLY in regards to controls. Just look at many Wii games with fantastic controls that gamers claimed were "broken". Or look at console gamers who swear that analog is superior to mouse and keyboard or IR controls.

What? I had a Wii and most of the decent games. Without motion plus any games that relied on motion control were in general pretty terrible. There were some exceptions like Kororinpa which relied solely on the gyros. The games that used the controller as a pointer were better, but they still paled in comparison to using an actual mouse. Then you had a game using motion plus like Skyward Sword that was straight broken for many people. Meaning they could never get it to work properly on their Wii with them playing. Overall the Wii set motion controlled gaming back to the point where it's essentially disappeared.

You knock on analog sticks and then mention IR pointer controls which are also vastly inferior to mice. I'm not sure where you were going with that. Speaking of which trackpads are inferior to mice in most situations with gaming being one of them.

 

[AcceptableGhost]

I got my controller and played like half of Portal 2 with it tonight and tried some other games, it seems like it would be good for a fair amount of games. The coolest thing about it is definitely the binding system (highly customizable and crowdsourced). Trying it with my own game on Steam however - it works fine but playing the game primarily with the face buttons is a little uncomfortable and other setups are not ideal either.

This controller has a lot of uses but I think they should make two versions of this controller. One like this and one that is like "Steam Controller Classic" with a classic layout. I know most people go "why not just use (X360/XONE/PS3/PS4) controller?", but I think there is value in Valve making a standard controller that has this crazy binding menu (gyro control!), works well with multiple operating systems, and "just works" on most everything (after like 6 months when most games have bindings for games where it makes sense).

Also, after Microsoft locked down the Xbox One controller dongle to just one OS, you would think Valve would have some impetus to make a standard controller...

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

I just got my steam controller this morning and its difficult to use but I expected that.

I've been using it with Fallout 4 and using the touchpad to move is just really weird having to swipe across more than once to turn round even with the sensitivity up.

Also had a few instances of trying to alter the settings and going back to the game to find the controllers stick and pad stopped working. Also had the whole settings for the controller reset but its not that much of an issue as I can just reuse the custom settings.

I'll give it a full play through of Fallout and another game before making my full judgement though

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

And read my response again. They've proven themselves in way more than just minigames. People only like dual analog because they're too resistant to changing what they've used for the last 10+ years...but motion control aiming IS better. Just like kb&m is better.

Red Steel 2 and Metroid Prime 3 and numerous other games proved pointer controls work. Splatoon, Uncharted Vita, and Oot 3D among games have shown gyro controls work

Comfort cannot be wrong. Mouse & kb is objectively more accurate for shooting games, and yet people still prefer to play some games on console because they are more comfortable with the feel and control scheme.

You'd think in a world where hundreds of millions of people are content playing 3D games with nothing but a touchscreen, that we'd stop trying to pin this on "gamers being stubborn". Input devices have been more or less solved. There are dozens of options for every gameplay situation imaginable. Anything new is only going to serve the small fraction of people who are absolutely disgusted by those options.

 

[Nerrel]

You knock on analog sticks and then mention IR pointer controls which are also vastly inferior to mice.

Vastly inferior to a mouse is a bit of a stretch, and even so, IR aiming is vastly superior to analog sticks, so his point stands either way. Gamers really should have been more open to the Wii remote considering how big shooters have gotten over the last few gens.

I loved IR aiming and got very good at Wii shooters using it. I honestly haven't managed to get the same level of precision out of the Steam controller yet- the trackpads just aren't as good to me. The best I've managed is a combo of the gyro and trackpad, which still isn't quite as fast as the IR camera and has the calibration drift problem to deal with. Even then, it's still a major step up from analog sticks.

It doesn't really matter what method of aiming is the absolute best, what matters is that almost anything is better than standard dual analog, which is why the Steam controller needed to exist. Someone has to push forward so that our controllers aren't stuck with the exact same inferior tech for another 20 years.

 

[Arklite]

I don't mind a learning curve, my real concern is this thing being a legit solid pad with obvious potential or being like a Version 0.95 that's likely to change next year. Probably too early to say, so I don't feel too confident ordering one, but I am super curious.

 

[SliceSabre]

You can't make people like something.

If they don't like it they don't like it and there's nothing wrong with them not liking it similar to how there is nothing wrong with someone not liking a game.

 

[Mindlog]

I was angry at the gaming community for being closed-minded; furious that a "fear of change" was keeping evolution in controller design from flourishing

Quit stealing my bit.
Standard 'modern' controllers are relics of a gaming age that's over a decade old.

 

[Odrion]

Yes, people hate the steam controller because they don't want their controllers to change.

let's just pretend the DS, Wii, smart phones and tablets never happened and were never insanely popular.

 

[Coffee Dog]

Comfort cannot be wrong. Mouse & kb is objectively more accurate for shooting games, and yet people still prefer to play some games on console because they are more comfortable with the feel and control scheme.

You'd think in a world where hundreds of millions of people are content playing 3D games with nothing but a touchscreen, that we'd stop trying to pin this on "gamers being stubborn". Input devices have been more or less solved. There are dozens of options for every gameplay situation imaginable. Anything new is only going to serve the small fraction of people who are absolutely disgusted by those options.

Trying to pin it on "comfort" is pinning it on stubborn gamers. They're one and the same.

Yes, people hate the steam controller because they don't want their controllers to change.

let's just pretend the DS, Wii, smart phones and tablets never happened and were never insanely popular.

All of those things are not only simpler than standard controllers, look at the pushback when people tried using motion controls in games like metroid prime or skyward sword. it was just too difficult for a lot of people to get the hang of. Learning new shit is hard for gamers.

 

[Odrion]

Trying to pin it on "comfort" is pinning it on stubborn gamers. They're one and the same.



All of those things are not only simpler than standard controllers, look at the pushback when people tried using motion controls in games like metroid prime or skyward sword. it was just too difficult for a lot of people to get the hang of. Learning new shit is hard for gamers.

People loved Metroid Prime Corruption. Skyward Sword gets flack because of it's shitty attempts to implement grinding.

And I don't know about the simplicity argument. The Wii's and DS controls could be considered more complex as they had traditional controller aspects, and then on top of that touch/motion/IR were added which allowed it access to a wider variety of game concepts (sounds familiar?) They weren't simpler as they were just very intuitive.

Hell people are using the Steam controller for Dolphin because of how well it maps to the Wii's control setup. That's not because the Steam Controller is simple.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Pack it up VR, people are afraid of change.

 

[AP90]

It.... doesn't? It was about 5 minutes from hearing of trying it, to getting headshots in CS with gyro assisted aim. And I'm counting the time it takes to boot into CS and find a map.



You better be fucking joking, because the trackpad shits on a control stick from a very, very high place, for everything except movement. And that's only if you prefer analog movement, which not everyone does.

After using and feeling the special analog sticks on the Xbox elite controller, I am a skeptic of anything that could be better. And I have felt/held the steam controller, but never actually played anything on it.

If that elite controller drops down to $90 it will sell like hot cakes.

Edit: Also, you could prob make the argument that the steam controller is the creation of keyboard + mouse and console controllers.. To some people the steam controller can be good a mostly everything, but a master at nothing.

 

[10k]

I don't like it because it doesn't feel intuitive and makes lots of games more difficult to play than with either keyboard/mouse or a traditional gamepad. It's trying to be the best of both worlds and it fails to be good at either.

But yeah, it's a lot easier to make a point if you just dismiss my opinion as me simply bring ignorant or afraid of change.

I've been gaming for 25 years, and through that time I've adapted to plenty of change. New controllers, the introduction of 3D, new and reinvented genres, online multiplayer, etc. I don't think new concepts and new things are this controllers biggest problem.

This was my biggest worry and most anticipated problem. Input controls are very finnicky. You're either good at one style or another. Hybrids don't usually work out.

 

[Kwansu Dudes]

I'm confused, why do controllers need to change for the 99% who are comfortable and used to them? Steam Controller seems like it's aiming for a niche group i.e. the people who build their own high end rigs.

 

[Boombox On]

I'm confused, why do controllers need to change for the 99% who are comfortable and used to them?

Because there are plenty types of games that typical controllers have been historically poor at, and input is as important to a game as musical instruments are to a song.

Jack of all trade, master of none.

Also, this viewpoint is pretty much the opposite of how mass market consumer tech interest actually works.

 

[4Tran]

I really want to get one of these. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that it's primarily designed to replace keyboard and mouse controls whereas I want one to for games where I'd want an analog-stick controller. As such, it seems to be a better idea to wait for the Mark II model instead of picking one up.

 

[prag16]

Probably a bit of a mixed bag. I do think a large swath of gamers want a 1997 design (with minor changes over the years) to remain the standard forever (even though it's pretty damn bad when you come down to it for many types of games). The flat out vitriol from some quarters things like the Wii remote, and Move, and more recently Splatoon's gyro aiming have been met with in turn made the hate showered upon the Steam controller pretty predictable.

That said, the steam controller isn't perfect, but my issues have little to do with the concept and more to do with the perceived build quality and ergonomics. I can already say though that the right trackpad is NOT just a piece of shit lifted from a cheap netbook. It's very high quality and shits all over an analog stick from orbit for basically every application.

 

[Kwansu Dudes]

Because there are plenty types of games that typical controllers have been historically poor at, and input is as important to a game as musical instruments are to a song.

What are some examples, how would they affect the mass market and how would you alleviate the said issues with a new controller?

I can only think of RTS games and click fest mobas (where they predominately live on PC).

 

[Crayon]

I'm confused, why do controllers need to change for the 99% who are comfortable and used to them? Steam Controller seems like it's aiming for a niche group i.e. the people who build their own high end rigs.

They don't and I think your concern is the crux of the problem. It's not meant to replace anything. It's offering something that didn't exist prior. Yet it's being received/reviewed as something that fails to replace current control methods.

 

[jellies_two]

We don't hate it because its different, or hate it at all.

We just didn't really ask for a highly configurable gadget that probably won't be right "out of the box". Life is too short.

 

[Kwansu Dudes]

They don't and I think your concern is the crux of the problem. It's not meant to replace anything. It's offering something that didn't exist prior. Yet it's being received/reviewed as something that fails to replace current control methods.

That was my original point. It seems aimed toward a niche audience that wants a hybrid controller, yet people are saying controllers need to be updated so I'm confused why they can't coexist together like fight sticks, music controllers, etc.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Can this be used as a mouse on the desktop like the ds4?

If it can't it's basically at ultimate fail level.

 

[Shawsie64]

Can this be used as a mouse on the desktop like the ds4?

If it can't it's basically at ultimate fail level.

Yes it can and it works very well on a HTPC.

It shits all over the DS4s touch pad.