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Steam Controller overview and videos/impressions

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Fuck that took a long time lol, here's the video of the mapping change:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z8Kt7hryCI

We'll be starting the stream in about 30 minutes.

Very cool video. Question: If you tune the sensitivity so that you get about 1.5-2 360 degree revolutions for one full swipe, is the pad too sensitive to rest your thumb on when not doing any movement? I've read about how high resolution the touchpads are and I'm wondering if with a pretty high sensitivity that they'll be constantly registering some input and making your view jittery while you are just at rest with the thumb.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
cwTwSNN.jpg


our boom rig haha, about to start streaming soon

Very cool video. Question: If you tune the sensitivity so that you get about 1.5-2 360 degree revolutions for one full swipe, is the pad too sensitive to rest your thumb on when not doing any movement? I've read about how high resolution the touchpads are and I'm wondering if with a pretty high sensitivity that they'll be constantly registering some input and making your view jittery while you are just at rest with the thumb.

naw, you can change that sort of stuff in deeper menus.
 

bathsalts

Member
coming for the controller, staying for the beard.

Wouldnt mind your take on how it performs in traditionally controller only type games, souls, dmc etc.
 

bathsalts

Member
You just made my buddy's night lol. He asked as I posted that, "will anybody mention anything about my beard?"

Im just not sure why your not using his beard as the mic boom, it looks at least as solid as a table taped to a recycle bin, taped to a litter scoop(?) and all held together by a bottle of gin.
 

dsk1210

Member
The one thing I noticed straight away, you seem to be able to type pretty well with the controller. I had hoped that it would be quite practical, was never keen on the daisy wheel.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
I can't figure out how to turn my camera on in the corner of twitch while streaming from my video card... give me a few more minutes
 

Unai

Member
My internet connection is pretty slow today. I'll wait to see it later on if you archive it or someone else upload it to youtube.
 

Blizzard

Banned
Krejlooc do you have any way to report bugs and feedback to Valve? Maybe they can fix the couple of bugs you found before the consumer release.

Also it would be neat if you could ask about the Steam requirement and what changed. It would be neat if there were a standalone executable that could run on older computers or something, if an executable is still required.
 
Just tuned in, hopefully there will be an archive.

Krejlooc do you have any way to report bugs and feedback to Valve? Maybe they can fix the couple of bugs you found before the consumer release.

Also it would be neat if you could ask about the Steam requirement and what changed. It would be neat if there were a standalone executable that could run on older computers or something, if an executable is still required.

What kind of bugs?
 

Miff

Member
I think it's good to see the controller being used under the influence - better than seeing / hearing the early opinion of someone who's really concentrating to use it correctly.

Thanks for the stream.
 

Pachimari

Member
I think I need a lot of time to get used to the bigger handles and larger size than the Xbox 360 controller. That was already an annoyance to me with the Xbox 360 one, coming from the Dual Shock 3, which I think is one of the best controllers ever.

I really hope this controller gives me something worthwhile, and I can't wait to try it out with my Steam library. I also don't think I will have any problems reaching the x-button, as I have rather large hands.
 

Nzyme32

Member
I think I need a lot of time to get used to the bigger handles and larger size than the Xbox 360 controller. That was already an annoyance to me with the Xbox 360 one, coming from the Dual Shock 3, which I think is one of the best controllers ever.

I really hope this controller gives me something worthwhile, and I can't wait to try it out with my Steam library. I also don't think I will have any problems reaching the x-button, as I have rather large hands.

The controller is similar sized to the DS3 with the exception of the handles being notably thicker. At the same time the shape of the Steam Controller is entirely different and so is the way it is held, positioning your hands and the angles for the shoulders, triggers, button positions and trackpads.

Judging it from pictures is simply not going to be good enough when there are so many differences to traditional controllers.
 

Pachimari

Member
The controller is similar sized to the DS3 with the exception of the handles being notably thicker. At the same time the shape of the Steam Controller is entirely different and so is the way it is held, positioning your hands and the angles for the shoulders, triggers, button positions and trackpads.

Judging it from pictures is simply not going to be good enough when there are so many differences to traditional controllers.

Yeah but that's why I'm gonna try it out myself.
Can't wait to receive it.

Has it been confirmed, if we can use the left analog stick together with the right pad working as a mouse/trackball?
 

Mivey

Member
Judging it from pictures is simply not going to be good enough when there are so many differences to traditional controllers.
A bit backwards. It's trying to accomplish something completely different from regular controllers, so it looks completely different. It's almost as if we live in a world where there are logical reasons for things.

I wonder if owls are gonna be the new mascots of Steam.
 
Here are some of my takeaways from the stream for those who didn't catch it, keep in mind I'm looking at this from the perspective of someone that's been doing m/kb -> controller emulation for a while so I am scrutinizing things most people probably won't care about:

1. The GUI for making configs is nice and flashy and shows what the controls are well, but it was taking them a long time to make fresh configs for each game. Switching around already-made bindings to other buttons should be easier. For example, when they wanted to switch around bindings for a game, they had to individually go into each binding and remake it. It would be way simpler if you could just drag the bindings around to whichever button, so if you downloaded a config that has all the buttons already made well but you just want to switch around the placements, you don't have to remake each one.

2. The Windows hotkey issue still remains. I asked Krejlooc to slow walk in MGSV (which would activate and hold 'ctrl') and hit start (esc) at the same time to see if it would trigger the windows start menu and have the game lose focus, and it indeed did. I was hoping Valve would have found a way to isolate inputs like this from Windows somehow, but I guess there is still time for that to be figured out.

3. The trackball inertia seems essential for having a good not too fast sensitivity while also being able to do quick turns in the heat of battle. Without it you would either have too fast sensitivity so that you don't have to reswipe so often, or too low and you would run out of surface area with your thumb while getting shot in the back.

4. The high resolution of the track pads led to some issues with higher sensitivity, where keeping the thumb in 'resting state' (ie: not trying to do any movement at all, just resting it stationary on the pad) led to some unintentional movement of the crosshair because of how the pad was still picking up micro-movements and the fast sensitivity it was set to. So if you really wanted to hold your crosshair completely still (like if sniping for example) and you use a higher sensitivity, it would probably be best to just remove your thumb from the pad all together so it isn't drifting around by a few pixels. This will be something to get used to.

5. Another issue encountered by other guy (sorry didn't catch your name) was that when pushing in the right trackpad as a button (say to click on menu items) that movement of the clicking in would register as trackpad input as well and move his cursor off the menu item he was intending to click. I think this is another issue related to a higher sensitivity, and lowering it would help so that the click in motion doesn't move the cursor so much. Then you would have to rely on the trackball inertia again so you aren't reswiping so often.
 

PantsuJo

Member
I have a question, because i've read about the use of this pad with RTS. Is it possible?

(I ask only for fun eh, because i actually use a mouse but this controller looks incredible)
 

Nzyme32

Member
A bit backwards. It's trying to accomplish something completely different from regular controllers, so it looks completely different. It's almost as if we live in a world where there are logical reasons for things.

I wonder if owls are gonna be the new mascots of Steam.

Well that's pretty much my point. They should have called the early bird offer, early owls

I have a question, because i've read about the use of this pad with RTS. Is it possible?

(I ask only for fun eh, because i actually use a mouse but this controller looks incredible)

One of the testers had no issue beating a hard AI in Starcraft 2 with the original prototype. Online in a casual way might be fine but if you want to be highly competitive, a mouse and keyboard is going to be the way to go, just as you'd always go with the most specialised input for that kind of thing
 

Pachimari

Member
Judging it from pictures is simply not going to be good enough when there are so many differences to traditional controllers.

A bit backwards. It's trying to accomplish something completely different from regular controllers, so it looks completely different. It's almost as if we live in a world where there are logical reasons for things.

I wonder if owls are gonna be the new mascots of Steam.
Who in here have judged the controller by the pictures anyway?

That would be pretty unfair.
 
GAF at large has treated this controller with probably the highest level of wilful ignorance I have seen on this forum, and that's saying something.

Anything that threatens a paradigm shift away from the dual analog standard has been met with similar suspicion. People are so entrenched in a standard that never should have become a standard to begin with. The idea of having to relearn how to do things puts off a lot of people, and keeps us stuck in the past.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
Dear Valve,

Make an all matte version please. Gloss is stupid.

I... er ..... Kind of agree with this.

@ Krej. You are doing a great job. I can't wait for my pre-order to arrive.
 

dsk1210

Member
GAF at large has treated this controller with probably the highest level of wilful ignorance I have seen on this forum, and that's saying something.

It has been disappointing reading the comments over the last few years. A lot of people just wanted 2 analogue sticks again.

I have wanted a controller like this since about 2008 after realising I suck with a m&kb.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
2. The Windows hotkey issue still remains. I asked Krejlooc to slow walk in MGSV (which would activate and hold 'ctrl') and hit start (esc) at the same time to see if it would trigger the windows start menu and have the game lose focus, and it indeed did. I was hoping Valve would have found a way to isolate inputs like this from Windows somehow, but I guess there is still time for that to be figured out.

We figured out late in the night that it was my wireless keyboard doing this. The ctrl key gets stuck on it some times.

I am so hung over atm. We might start live streaming again here in a bit.
 

Qassim

Member
I just got asked by Steam to verify my shipping address, I'm not sure if that's because I recently changed the address today (I got an email confirming that when I did it though), or if they're just making sure before they ship out because in the email it says to update it before the 25th of September.

Could they be starting to ship the controllers out so soon? That's them shipping it out 22 days before launch, even if it is shipping from the US to the UK, that's quite a long time.

KntE4LQ.png
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Hey Krej, I keep repeating like dead horse but please do one hand demonstration!

Recommended it as a mouse to you before, but the final version needs steam running to work. It can control windows entirely, but if steam crashes or anything you are sol unless you can restart it with a keyboard.

Ill film a one handed play session later on for you, tho.
 

ricki42

Member
I just got asked by Steam to verify my shipping address, I'm not sure if that's because I recently changed the address today (I got an email confirming that when I did it though), or if they're just making sure before they ship out because in the email it says to update it before the 25th of September.

Could they be starting to ship the controllers out so soon? That's them shipping it out 22 days before launch, even if it is shipping from the US to the UK, that's quite a long time.

I just got the same email. I didn't change my address since ordering, so it's looks like a standard thing since it's been a while since the preorder.
 
I just got asked by Steam to verify my shipping address, I'm not sure if that's because I recently changed the address today (I got an email confirming that when I did it though), or if they're just making sure before they ship out because in the email it says to update it before the 25th of September.

Could they be starting to ship the controllers out so soon? That's them shipping it out 22 days before launch, even if it is shipping from the US to the UK, that's quite a long time.

Yup, I got the same email today and I preordered the Link and the Controller. Wouldn't object to them shipping them out early
 

Bizzquik

Member
I just got the same email. I didn't change my address since ordering, so it's looks like a standard thing since it's been a while since the preorder.

I think you're right.
My shipping info hasn't changed, so it looks like nothing is required of me.
 
I just got asked by Steam to verify my shipping address, I'm not sure if that's because I recently changed the address today (I got an email confirming that when I did it though), or if they're just making sure before they ship out because in the email it says to update it before the 25th of September.

Could they be starting to ship the controllers out so soon? That's them shipping it out 22 days before launch, even if it is shipping from the US to the UK, that's quite a long time.

KntE4LQ.png

Same, i actually came here to post this.
 
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