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Steam Controller overview and videos/impressions
- Thread starter ashecitism
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I kinda wonder if it would be better if ABXY were in one curved line along the outer perimeter of the right track pad? Could solve the "can't reach" problem by not having the player move their thumb much at all from the pad to hit a button. Sure the layout would take some getting used to but the whole thing requires rethinking to use anyway.
at a competitive level? never.
Interesting. Not really sure about it's usefulness outside of some notifications
I prefer the opposite - using the touch pads to play wii games like they're using a normal controller, without motion controls:
Beyond that, in normal games (i.e. not wii emulation) you can map mouse control to both the right pad and the IMU inside the remote, and, as an example, map the left trigger to an activator for the IMU. By doing this, you can aim with the right pad, then press the left trigger, and do fine adjustment using the IMU, like in splatoon or Uncharted Golden Abyss. Some might like that, but honestly just using the pad alone would probably be more accurate.
It's about the same size as an Xbox One controller.
They solved that problem by putting 8 buttons within reach of your other fingers, without requiring the use of thumbs.
10 buttons total - 2 shoulder buttons, 2 grip buttons, 2 dual-stage triggers (4 buttons total), plus 2 buttons under each haptic touch pad.
contrast to the 6 buttons total the xbox one and PS4 pads have under your fingers at all times.
So you can have every finger under one button all the time? I'd like to see how it works.
ashecitism
Member
Krejlooc, a question regarding the triggers. So, I set up one of it as 'analog pull - ADS', 'digital click - fire'. What if I want to fire from the hip? Would that work with that trigger, or I would have to use the other one?
EdwardTeach
Member
Really looking forward to this. I have one of the early bird orders coming mid October.
I imagine that I will force myself to use it at first for everything even when sitting at my desk, as I will want to train the requisite muscle memory as soon as possible, otherwise realistically it won't get used.
I imagine that I will force myself to use it at first for everything even when sitting at my desk, as I will want to train the requisite muscle memory as soon as possible, otherwise realistically it won't get used.
Sylverstone14
Member
I probably won't need Steam Link, but I want that controller soon.
Index fingers on shoulder buttons, middle fingers on dual stage triggers, pink and ring fingers on the grips, while thumbs are on the haptic pads (which themselves reside in two giant physical buttons)
You would need redundant mappings (I.e. A second "fire from the hip" button) or you could use a modified to change the behavior of the first stage of the dual stage trigger. So like, id you hold a shoulder button, then pressing the analog portion of the dual stage trigger doesnt activate your ads.
I think a playthrough of resident evil hd will be awesome with dual stage triggers as you can map the analog portion to readying your gun and the button to actually firing.
ashecitism
Member
I see. Regarding the gyro, do you know if you could you use modifiers with it too? And one question others been asking, is if the controller would charge batteries while wired. I know you have the old version, but maybe someone told you.
from the blog post. Should be ironed out for the release.
You can do that. I have done that with a few games - I use steam controller while friends use xbox 360 pads.
What you couldnt do, with the prototype at least, was use two steam controllers at once in legacy mode, as they both would appear as the same keyboard and mouse. You could natively support two controllers at once, however.
The plan was to be able to push activate the imu, so I would aasume you could use another button as a modifier for the imu.
Storm Raider
Banned
Took a quick video of myself controlling my PC's bios with a steam controller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZS7ciw_mxs
sorry it's so dark, it's storming outside atm. Also, warning: portrait video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZS7ciw_mxs
sorry it's so dark, it's storming outside atm. Also, warning: portrait video.
Great. I actually got carried away with your other video on the Steam Controller while you pivot your thumb. That bodes well for a lot of games, maybe even dpad like movements for fighting games.
I think I've decided to test that out when I get the controller the only way I know how - load up Killer Instinct for SNES and try all the combos
D
Deleted member 102362
Unconfirmed Member
I don't get why Valve hasn't put this quote on the Steam Controller store page yet.
LUFTRAUSER
Banned
Wow. I didn't know that it worked so well.
video of the steam controller working on an android phone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML-Hkap921w
I'm recording a video of it working on the dreamcast right now.
edit: you can hear the actuators fire in that video as I use the touchpad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML-Hkap921w
I'm recording a video of it working on the dreamcast right now.
edit: you can hear the actuators fire in that video as I use the touchpad.
Because there's no way the controller could actually differentiate between rechargeable and disposable batteries so what do you think is going to happen when you plug it in but there are alkalines in the chamber? I'll give you a hint, it starts with f and ends with ire.
Uploading footage of the dreamcast using the steam controller. I normally use a Total control 5 to hook up a mouse to the dreamcast but I can't find it at the moment, so I have to use my innovation keyboard adapter and use the steam controller like a keyboard. I also normally use dreamshell when trying this out, but I don't have a copy burned at the moment so I just use the webbrowser for the demo. As a result, it demonstrates a strange bug when it constantly sends input from the 9 key on the steam controller, but I'm just merely trying to show that it indeed works on the dreamcast. With a total control 5, you can use it as either a keyboard or a mouse and it works just fine.
Video should be done uploading in about 20 minutes. After that, I'm going to do a video showing it on a Windows 98 PC from 17 years ago. Any other requests?
Video should be done uploading in about 20 minutes. After that, I'm going to do a video showing it on a Windows 98 PC from 17 years ago. Any other requests?
flaxknuckles
Member
lol, I thought it was your dresser creaking
Lol no, the things are actually audible in normal play. They sound like a mouse wheel when scrolling.
These things can theoretically be used to play music. When you first plugged in the prototype, it would play a small beeping tone to let you know it connected. I wanted to try and build a demo that would actually play music through the controller but never got around to it.
chrominance
Member
So, I get how the Steam Controller acts as an HID mouse when connected to a device other than a Steam-equipped PC. But how does the HID keyboard stuff work? There's no overlay to pop up on the screen, so how on earth would you use the controller as a keyboard?
Steam controller being used on dreamcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxyOKd124I
fluffydelusions
Member
It's not like a full replacement for a keyboard to type with, but rather it acts like keyboard input for games that can't use anything besides keyboard. So the left touch pad, by default, becomes WASD, and then all the other buttons become 0-9 (on the prototype, since the last firmware update, two of the buttons have become redundant, and the buttons under the touchpads no longer work).
So the idea is you can go into your game and remap the controls to those specific keys, so that you can use the controller like a keyboard input. It's not meant to be something you actually type with outside of steam.
That said, every version of windows since XP and most distros of linux come with on-screen keyboards for physically disabled people. If you bring those up, you can use the mouse portion of the steam controller as text input. I've done that from my couch on neogaf, in fact, when I've been lazy. Some of my post on this board have been typed with a steam controller using window's built in keyboard.
I have been sold since the prototype. I used my prototype up until I was no longer able to remap the keys in steam, otherwise I'd still be using it. I think the final version will be the single best controller on the market, period.
Keep in mind, it's a very different experience than using a normal controller. I don't doubt there will be a number of people who can't adapt, but I think an even larger number of people will get right away why this controller is so awesome.
It's godly. Switching from a 360 controller to a Pro Controller was a revelation. The only downside is that the pro controller is useless for racing sims but that's what racing wheels are for.
If you're just after a standard controller I'd definitely recommend going with one. Just remember to update the firmware on the adapter (then hold down + & b for 3 seconds to fix the button layout).
HalfwayOrb
Member
Same. Steam controller might be the future for me.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
It feels like more of a replacement for the trackball than the dual analog stick. I couldn't really do accurate 180s on the thing. And you're not going to get any auto aim either. I'm sure there's a learning curve but I'm not getting rid of my 360 pad any time soon.
It doesn't seem like a game changing FPS device. If anything, it's going to shine in genres that the gamepad has completely failed in, like RTS.
alexandros
Banned
That's great, thanks!
I think it has gyro-aiming, like in splatoon.
Oh boy, well now my interested has just been piqued!
Kinda sad with the loss on OnLive. I have a the microconsole unit still in my living room, and now I'm seriously contemplating on getting the Steam Link + Controller combo to get the full PC couch experience.
Sorry, but Nintendo's +Control Pads are still the best pads bar none. DualShock's chaffe my thumbs more than I can count.
immortal-joe
Member
I can't believe I didn't notice how unfriendly this thing was to small hands. Staying with DS4 then.
I meant everytime I used the D-pad. Sorry, I hate the pizza wedges.Uh, two?
I'm so sorry
Also, it is just me, or is this the closest controller we'll get to emulatig the GameCube layout? (due to the squishy-shoulder button + digital clickl)
The right touchpad is also a giant button, like the A button on the GCN controller.
You could with the prototypes. It allowed you to submit profiles to the database even for non-steam games. At the same time, no program I ever added to steam ever had profiles downloaded. Given that there are only about 1500 prototypes out in the wild, however, that's not surprising. It made me wonder about XBMC, however, because surely I couldn't have been the only person who tested their controller out with it. Seems like something that many people would add to steam.
ashecitism
Member
https://twitter.com/joewintergreen/status/642158859029614592
Someone should provide DSP with one of these then
Someone should provide DSP with one of these then
What kind of games do you usually play with the D-pad?
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