• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Steam Controller overview and videos/impressions

Status
Not open for further replies.

virtualS

Member
Interesting how it's been left to Valve to implement true controller innovation. DS4 took some bold steps but at the end of the day it's still primarily dual analogue. Gyros are one thing but true 1:1 control with feedback under your thumbs is another.

I need this but haven't yet seen a way to purchase on the Australian store. Haven't checked for a while though.
 

Gruso

Member
I need this but haven't yet seen a way to purchase on the Australian store. Haven't checked for a while though.
Checking my wishlist daily. Nothing to report :(

I know a global launch isn't easy. But the fact that it's been featured on the Aussie store numerous times ("Pre-order now!") has made this torture.

(I just realised that a Steam hardware thread I've been running on another forum has turned two years old this month. I don't recall another gaming product that has held my interest for so long.)
 

Nzyme32

Member
And the brain of many would LOVE if Valve would have also brake the nomenclature convention for the face buttons being the arbitrary A B X Y letters. And instead put something more intuitive or natural like triangles in the four cardinal directions:

( v ^ < > )

Making matters worse you have 2 manufacturers using the same exact letters but in different positions.

That isn't so simple. Part of the reason they are the way they are is because of regular convention and matching up to the games that already expected a 360 controller so the button prompts match to what makes sense when emulating parts of a traditional controller supported game.

You could always slam stickers of whatever you want on the controller if it makes you happy, but developers and legacy games are not going to change or add new prompts. It's just not feasible.

VR on the other hand is at least something where there can be a genuine change.
 
you could run an ethernet cable instead and use a steamlink to connect your PC to your TV. That would let you use the steam controller at your TV through the steam link.

I'll try a few USB cables with the dongle when it arrives and let you know the results. I have some extremely long USB cables of varying brands.
That would be great if you could!

I had considered the Steam Link for the job, because I often found it very difficult to reliably switch both picture and sound between my PC and TV/amp at my last home.
I'm hoping Windows 10 has made it easier! Plus, the loss of surround sound with the Steam Link is a real downer.
 

Foxyone

Member
I've probably asked before, but for those of us with weaker hardware that might want to lock fps to 30, would there likely be any good way to configure the right trackpad to make it feel more like a thumbstick and not feel janky at 30 fps like a mouse?

Also, in regards to using the left pad as a d-pad, is it pretty much just like how you showed in one of your vids: you can put your thumb in the middle of the pad and kinda pivot your thumb a bit to register each direction? It works just as easily as a d-pad on another controller?
 

Gruso

Member
I've probably asked before, but for those of us with weaker hardware that might want to lock fps to 30, would there likely be any good way to configure the right trackpad to make it feel more like a thumbstick and not feel janky at 30 fps like a mouse?

Also, in regards to using the left pad as a d-pad, is it pretty much just like how you showed in one of your vids: you can put your thumb in the middle of the pad and kinda pivot your thumb a bit to register each direction? It works just as easily as a d-pad on another controller?
This post from a couple of pages back is a good insight into the haptics. By the sounds of it, the pads can feel like just about anything you want them to.

The haptics in this pad don't let you feel shapes or elevation, so you won't feel like you're thumbing over a button. Rather, the haptic feedback lets you feel motion. It makes the pads themselves feel like they are moving in a specific direction. It's why so many compare the right pad to a trackball - because when you flick your thumb over it, you would swear you are spinning a trackball. It's really hard to explain until you try it, but I had to spend a good 10 minutes convincing one of my friends (who doesn't play many games) that the pad in the prototype wasn't actually spinning, and that it was a flat, motionless piece of plastic, and everything he was feeling was basically his brain tricking him.

So with that in mind, with regards to the left pad, the haptics don't let you feel the d-pad. Rather, they let you feel the left pad itself shift around. You know how, on a SNES controller, you couldn't press the left and right arrows at the same time? When you would shift your thumb from the right side of the pad to the left side of the pad, you could feel the plastic that made up the dpad pivot? It basically rocked in place because it was actually pivoting on a small chunk of plastic in the center of the d-pad:

J7i7rsa.png


The touchpads on the steam controller don't actually move at all (other than being able to depress them down). Haptics let you regain the feeling that the pad is rocking around, even though it isn't. The physical indention on the pad is what you are supposed to feel to make you feel like you are touching an actual d-pad (and the right pad lacks this), while the physical button that the touchpad itself resides on is what gives you the weighty throw you feel when you press down on a d-pad on a conventional controller.

You can certainly use the right pad like a diamond button layout, but that's not really how the controller is supposed to be used. You have 10 separate inputs around the controller that your fingers naturally rest on without ever taking your thumbs off both touch pads. Those are where you are supposed to handle your action button inputs. If that's too daunting for you, there is an actual diamond button cluster in the bottom left corner. I think they've done a nice job of providing alternatives and redundancy around the controller, which is good design.
 
That isn't so simple. Part of the reason they are the way they are is because of regular convention and matching up to the games that already expected a 360 controller so the button prompts match to what makes sense when emulating parts of a traditional controller supported game.

You could always slam stickers of whatever you want on the controller if it makes you happy, but developers and legacy games are not going to change or add new prompts. It's just not feasible.

VR on the other hand is at least something where there can be a genuine change.
im aware of that and in the end it doesn't matter because the cuarrent solution still generates problems like it's already been pointed out by others.

What this decision does it's keeping the problem alive. You want your Xbox buttons prompts? Use the 360 controller that Steam also supports.

Had the Steam controller applied a more sensical button nomenclature it would have trigger that games from now on would support it and probably the legacy ones would get patches adressing the button nomenclature via either the developers or the active community.

It's not about what makes me personally happy and sticking some labels isn't a solution when it isnt been natively supported. It's more about coming with a logical solution for a problem that shouldnt exist these days. After all isn't this what the Steam controller is all about?

XD
 

Terra

Member
Even though I use my PC as a dedicated Steam-machine hooked up to a tv+monitor, this controller simply does not interest me. I will keep on using my 360 (or xbone controller) forever.
 

Nzyme32

Member
Even though I use my PC as a dedicated Steam-machine hooked up to a tv+monitor, this controller simply does not interest me. I will keep on using my 360 (or xbone controller) forever.

Enjoy not playing a whole bunch of games. If you are not interested in any of the thousands of games that will not work with a 360 controller and require a keyboard and mouse, or you are more than happy to use a keyboard and mouse in the lounge, then you are already set. Such is awesomeness of choice on PC
 

viveks86

Member
Can we use a PS4 controller with Steam link?

The link doesn’t interface with any controllers AFAIK. It's just streaming audio/video. As long as your controller works on your pc, it should continue working

Edit: just looked it up. Seems it does relay controller input. So i'm not sure if it'll work

Supports Steam Controller (sold separately,) Xbox One or 360 Wired Controller, Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows, Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710, or keyboard and mouse
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
DS4 doesn't seem like it will work directly on a link, but you may be able to use the DS4 still connected to the host PC
 
If someone wants to use a wired headset with the Link, what would be a working solution? Plug it in the TV? (wait, TVs don't have mic ports lol) Don't think USB headsets or USB sound cards would work, right?
 

Gruso

Member
If someone wants to use a wired headset with the Link, what would be a working solution? Plug it in the TV? (wait, TVs don't have mic ports lol) Don't think USB headsets or USB sound cards would work, right?
Hmm, good question. If the Link was x86 based, we'd know it was running a complete version of SteamOS (implying that all Debian drivers would be available) and we would be able to determine compatibility from there. It would depend on the model of the USB sound card / headset, but the answer would most likely be yes. But it's ARM based, so we don't know how fully featured the underlying OS will be. There are some discussions around the web where people are trying to get USB sound cards working on ARM Linux devices (QNAP NAS etc) with varying results. With all those USB ports on the Link, I'd be surprised if Valve haven't considered this.
 

Nzyme32

Member
If someone wants to use a wired headset with the Link, what would be a working solution? Plug it in the TV? (wait, TVs don't have mic ports lol) Don't think USB headsets or USB sound cards would work, right?

It's a weird omission. Makes me wonder if they have something in mind. Steam is quite far behind with pushing voice comunication, particularly when sat away from a keyboard where txt chat is just not ideal
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Agony... I check the tracking and the steam controller is right down the road from me, basically within bike distance. Yet, because it's sunday, it won't be delivered till tomorrow. Arg!
 

AColdDay

Member
Yeah, please show off the pop-up keyboard working in a game if you are going to make a video. I really want to see that.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Yeah, please show off the pop-up keyboard working in a game if you are going to make a video. I really want to see that.

You can check it out right now with an Xbox 360 keyboard, it's not limited to only the steam controller. It's unfinished at the moment, however. It's less of a pop up keyboard and more of a keyboard window, although the barebones nature of the menu suggests it's still a work in progress.
 

Jinkies

Member
That motion controlled input seems pretty cool; emulating a Wii-mote shake for Dolphin seems like one of the obvious things to do with it, other than maybe steering in general. Dunno what else could potentially be good to use it for though.

Dolphin does not support motion input from unofficial hardware.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Dolphin does not support motion input from unofficial hardware.

What dolphin supports is irrelevant.

XRX1Yty.png


Dolphin has the ability to map input to every type of motion the IMU in the Wiimote can produce. You can configure the steam controller's IMU to send the same commands that dolphin's configuration uses to control the IMU.
 

Jinkies

Member
What dolphin supports is irrelevant.

XRX1Yty.png


Dolphin has the ability to map input to every type of motion the IMU in the Wiimote can produce. You can configure the steam controller's IMU to send the same commands that dolphin's configuration uses to control the IMU.

I think Dolphin can only map to things like keys, mouse axes, and gamepad inputs (buttons and sticks). Hypothetically, how would you configure it?
 

Krejlooc

Banned
I think Dolphin can only map to things like keys, mouse axes, and gamepad inputs (buttons and sticks). Hypothetically, how would you configure it?

you map dolphin to keys, mouse axes, and gamepad inputs.

then you map the steam controller's IMUs to send those same inputs.
 

Awakened

Member
Dolphin has the ability to map input to every type of motion the IMU in the Wiimote can produce. You can configure the steam controller's IMU to send the same commands that dolphin's configuration uses to control the IMU.
That doesn't work for everything though. No More Heroes, for example, is unplayable with emulated swing inputs. They don't register most of the time for deathblows. A real Wiimote works fine though, so presumably if they added native support for the Steam controller's IMU it would work.

There's also no way to do emulated motion plus inputs. I don't know if the IMU would be precise enough for controlling those games though.
 

Jinkies

Member
you map dolphin to keys, mouse axes, and gamepad inputs.

then you map the steam controller's IMUs to send those same inputs.

Oh, I see, if that's all you mean, I have tried this with a PS4 controller and it doesn't work.

Keyboard keys are not analog inputs, mouse axes are best used for the IR pointer, and even with two analog sticks there are not enough axes to emulate all motion axes (4 stick axes vs 6 motion axes), but that is moot since you would want to reserve one stick for Nunchuck control anyway.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Oh, I see, if that's all you mean, I have tried this with a PS4 controller and it doesn't work.

Keyboard keys are not analog inputs, mouse axes are best used for the IR pointer, and even with two analog sticks there are not enough axes to emulate all motion axes (4 stick axes vs 6 motion axes), but that is moot since you would want to reserve one stick for Nunchuck control anyway.

Imus do not report analog states, they do not have resting positions. They report relative change. You just didnt set your configuration up correctly.

And you can define more than 4 analog axises for a pc controller anyways.

There's also no way to do emulated motion plus inputs. I don't know if the IMU would be precise enough for controlling those games though.

Motion plus is just a bandaid fix for the cheap imu inside the wiimote.
 
Might be a dev or a tester like the one in the OP. Wasn't specified.

Though I read it earlier that some guy who toured Valve recently got one too. Maybe others did as well.
 

Reckoner

Member
Might be a dev or a tester like the one in the OP. Wasn't specified.

Though I read it earlier that some guy who toured Valve recently got one too. Maybe others did as well.

I would love some impressions. Been playing MG Rising and one thing that crossed my mind is how blade mode would be awesome with those touchpads.
 
Can you set up the left pad to act has the mouse? The trailer showed the right pad, I wonder if it's at all possible with the left?

and anyone have any idea if ebgames.ca will ship for October?
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Can you set up the left pad to act has the mouse? The trailer showed the right pad, I wonder if it's at all possible with the left?

You could in the prototype, symmetry for left handed people was an original driving philosophy. Dunno if you still can with yye final version.

My controller is out for delivery, i'll be doing a live stream later tonight.
 
You could in the prototype, symmetry for left handed people was an original driving philosophy. Dunno if you still can with yye final version.

My controller is out for delivery, i'll be doing a live stream later tonight.

Please let us know ahead of time, I would very much like to watch it.

Edit: and record it for upload to Youtube or something, in case the stream is too late for EU users.
 
I'm not used to imgur comments at all lol, as in I just look at the pics and don't pay attention to the bottom

format looks a bit like reddit with the context and rating stuff and all
 

Nzyme32

Member
I'm not used to imgur comments at all lol

format looks a bit like reddit with the context and rating stuff and all

Yeah it confused me. I clicked on the little thing that was his/her username thinking I would find more images; instead it was the comments.
 

Nzyme32

Member
Also some picture I saw that give a good sense of the grip size. The shoulder buttons and triggers are angled quite differently to any controller I've seen before, so I guess the shape of the thing is going to have a very different feel to the other controllers. The size from the other pictures seems similar to the DS3 but the handles are thicker in depth and then the handles go upwards rather than downward. So I think waiting for impressions from people who are using the controller for a while are going to be better than just taking a guess.


 

Nzyme32

Member
Can anyone find that on UK Amazon, or recommend another retailer for it? I'd love to order the batteries in advance if possible, but I can't find that one on Amazon.

I found this but the price is a lot higher (diff charger).

They don't sell the one I bought just a month or two back. You'd have to get the charger and batteries separately unless they come with it. Edit - scratch that, awful charge time - maybe this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0044U5BRE/

but this is the exact one I bought - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00O480CC0/
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom