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Steam Controller Thread | Comfy Couch Sold Separately

Cheezus

Member
This controller has been a revelation for me when it comes to dark souls. Being able to dodge while keeping my thumb on the camera has made me a better souls player. I refuse to use a shield now.

I also love this controller for dragons dogma. Bow and arrow is a joy in that game.
 

laxu

Member
I started out with a config that used dodge and heal on the grips. I liked it in theory, but as I was still getting used to this controller, I was hitting the heal button whenever I meant to dodge. I ended up changing it to have lock-on be a grip button and I was ok with that for a while.

It's just such an odd controller to get used to. I'll take me forever for this thing to feel natural. The face buttons just feel like they're so far away from the right trackpad.

I was having the same issue but now I'm used to the button locations and it feels natural to use the grip buttons. There's a learning curve and figuring out the best setup for each game but when you get it right it clicks. I do agree the face buttons could be placed better as you run into the exact same issue you have with regular controllers where you can't use the face buttons while using the right stick.
 
I really hate how camera control feels in DS3 with the touchpad, though it's nice being able to move the camera while sprinting. Plus, sometimes the camera will get stuck and spin around for a few seconds, or get fixed in place and won't react at all. It's just too finicky compared to a joystick (in this specific instance, at least).
 

laxu

Member
I really hate how camera control feels in DS3 with the touchpad, though it's nice being able to move the camera while sprinting. Plus, sometimes the camera will get stuck and spin around for a few seconds, or get fixed in place and won't react at all. It's just too finicky compared to a joystick (in this specific instance, at least).

I haven't experienced any of these problems. Try lowering mouse sensitivity a bit from the game menu.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I was having the same issue but now I'm used to the button locations and it feels natural to use the grip buttons. There's a learning curve and figuring out the best setup for each game but when you get it right it clicks. I do agree the face buttons could be placed better as you run into the exact same issue you have with regular controllers where you can't use the face buttons while using the right stick.

Yeah I played DS3 again last night (3rd try) and things started clicking a little more, finally. I had a really successful progression. I'm getting more and more used to the trackpad for camera control and using the grip buttons.

It just still feels so strange. I haven't really tried any other game genres with it yet, though. I'm hoping to one day get to the point where I'm comfortably making my own configs that allow me to do some comfy couch gaming in genres that would normally require me to be sitting at my desk for a KB/M.
 

Lister

Banned
I'm getting steam crashes on the new 1.1 build of Kerbal Space Program when using the Steam controller, anyone else?
 

thefil

Member
I've played 30 hours of DS3, including beating all bosses in NG and NG+, with the steam controller. Best part was definitely run/use item on grips, though I still find those buttons hard to keep held occasionally. I actually found the trackpad camera fine generally but a little difficult in intense situations like boss fights, which is probably just unfamiliarity under pressure.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I'm getting steam crashes on the new 1.1 build of Kerbal Space Program when using the Steam controller, anyone else?

omg I didn't even think about being able to play Kerbal on this controller...How did I not think of this? How well does it work when the game isn't crashing?
 

thefil

Member
Oh yeah, did anyone else notice the right trackpad really sucks for camera movement when frame rate is low in DS3? It's super choppy. In comparison, mouse and 360 controller felt fine. If I hadn't updated my GPU drivers to hit constant 30+, I would have had to switch controllers.
 

Durante

Member
If a button is difficult to reach in normal play, put it on the grip. But, on a normal controller, no button is difficult or tedious to reach/use.
I don't find any of the buttons on the Steam controller difficult to use or reach. In fact, one thing that surprised me most after receiving it is how it immediately felt better and more comfortable to hold to me than pretty much any dual analog controller I ever used (and that includes all the DS'es, the XB pads, most any Nintendo controller, and at least 3 different PC third party controllers). In particular, it's the only controller where I can put different finders on each of the shoulder buttons (and in this case, the grip button) and have it feel completely natural.

It's almost a meme at this point, but I have to think that with the vastly divergent reactions to the Steam controller some people are holding it wrong. For the record, this is how I hold it: (note how everything is easily reachable without changing my grip even with my puny little hands ;))
dsc_0176d2lc3.jpg
 
I vaguely remember a revision coming? Also would really like to see a qwerty keyboard accessory that clips on like that xbox thing. Really thats all it needs i feel.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I don't find any of the buttons on the Steam controller difficult to use or reach. In fact, one thing that surprised me most after receiving it is how it immediately felt better and more comfortable to hold to me than pretty much any dual analog controller I ever used (and that includes all the DS'es, the XB pads, most any Nintendo controller, and at least 3 different PC third party controllers). In particular, it's the only controller where I can put different finders on each of the shoulder buttons (and in this case, the grip button) and have it feel completely natural.

It's almost a meme at this point, but I have to think that with the vastly divergent reactions to the Steam controller some people are holding it wrong. For the record, this is how I hold it: (note how everything is easily reachable without changing my grip even with my puny little hands ;))

I have giant hands, and I hold it just like your picture shows. And my right thumb looks just as uncomfortably extended as yours does when reaching for the face buttons.

I've gotten more used to it, at least. I'm no longer hitting B when I mean to hit A.
 

Lister

Banned
omg I didn't even think about being able to play Kerbal on this controller...How did I not think of this? How well does it work when the game isn't crashing?

I prefer it for flight over WASD for sure! ;) And the right track pad makes other mouse friendly task easy to perform while flying. But I still prefer building with mouse and keyboard.
 

Azax

Member
Does anyone know why steam overlay wont work with Dark Souls 3? I can't use steam controller. Works perfectly in other games...
 

Copper

Member
Tried some more Dark Souls 3 with it. Maybe I need to play a less frustrating game to get used to this thing. This has just been a very poor experience.

Coming up with things that this controller does better than my PS4 controller would be almost impossible. Coming up with things that this controller even does as well as a normal controller is proving difficult. I'm starting to wonder if this thing is just a huge blunder or if it's actually going to be possible for it to start feeling like it isn't a huge disadvantage.

Just moving the camera around and getting back to the face buttons is a huge chore compared to a regular controller. The "dpad" is cumbersome compared to a regular controller. I feel like the hardest enemy so far in DS3 has been the Steam controller.

This was pretty much my impression. I feel if you invest a lot time into using and configuring it, it might be better. But for now I find myself sticking to my DS4 or XBone controller.
 

Nzyme32

Member
I don't find any of the buttons on the Steam controller difficult to use or reach. In fact, one thing that surprised me most after receiving it is how it immediately felt better and more comfortable to hold to me than pretty much any dual analog controller I ever used (and that includes all the DS'es, the XB pads, most any Nintendo controller, and at least 3 different PC third party controllers). In particular, it's the only controller where I can put different finders on each of the shoulder buttons (and in this case, the grip button) and have it feel completely natural.

It's almost a meme at this point, but I have to think that with the vastly divergent reactions to the Steam controller some people are holding it wrong. For the record, this is how I hold it: (note how everything is easily reachable without changing my grip even with my puny little hands ;))

I made a point about this earlier in the thread. My hands are small and I find it more comfortable over other controllers, and have no issue reaching buttons. So my only thought is that others must hold it differently, perhaps attempting to hold it in the same way they hold a standard controller, which would be uncomfortable.

With the steam controller, I'm holding it similar to those pictures. Hands are twisted a bit more inward and end up with my fingers matching the angle of the trigger and shoulder buttons, which demonstrate just how different they are held when you look at the difference in the angles of those buttons vs other controllers

f96iVN1.jpg
jrPPkDX.jpg
 

Burny

Member
I have giant hands, and I hold it just like your picture shows. And my right thumb looks just as uncomfortably extended as yours does when reaching for the face buttons.

That, I think, is not really avoidable with the trackpad's size. It needs far more space than an analogue stick, which results in the smallish face buttons which are rather far from the trackpad's center. Placing the most used buttons the furthest away from the trackpad doesn't help either.

But as you say, one can get used to the button placement.
 

morningbus

Serious Sam is a wicked gahbidge series for chowdaheads.
I think the problem is that some people hold the Steam Controller so that their index fingers are on the top bumpers and their middle fingers are on the triggers.

This leads to two problems: it forces your thumbs down into the trackpads in a point and makes it harder to hit the back paddles and face buttons.

You should be holding it so your index finger rests between the bumper and the trigger. From there, it should just naturally rest in your hand.
 

Durante

Member
I have giant hands, and I hold it just like your picture shows. And my right thumb looks just as uncomfortably extended as yours does when reaching for the face buttons.
I don't know what to tell you. My thumb is not uncomfortably extended, it's simply at one point in its natural range of motion :/

I made a point about this earlier in the thread. My hands are small and I find it more comfortable over other controllers, and have no issue reaching buttons. So my only thought is that others must hold it differently, perhaps attempting to hold it in the same way they hold a standard controller, which would be uncomfortable.

With the steam controller, I'm holding it similar to those pictures. Hands are twisted a bit more inward and end up with my fingers matching the angle of the trigger and shoulder buttons, which demonstrate just how different they are held when you look at the difference in the angles of those buttons vs other controllers
Exactly! Good images to show the difference.
On most controllers my hands are at a slight upwards angle, while on the Steam controller they are parallel or maybe even angled very slightly away from me.

I think the problem is that some people hold the Steam Controller so that their index fingers are on the top bumpers and their middle fingers are on the triggers.
I hold it exactly like that and it feels great for me.

My conclusion is that ergonomics are complicated.
 

Anno

Member
Does anyone know why steam overlay wont work with Dark Souls 3? I can't use steam controller. Works perfectly in other games...

Do you have ReShade or some other injector set up? For whatever reason that breaks the overlay and controller in Dark Souls 3 for me as well.
 

Azax

Member
Do you have ReShade or some other injector set up? For whatever reason that breaks the overlay and controller in Dark Souls 3 for me as well.

No I don't use anything. It worked before when the game released but now latley it won't.
 
I tried after 30 hrs of Dark Souls 2 on the steam pad to play some on the standard XB1 controller and immediately felt like i was playing it wrong. I can't go back, the right trackpad and the grip buttons remove some of the clunk that is inherent to these souls games
 

laxu

Member
I vaguely remember a revision coming? Also would really like to see a qwerty keyboard accessory that clips on like that xbox thing. Really thats all it needs i feel.

The virtual keyboard available on the controller is actually fantastic. It's great to type on using the two trackpads for a half of a keyboard.
 

derFeef

Member
Ergonomics could certainly better. Like I have no idea why the handles are bent upwards instead of downards, that does not make any sense at all. I guess it would help to make the pads a tiny bit smaller and get the face buttons closer to the pad - You would not sacrifice too much control on them if they are a tad smaller.
 
Ergonomics could certainly better. Like I have no idea why the handles are bent upwards instead of downards
So you can point your thumb's fingertips down onto the pads more easily.

It does make it less comfortable on the palms though. Would be nice of there was some padding or something.
 

Tenck

Member
My controller is acting up right now. How do I roll back an update? Pretty sure that was it since I didn't have problems before that.

Edit: Fixed now.
 

Unai

Member
I think the problem is that some people hold the Steam Controller so that their index fingers are on the top bumpers and their middle fingers are on the triggers.

This leads to two problems: it forces your thumbs down into the trackpads in a point and makes it harder to hit the back paddles and face buttons.

You should be holding it so your index finger rests between the bumper and the trigger. From there, it should just naturally rest in your hand.

I actually prefer to use it like that. It feels more natural in my hands.
 

Iorv3th

Member
Tried some more Dark Souls 3 with it. Maybe I need to play a less frustrating game to get used to this thing. This has just been a very poor experience.

Coming up with things that this controller does better than my PS4 controller would be almost impossible. Coming up with things that this controller even does as well as a normal controller is proving difficult. I'm starting to wonder if this thing is just a huge blunder or if it's actually going to be possible for it to start feeling like it isn't a huge disadvantage.

Just moving the camera around and getting back to the face buttons is a huge chore compared to a regular controller. The "dpad" is cumbersome compared to a regular controller. I feel like the hardest enemy so far in DS3 has been the Steam controller.

Switch the dpad to be on click. It will improve your experience a lot.

Different tastes and all, but the thing I liked the most using this controller with Dark Souls 3 is exactly moving the camera around.

Right touch pad in mouse mode + trackball mode = godlike accuracy and speed in Dark Souls 3 camera controlling.

I actually have problems with the camera spazzing out on the steam controller. It's the only thing I use but it will ocassionally end up like jumping from one area to looking down at the ground. I don't have a problem with the camera in other games that I can recall, but in Dark Souls 3 it seems funky (though maybe I need to find out what my settings where for Dark Souls 1 because I don't remember having a problem with it).
 

Nzyme32

Member
I think the problem is that some people hold the Steam Controller so that their index fingers are on the top bumpers and their middle fingers are on the triggers.

This leads to two problems: it forces your thumbs down into the trackpads in a point and makes it harder to hit the back paddles and face buttons.

You should be holding it so your index finger rests between the bumper and the trigger. From there, it should just naturally rest in your hand.

This is going to sound really stupid, but I kind of only feel comfortable with using my index fingers as triggers - which makes me wonder if it would be possible to have a controller where the shoulder buttons are the ones positioned for your middle fingers and the triggers above.... sort of like the gamecube's shoulder buttons but 2 of the z buttons bellow somehow.
 
I've been away from PC gaming for a little while (just got busy with a lot of other stuff) but I'm planning on starting Rise of the Tomb Raider and I'd like to use the Steam Controller with it (I've only played though The Witness and a bit if Witcher 3 with it so far and I want to use it more).

Are the recommended configs good for the game? How's the gamepad+mouse compatibility, can I have full mouse camera control with analog stick and buttons working properly? Im not a huge fan of the analog stick mouse emulation setting (but maybe it has gotten better), I tried it with MGS5, but couldn't get used to it.
 

Nabs

Member
I've been away from PC gaming for a little while (just got busy with a lot of other stuff) but I'm planning on starting Rise of the Tomb Raider and I'd like to use the Steam Controller with it (I've only played though The Witness and a bit if Witcher 3 with it so far and I want to use it more).

Are the recommended configs good for the game? How's the gamepad+mouse compatibility, can I have full mouse camera control with analog stick and buttons working properly? Im not a huge fan of the analog stick mouse emulation setting (but maybe it has gotten better), I tried it with MGS5, but couldn't get used to it.

I think button prompts change to keyboard ones when you use the mouse, so I recommend trying the 2nd most popular config. It uses mouse-like joystick, but will switch to mouse aiming when you pull on the left trigger. Just increase the in game sensitivity and mouse-like should feel okay for general camera work.
 
I think button prompts change to keyboard ones when you use the mouse, so I recommend trying the 2nd most popular config. It uses mouse-like joystick, but will switch to mouse aiming when you pull on the left trigger. Just increase the in game sensitivity and mouse-like should feel okay for general camera work.

Oooh, that's a really smart solution, I wouldn't have thought of that!
 
Oooh, that's a really smart solution, I wouldn't have thought of that!

I can second the recommendation for that one. Played through the whole game with that config and it's amazing.

Left trigger for proper mouse aim with gyro, then regular button prompts & mouse-like joystick for the rest of normal traversal stuff. It's ace.

Aiming the bow with gyro never gets old. It feels so natural.
 

Unai

Member
I can second the recommendation for that one. Played through the whole game with that config and it's amazing.

Left trigger for proper mouse aim with gyro, then regular button prompts & mouse-like joystick for the rest of normal traversal stuff. It's ace.

Aiming the bow with gyro never gets old. It feels so natural.

I played the whole game like that as well. It was great.
 

Eusis

Member
I'd actually gone ahead and stuck with the DS4 for Dark Souls III afterall, but a lot of that came down to not really feeling quite right at <60 FPS, and I didn't want to play at 720p to get MOSTLY 60 fps. And the touch menu addition, while awesome, murders the FPS in the game above resolutions like that. It worked great backported to DSII though, and similarly is pretty solid in DS1 with some tweaks (both published as Dark Souls II Motion Controls and Dark Souls Motion Controls) but this might have to be saved for a distant replay on my end.
 

Grinchy

Banned
The controller is finally clicking for me. I played Dark Souls 3 for a few hours today. I have to say, now that the right trackpad is feeling more and more natural to me, I'm starting to like it a ton for camera control. I'm starting to believe everyone who said that the controller is worth getting through the learning curve. I still have to look down sometimes to get to the right face button, but that'll go away with time too, I'm sure.

I still can't play Rocket League with it, unfortunately. It just feels so foreign. But I'm really looking forward to trying Kerbal and some other games that aren't typically controller-friendly games.


edit:
I'm getting steam crashes on the new 1.1 build of Kerbal Space Program when using the Steam controller, anyone else?
I've tried to play it 3 times now with the controller and it has crashed each time.
 

DBT85

Member
Just bought myself one and the link. Going to give Portal a go with it as I've never played that either (I know I know).

I'm typically shite with controllers for anything like that, so we'll see how it goes. Actually bought it more for playing a bit of the Batman games since they are all in my Steam account because of the Arkham Knight ballsup.
 
this controller is absolutely amazing for playing Metroid Prime Trilogy in Dolphin. I spent a while putting together a perfect control scheme for the first two games. If anyone wants to screw around with them, I'll upload them.
 

Slythe

Member
So far I've completed Portal, Mass Effect and Sonic Adventure DX with this controller. I'm currently using it for The Talos Principle. It's certainly grown on me, especially the touch pads.
 
So far I've completed Portal, Mass Effect and Sonic Adventure DX with this controller. I'm currently using it for The Talos Principle. It's certainly grown on me, especially the touch pads.

I still haven't gotten used to traditional aiming on the touchpad, but it's so freaking good for Wii emulation that I'm surprised it's not the go-to couch controller for Dolphin. (Using the right touchpad to control aiming in Metroid Prime Trilogy is some perfect next level shit.) I used to not like this controller so much but it's growing on me pretty quickly. I'm still having trouble brainstorming games which I wouldn't rather just play with keyboard and mouse, but between Metroid Prime 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Shadow Complex, I'm having a lot of fun with this thing.
 

deadfolk

Member
I still haven't gotten used to traditional aiming on the touchpad, but it's so freaking good for Wii emulation that I'm surprised it's not the go-to couch controller for Dolphin. (Using the right touchpad to control aiming in Metroid Prime Trilogy is some perfect next level shit.) I used to not like this controller so much but it's growing on me pretty quickly. I'm still having trouble brainstorming games which I wouldn't rather just play with keyboard and mouse, but between Metroid Prime 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Shadow Complex, I'm having a lot of fun with this thing.

How do you have SMG set up? Can you use the gyro for Wii pointer?
 
How do you have SMG set up? Can you use the gyro for Wii pointer?

I have SMG set up pretty much the same way as I have MPT set up. You can use the gyro as the pointer and it's pretty damn great, but I have my right touchpad set up as the pointer (by mapping the xinput right analog to pointer in Dolphin settings, and then using 'Joystick Move' for Steam Controller settings. Linear curve for SMG, Wide curve with a heightened outer deadzone for Metroid Prime), touchpad click set up as A, and right trigger set up as B button.
 
I have SMG set up pretty much the same way as I have MPT set up. You can use the gyro as the pointer and it's pretty damn great, but I have my right touchpad set up as the pointer (by mapping the xinput right analog to pointer in Dolphin settings, and then using 'Joystick Move' for Steam Controller settings. Linear curve for SMG, Wide curve with a heightened outer deadzone for Metroid Prime), touchpad click set up as A, and right trigger set up as B button.

Just wondering, have you tried mouse region with the right pad? That seems more like a more suitable way to emulate the Wii pointer, since said pointer uses screen-based positioning, the pointer doesn't act like a mouse or stick.
 
Just wondering, have you tried mouse region with the right pad? That seems more like a more suitable way to emulate the Wii pointer, since said pointer uses screen-based positioning, the pointer doesn't act like a mouse or stick.

I have tried mouse region, but I prefer this solution. The neutral pointer position drifts more for me when I use mouse region, and having it set to joystick move, and having the corresponding virtual joystick mapped properly in Dolphin for the game (center 100, width 90, height 77), means that every point on the touchpad is basically mapped to an absolute position on the play screen during the Metroid games without the pointer ever drifting 'off-screen'. I like that a LOOOT for these games because it lets me make quick turns by tapping the edge of the pad and quick returns to neutral position by letting go. And it makes firing against small or moving targets really easy without lock-on, I kinda just point where I wanna shoot with my thumb, it's rad. I do have a wide curve and an extended outer deadzone for the right touchpad because it allows me more fine accuracy toward the center of the pad/screen (where aiming causes the camera to turn less quickly), it feels perfectly natural. I just beat the first boss on Hypermode and I killed the shit out of it without using lock-on. On a controller! I couldn't believe it. I was gonna record it but Shadowplay crashed the emulation :(

EDIT: I just remembered, the other reason I don't use mouse region is because the region itself is dependent on the mouse's original position (which ideally would be the center of the play area in this case), and I can't move or see the mouse cursor while actually playing the game. Meaning I have to center the mouse in my screen before I even boot the game, and any nudge to the mouse means I gotta fix it again.
 
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