Anyone tried out the Steam controller for themselves? I'm still not sold on the trackpad, but maybe that's just the conservative me talking. I hope some local stores near me have them on display so I can try it out. I'm more than happy with my X360 wired controller, but I'm checking this out.
-
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 Thread | Comfy Couch Sold Separately
- Thread starter Nzyme32
- Start date
Thanks for the link, I'm currently using this for Star Citizen (space flight) and it's awesome. Couldn't get it to work well for aiming with just the pad but having the gyro on top of that for precision fixes it.
I had tried it without a gyro activation condition, but that actually worked out a bit worse since I was getting a fair bit of gyro drift. I put it back to require right pad touch and it's better now. I can pick up my thumb to reposition my controller. I'm usually keeping that thumb down anyway during maneuvering so it works out.
Run Jump Stomp
Member
I have one. I made a review video you can see earlier in the thread.
If you don't want to watch it I'll sum it up.
It isn't as good as a keyboard and mouse
But it's miles ahead of any dual stick controller I've used.
Thank you. I'll definitely keep using M+KB for first-person games, but does the Steam controller have any added value for third person games and stuff?
I got word from Valve that there are some fixes on the way this coming week for anyone that has misaligned deadzones or areas of the trackpad that are not responsive such as the images posted earlier in the thread of the support tool.
Personal experience. I'm really enjoying it, and it is far superior to dual analogue controllers. I still have more to get used to and at the early stage of testing trackball and gyro combos, but this is shaping up sensationally to the point where it may well be competitive with a keyboard and mouse for some FPS or third person games.
However, still a fair few bugs and solutions for binding are still coming in as are BPM features over the next weeks. So there shouldn't be a rush to get involved just yet.
Personal experience. I'm really enjoying it, and it is far superior to dual analogue controllers. I still have more to get used to and at the early stage of testing trackball and gyro combos, but this is shaping up sensationally to the point where it may well be competitive with a keyboard and mouse for some FPS or third person games.
However, still a fair few bugs and solutions for binding are still coming in as are BPM features over the next weeks. So there shouldn't be a rush to get involved just yet.
It's really easy and natural to pick up. Managed to beat the original Portal without much drama, feeling myself improve with the pad as time went by. I'm sold on the haptic feedback, that much is for sure.
Thanks. Good to hear the reception is positive. I'm still planning to play first-person games with KB+M, but have you tried it out on third-person games? Does it have any added value compared to, let's say, a wired X360 controller?
SixStringPsycho
Member
Damn! I just cant seem to play RE4 with the Steam Controller. Aiming is so bad with this.
It has more features than a 360 controller. Haptic feedback, totally customizable controls, mouse emulation, gyroscopic control, and an extra two buttons on the grips. The touchpads allow more granular control than joysticks do.
As an owner of both, I can't see myself using this over the 360 pad to play Metal Gear Rising, Dark Souls, or Fifa, as a dual stick controller is pretty much perfect for those kinda titles. For any third person game that requires a higher level of accuracy (say Max Payne 3), then yeah, I can see myself using this.
So yeah and no. Yeah for shooters, no for everything else.
I'm in the same boat with half life 2. Aiming is very fiddly and I haven't found a setting I like its either not sensitive enough to turn quickly, or I can't hold the cursor still. I need to try one of the gyro setups.
grandwizard
Member
The gyro starting to drift basically ruins a play session. Doesn't seem to be any way to quickly recenter or fix it. Ended up having to unplug the receiver and replug it with the controller stationary on a table.
Every step forward with this controller is met with one step backwards :/ Stuff like this will just put people off trying the motion controls at all, which is bad because they are crucial to aiming well with it.
Every step forward with this controller is met with one step backwards :/ Stuff like this will just put people off trying the motion controls at all, which is bad because they are crucial to aiming well with it.
Yeah, I had a lot of that tonight. If reconnecting it works then a software solution should be possible. (Gyro reset key combo)
I would have shelved it if not for the gyro support I think. Maybe they can make a Lighthoused based version to eliminate that drift issue.
Sorcerer
Member
Does the Valve Complete pack really entitle one to every future Valve Game? Not that it will happen any time soon, but if Valve makes Half Life 3 anybody with the complete pack get its free? Damn, I picked thing up for 20 bucks during a sale, sounds too good to be true.
Heh, I always assumed the Valve Complete pack was Valves way of saying we are no longer making single player experiences.
I wish the complete pack worked like this, but it does not.
You only lose the ability to use other people's configs, which is something I hope they fix in the future by allowing linking to an actual Steam app ID. With some non-Steam games you might run into issues launching the game (GTA V actually works fine as long as you point to the PlayGTAV.exe file) but so far every game I've tried has worked.
Steam Controller is pretty fantastic for GTA V. Use non-trackball mouse mode for shooting, gyro for driving (mainly useful for just riding around for fun rather than using it during a tough chase).
Astral/H3X
Member
From my email:
"We've added the Valve Complete Pack to your Steam account as a gift from Valve. This will give you all of Valve's games (past, present and future) free of charge. You can still choose to refund your Steam Controller and/or Steam Link (refund instructions below), but the Valve games are yours to keep."
I guess I got this because I once had a mac around the launch of OS X Steam.
So glad I had it for that lucky 6 months.
I think it's best for games that normally use the right stick for camera control and not much else. I haven't tried it yet but on a gamepad my beef with MGR was always that it was difficult controlling the camera when you want to cut shit up compared to the mouse. I would think the Steam controller would be far better for that. For Dark Souls I would imagine mapping the controller so you don't have to take your hands off the stick and pad would be helpful, something that just isn't possible with a 360 controller.
In my experience, the trackpads aren't the analog stick killers that many people in this thread have made them out to be. They can be pretty jittery at high sensitivity settings, and by the time that you lower the speeds to a stable level the pads may not be as fast as a stick with high sensitivity could have been (this is one way in which the pads are far inferior to a real mouse, which I can use comfortably at high speeds without any jittering). I feel like after experimenting a lot with the settings that the pads are capable of more precision, but I'm not blown away by the improvement and if you were really good with a stick it'll take a lot of work to get the pad there.
What is a surprisingly massive improvement over analog aiming is the gyro control. I just tonight felt like the Steam pad clicked for me and the key was relying on gyro aiming instead of the trackpads. I now use the trackpads just for camera control, which they do work much better than an analog stick for right out of the gate. You can swipe quickly to turn 180 degrees and then tap your thumb back on the pad to stop in an instant- it feels great. It's generally a faster and much more precise way to direct your view than a stick could ever be.
For aiming, I only use the trackpad to correct my field of view. If an enemy isn't quite centered on screen, a quick swipe is all it takes to focus on them. Then, I go at them with the gyro. The combination works wonderfully. It's like playing Splatoon, but without the weird Y axis lock and low X axis gryo sensitivity.
As far as the more ambitous use of the trackpads is concerned- like using the pad for your face buttons and as a D-pad in platformers- it's pretty sketchy. For instance, I would never play a platformer with the Steam Controller. The Wii U Pro still has those games locked down tight. One great thing I can say about the virtual Dpad emulation is that using touch only to change your weapons and items works and feels great. For simple taps like that, it works exceedingly well. Wall jumping in Super Metroid is a different story.
The face buttons on the right trackpad was a really interesting concept to me, but in practice it causes your camera to jolt in the directions you're pressing and feels like a very messy shortcut to pressing your buttons a little faster. I can't say I've bothered to use it when the grip buttons can fulfill that purpose without any compromises. A game would have to have a very cluttered control scheme for me to make full use of the pad for virtual diamond buttons.
I disagree; it's pretty convincing, to the point where you can feel the ball rolling even without your thumb on the pad (the spin's decay can be felt through the whole body of the controller).
Have you tried all of the haptic intensity settings?
They absolutely needed to have another sensor to cancel drift, like the gamepad's magnetometer. Considering how huge a role the gyro has played in my use of the controller, I happily would have paid a few extra bucks to not have my controls drift after a few minutes of use.
This is #1 on my wishlist for the probable Steam Controller 2.0.
charlequin
Banned
Do we know what the criteria were for getting one of these? It's been a little while since I logged in on my Mac but nonetheless!
Is there any way of assigning mouse / stick movement to buttons?
To clarify by example; I'm finding that in some relevant games I like to add left / right camera rotation to the triggers or paddles, in addition to controlling it with right pad. This is helping me to make instant and precise adjustments without the time / accuracy penalty involved in lifting my thumb off the button pad (whilst it's being used).
The obstacle comes with games that don't allow specific bindings for different directions of camera movement; such as Tales of Zestiria. So I would love to be able to get around these limitations by doing something like Left Trigger = Move Mouse Left, and so forth.
I know that I'm potentially using the controller 'wrong'; in that the button pad is auxiliary and I can potentially use other buttons / modifiers without lifting my thumb off the pad. And I welcome any comments on whether I really should practice more with those configurations. But I'm just doing what feels most comfortable and natural to me and when it works it feels fantastic.
To clarify by example; I'm finding that in some relevant games I like to add left / right camera rotation to the triggers or paddles, in addition to controlling it with right pad. This is helping me to make instant and precise adjustments without the time / accuracy penalty involved in lifting my thumb off the button pad (whilst it's being used).
The obstacle comes with games that don't allow specific bindings for different directions of camera movement; such as Tales of Zestiria. So I would love to be able to get around these limitations by doing something like Left Trigger = Move Mouse Left, and so forth.
I know that I'm potentially using the controller 'wrong'; in that the button pad is auxiliary and I can potentially use other buttons / modifiers without lifting my thumb off the pad. And I welcome any comments on whether I really should practice more with those configurations. But I'm just doing what feels most comfortable and natural to me and when it works it feels fantastic.
I just tried playing half life 2 for a few hours and man I'm struggling with this thing for FPS. I honestly think thing can't compete for FPS. The gyro aiming helps, but it's it enough to make it as good as a 360 pad.
There might be some things that devs can too do to make it more precise, like sticky aim on dual stick pads, but I'm not seeing it as a good option for FPS at all. Mouse and keyboard still reigns supreme.
I will also say it has the highest learning curve of any control device I have ever used. As hard as dual stick pads are for gaming novices I couldn't imagine plopping this thing in the hands of a kid and expecting them to know what the heck is going on.
There might be some things that devs can too do to make it more precise, like sticky aim on dual stick pads, but I'm not seeing it as a good option for FPS at all. Mouse and keyboard still reigns supreme.
I will also say it has the highest learning curve of any control device I have ever used. As hard as dual stick pads are for gaming novices I couldn't imagine plopping this thing in the hands of a kid and expecting them to know what the heck is going on.
Eurogamer says it's being given to all affected, which basically would mean everyone with a Mac who bought the Link or controller:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-10-19-steam-link-and-steam-controller-dont-work-with-macs-yet
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
The circular motion for scrolling on the desktop is so great! It's giving me an iPod flashback, and that was such a great way to interface with a list.
Vigilant Gambit
Member
The pack that they're gifting is the friends and family one that is basically not available at all unless someone who works at Valve gives you a code for it. It includes every single Valve game, including ones that aren't out yet.
Edit: Also... My steam client crashed. When it restarted, it downloaded a new beta. It now shows the number of users of each community binding, but... it's also unstable as shit. It's crashed twice in 2 minutes.
I don't see any updated Steam controller or receiver firmware, even after launching Big Picture mode, but the desktop mouse usage does feel better now. I like the left-pad-ipod wheel scrolling.
I think with my long fingers, my compromise is to move my right hand down and just use the index finger for the right trigger click. I can hold the controller rotated a bit to the left and not contort my hand.
I think with my long fingers, my compromise is to move my right hand down and just use the index finger for the right trigger click. I can hold the controller rotated a bit to the left and not contort my hand.
ashecitism
Member
beta client update:
The e-mail says all games past, present, and future will be free for me. The activation log says it's a "Friends and Family of Valve" package.
ashecitism
Member
I say try your controller or Link if you have it with your Mac and you might get the mail. People on reddit are still getting them. Someone in the Link thread said he didn't get it until he used his Mac client with the Link.
Huh surprised I haven't had anything from Valve regards to Mac users but then again it's been ages since I've signed in from work and I think I've probably deauthorised all machines via Steam Guard a couple of times since. Well guess I'll log in on a Mac latter and see what the score is.
I think now after a couple of days use I'm starting to see that I picked up using the controller very fast and inputs are very natural now but the real challenge is in their application from game to game. For straight up controller games transition to the Steam Controller is seamless for me and then has the benefit of fine tuning things is the game itself is a little sloppy in its control scheme. With mouse and keyboard titles it's just finding something that naturally flows into the layout and useage so I'm not straining to use mutiple buttons or combinations at the sametime. Using cross lateral modifiers works wonders (eg left paddle to mode shift right trackpad) and getting as many inputs under your fingertips as possible certainly helps too especially if you use modifier keys the game naturally uses.
I think now after a couple of days use I'm starting to see that I picked up using the controller very fast and inputs are very natural now but the real challenge is in their application from game to game. For straight up controller games transition to the Steam Controller is seamless for me and then has the benefit of fine tuning things is the game itself is a little sloppy in its control scheme. With mouse and keyboard titles it's just finding something that naturally flows into the layout and useage so I'm not straining to use mutiple buttons or combinations at the sametime. Using cross lateral modifiers works wonders (eg left paddle to mode shift right trackpad) and getting as many inputs under your fingertips as possible certainly helps too especially if you use modifier keys the game naturally uses.
Civ V is working pretty well for me. I changed a couple of things, like making the left pad touch-only.
However, I am often seeing accidental triggers of right on the d-pad even if I'm touching the top edge. There only seems to be a deadzone slider, and not a button scale like the buttons option offers. Is this some oddity of how the d-pad setting works? I even turned off "overlap directions" with the hope that it would fix it, but it didn't. I may try mapping it in button mode instead.
However, I am often seeing accidental triggers of right on the d-pad even if I'm touching the top edge. There only seems to be a deadzone slider, and not a button scale like the buttons option offers. Is this some oddity of how the d-pad setting works? I even turned off "overlap directions" with the hope that it would fix it, but it didn't. I may try mapping it in button mode instead.
uncelestial
Member
My impression is that it's a nice tool for trying to play games that have no controller support. It is absolutely awful as a gamepad replacement, and if a game has native gamepad support, I find myself going back to that and using my 360 controller. Using trackpads with your thumbs is a sloppy, fucked up way to try to aim shit compared to a right stick or a mouse. My attempt to play Metal Gear Solid V with this thing was an exercise in pure frustration. And forget the d-pad, holy crap is that not even a thing.
Still, got a few hours into Mass Effect running at 4K on my couch, and along the way got a pretty good controller setup going. I have to give it that -- pretty cool. And playing RTS and sim games is exciting too. So, if you're a fan of those games and love your couch, go for it. But it's not going to revolutionize your FPS game, IMO. Awful experience there. And most games come with gamepad support these days, so it might collect dust, at least in my case.
Still, got a few hours into Mass Effect running at 4K on my couch, and along the way got a pretty good controller setup going. I have to give it that -- pretty cool. And playing RTS and sim games is exciting too. So, if you're a fan of those games and love your couch, go for it. But it's not going to revolutionize your FPS game, IMO. Awful experience there. And most games come with gamepad support these days, so it might collect dust, at least in my case.
Enable gyro aiming man!
Turn auto aim off for your 360 pad, spend a bit longer with the Steam controller, and see how you do then. I don't think it's fair to dismiss this so swiftly after using analogs since the 90s.
Last (and only) two times I've tried to load up a community config and boot up a game, my right touchpad worked for mouse aim but nothing else did. The Beginner's Guide and MGSV. I know I should probably try a default scheme before worrying, but it was time for bed. Is it because I'm running in borderless windowed mode?
Bl@de
Member
Of course you get every future game from them. It's all F2P with hats from here on out anyway ^.^
Storm Raider
Banned
Really disappointed in the lack of Mac support right now... Hope they fix it and not drop it all together....
AwesomeMeat
PossumMeat
I had a chance to give this another go last night and it went much better. The missing link that I was experiencing before was having the gyro mapped to an active right touch pad. Before I had it always on and the constant drift was messing things up for me.
High sensitivity right touch pad. Low sensitivity gyro only active when right pad was active and it was great. Thanks for the help.
PeterVenkman
Member
Working in a new setup for the witcher 3. Think my last one tried to do too much - think I've now got a setup where you don't have to move your thumb off the right pad in combat. Feels much better than before.
I do wish you could run a joystick without turning the mouse look into a stutters mess. Regardless. I'll give this new control scheme a test and, if I can get through a full night of play, I'll post it.
I do wish you could run a joystick without turning the mouse look into a stutters mess. Regardless. I'll give this new control scheme a test and, if I can get through a full night of play, I'll post it.
I'm surprised at the amount of complaints I've seen about the steam controller. It seems many people did not know what they were buying. That's too bad. I think it's great, and will only improve through software updates (which are already arriving quickly).
Hot damn.
Interfectum
Member
With the learning curve on the controller you are going to see a lot of divisive impressions. Some wont bother to get over the learning curve as they don't feel its worth it.
I have a feeling over time more and more people will see the light.
Alt Tab fixes that for me.
I made a config that uses trackball for right stick, but turns trackball off (just regular mouse) & lower sensitivity when left trigger is pulled. Mapped back triggers to bumpers which is nice for shooting while driving. Oh and I have the gyro activated when the right pad is clicked in. My bindings are up in the community if you can find it! I think it works really well.
ashecitism
Member
True. A lot of posts on reddit or tweets or YT impressions in the beginning made this clear. People didn't know about features listed on its store page or that you need BPM to configure. They expected this to be a great out of the box experience and didn't go further than that (like WarOwl who had a stream with default settings saying how bad it is and when people pointed out that he can configure it through BPM he was like "I don't read manuals!"). The complaints about the buggy experience or HW stuff so far are legit and Valve could have marketed it better, but people should also inform themselves about the things they want to purchase.
I'm still waiting for my non early release date but I'm curious, a lot of people are sold on the gyro aiming but would it be possible to just create a faux aiming button that literally just lowers the sensitivity when pressed?
Perhaps it could be the first stage trigger with the full click as fire.
Perhaps it could be the first stage trigger with the full click as fire.