New Steam Controller is a MAJOR fumble.

[Creepio]

I can forgive the lack of rumble, but I absolutely cannot forgive the lack of extra back buttons and even trackpads.

This means yet AGAIN our steam deck controller layouts will not map correctly to the controller.

As of right now, Steam Deck maps the L5 to left back button and R5 to right back button. This means you have to do extra work remapping your back buttons because they do not transfer correctly to either Steam Controller or PS5 controller. Ive reported this issue twice now and added suggestions for a fix and I've received no response to this.

Don't even get me started on the lack of trackpads. Everybody knows Steam Machines failed but there's no denying that a controller is meant to help usher in PC gaming to your couch. How exactly is that going to happen when you can't even properly navigate using a mouse, or worse, an on screen keyboard? The trackpads make this possible. Not to mention, you wont have access to the trackpad touch menus, something even the PS5 controller even allows you to do.

I'm so annoyed right now. Passing the responsibility off to another company but not making sure they have a basic blueprint for success is about as misguided as it gets. This is a fumble.

The trackpads CAN work on a controller. This is an issue of failed implementation. All you need to do is rip the screen off the steam deck, shrink it horizontally, and boom, you have the ideal pc gaming controller.

When photos of the steam deck first surfaced, people were wary about the layout. Fast forward to today, and people have thoroughly EMBRACED this layout. Theres proof that it can work sitting there right in front of you.

If you ask console gamers if they need trackpads they will tell you no. But if you ask pc gamers, they will tell you yes. Because use of this, I'm not sure who your target demographic is. I did notice an article stating that 59 percent of pc gamers use the Xbox controller, so maybe that's why the new controller lacks touch pads? If that's the case why does it support gyro when Xbox controller doesn't even support that?

Valve, you need to put the breaks on this controller. This is as bad a fumble as the initial sonic the hedgehog movie design. Something this bad doesn't deserve the Valve logo on it.

My stance is fairly straightforward. Valve, if you're going to make another steam controller, even if all you're doing is passing that responsibility off to another company, you should do it right. Failing twice in a row is a bad look.

Let's also not forget that Hori typically makes third party trash for controllers. So immediately, without having ever touched this new controller, I'm going to question the build quality.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Steam Deck forum... https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/

[Creepio]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

Steam Deck forum... https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/

:winterbunny2023:

Not sure if a controller is exclusive to the steam deck. Id say it's more tailored to new big picture mode which can mean any desktop pc that runs windows or Linux, or steam OS's gaming mode which can be installed on desktop pcs via holo iso. Which means it transcends simply steam deck.

[Spawn of Totoro]

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24186645/valve-steam-controller-officially-licensed-wireless-horipad-announcement-specs

Omg... it is made by Hori? No thank you. Any one of their products I have purchased have always turned into junk.

I'll stick with my PS4/5 controller. Better button placement, imho. Tried the Xbox one, but don't like the feel of the analog stick placements.

Don't care about rumble. I prefer better battery life and higher quality analog sticks.

[Creepio]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Spawn of Totoro:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/26/24186645/valve-steam-controller-officially-licensed-wireless-horipad-announcement-specs

Omg... it is made by Hori? No thank you. Any one of their products I have purchased have always turned into junk.

I'll stick with my PS4/5 controller. Better button placement, imho. Tried the Xbox one, but don't like the feel of the analog stick placements.

Don't care about rumble. I prefer better battery life and higher quality analog sticks.

Can we be friends? XD

[Wolfpig]

So... why would someone buy a steam Controller these days when there are already hundreds of better gamepads on the market?

[Satoru]

There's just like so much wrong with this post

Don't even get me started on the lack of trackpads.

This is a Steam BRANDED controller. Not a controller by Steam. As such they're going to have very very different goals. Hori isn't interested in making a controller that has a trackpad. They're functionally making an xbox controller. They're not interested in ensure you can play Command and Conquer on your gamepad.

All you need to do is rip the screen off the steam deck, shrink it horizontally,

I feel like you just don't understand ergonomics or anything. I mean the PS5 controller has not somehow 'ushered in' anything despite its you know, trackpad being in the middle of the controller which is basically what you've described. By your logic a PS5 controller has already 'solved' this problem.

pc gamers, they will tell you yes.

I mean not really? It's always trying to shoehorn in something that always feels off or has to sacrifice something else to make it work on the controller. I barely use it on my Steamdeck as its just more fun to play games built for controller support.

[wuddih]

it is simply a Steam branded horipad. not even the article makes a big fuss.

[( ( < < <🤖> > > ) )]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von wuddih:

it is simply a Steam branded horipad. not even the article makes a big fuss.

its steam specific.... just watched a youtube... there is
a switch to steam mode button on the back

[Creepio]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Satoru:

There's just like so much wrong with this post

Don't even get me started on the lack of trackpads.

This is a Steam BRANDED controller. Not a controller by Steam. As such they're going to have very very different goals. Hori isn't interested in making a controller that has a trackpad. They're functionally making an xbox controller. They're not interested in ensure you can play Command and Conquer on your gamepad.

All you need to do is rip the screen off the steam deck, shrink it horizontally,

I feel like you just don't understand ergonomics or anything. I mean the PS5 controller has not somehow 'ushered in' anything despite its you know, trackpad being in the middle of the controller which is basically what you've described. By your logic a PS5 controller has already 'solved' this problem.

pc gamers, they will tell you yes.

I mean not really? It's always trying to shoehorn in something that always feels off or has to sacrifice something else to make it work on the controller. I barely use it on my Steamdeck as its just more fun to play games built for controller support.

I'm writing this on a phone in public so please forgive any bad grammar or errors.

I think maybe perhaps you misunderstood. More than once I stated that valve passed off responsibility to anther company for this controller I even mentioned Hori in this post. That tells me you didn't read parts of my post. Even skimming it likely would've resulted in better understanding on your part.

Also regarding you not using the trackpads, it sounds to me like you're intentionally limiting the number of games you can play. If you don't like playing top down games with trackpad mouse, or RTS games, or building games where you get extremely precise mouse aiming, or oldskool games that would benefit from binding extra things to a trackpad touch menu, it sounds to me like you might be missing out. But that's okay, maybe the steam deck isnt for you. Maybe you'd be better off with a Rog Ally X. But even then you're going to have a completely gimped experience any time you have to use the joystick to navigate menus, or use the touchscreen to type... Which in case you haven't noticed, touchscreen typing on a handheld gaming device is hard because of the controls being in the way of your palms, which means you have to hunt and peck for the keys.

Also as for me not understanding ergonomics of a controller, I think maybe it's you who doesn't. No offense but I think the steam deck has proven that the layout is more than passable. If you remove the screen, you could even maybe angle the handles to make it more like a conventional controller design. There are mockups of this on youtube. People besides me CLEARLY want this. This isn't just based on my own personal desire. I think as time goes on, you're going to see people be disappointed with this Hori controller true steam deck users will be advocating for a real steam controller successor. This new hori controller isn't it and honestly doesn't deserve the Valve logo. If this controller competed from a price vantage, maybe it will be successful. A $40 alternative to the ps5 edge controller DOES sound nice, but the lack of trackpads means that my steam deck controller layouts that specifically rely on touch pad menus and L5 and R5 will not map correctly, and that's a shame. That means anyone else who stumbled upon my controller layout and wants to use it with the hori steam controller will likely gave mapping issues. Mark my word. Anywho that's my opinion, take it or leave it. :)

Edit you also said a ps5 controller already does what I need. It doesn't. The trackpad is above the analog sticks which is absolutely awful. Try it. You'll hate it. Trackpads need to be below the analog sticks in order to be capable of using without issues. They also need to be separate instead of merged into a single unipad. These aren't small things, they are make or break things. The ps5 controller is a temporary solution until someone makes a real steam controller.

[Realigo Actual]

I am intrigued by this new device

[Tact2]

Thread getting mad about a 3rd party controller that:
1) Is not available for purchase yet
2) We are not obligated to purchase

Stay classy my dudes ;)

[Knee]

Ursprünglich geschrieben von Tact2:

Thread getting mad about a 3rd party controller that:
1) Is not available for purchase yet
2) We are not obligated to purchase

Stay classy my dudes ;)

You’re right. We’ll never have any opinions on things we’re potentially interested in ever again.

[Creepio]

These are some posts on X from various people voicing their support for trackpads, and here are a few mockups I found from users who clearly desire trackpads. I guess one person thinks the Xbox styled design with the trackpads above the right analog stick could work, but my opinion is, that's not where the trackpads should go due to ergonomic reasons. Names blurred for privacy reasons.

https://i.imgur.com/Ali9Am4.jpeg