When the Steam Controller was first announced, people immediately took notice: the same studio that had created some of the greatest games of all time and the largest PC gaming distribution service in history would now redefine how people actually played these titles. Then, the Controller was reworked, then shown at a press conference, then reworked again.
Button layouts changed, the touch controls were reworked and the entire design was modified. Valve clearly had an idea in mind when it first announced the Steam Controller - it just wasn't quite ready for public consumption. However, following a massive showing at this year's GDC, Valve is finally ready to unveil the final version of its brand-new Steam Controller:
For the most part, it's similar to what fans have seen in the past: two large touchpads cover most of the controller's shell, while the traditional triggers and face buttons are incredibly similar to other publishers' controllers. In fact, at first glance, it looks nearly identical to Microsoft's Xbox One controller.
However, there are some important new additions: instead of four separate directional buttons (as seen on the previous model), it seems that a full analog stick has been added under the left touchpad. Traditionally, the left thumbstick is used for movement, though it's possible that the analog stick is merely a replacement for the less-frequently used directional pad.
What's strange is that there's no thumbstick on the right side of the controller, which typically controls the game's camera. If the left analog stick was added for extra precision, one would assume that the right side would receive one as well - after all, most games outright require precise camera control to play. While it would mean that the four face buttons would have to be moved, it's likely that most players would prefer the option to choose between the analog stick or the touchpad. For now, it looks as if Valve is really doubling down on the precision of the Steam Controller's touchpads - hopefully, it pays off in the long run.
As it stands, the Steam controller is set for release later this year: Valve announced that the Controller would launch this November for roughly $50 USD.
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