I tried the original Steam Controller in 2016 and generally hated it.
After I got a Steam Deck and got used to the touchpads, I bought a like-new steam controller in 2024 so I could play in docked mode and I freaking love it.
I want them to make a new one so badly. This Hori controller is not it.
Idk about you but my left and right hand are symmetrical and having offset analogue sticks is really annoyingly uncomfortable playing for longer periods.
That’s why I’m a Dual sense fan. I’ve always preferred the symmetrical layout over the Xbox style. It’s even more difficult to play things like Katamari Damacy with the off-set sticks because unless you hold the controller awkwardly, you will naturally keep turning when you just want to go straight as the game controls like a remote control car.
In most games it’s the opposite. Most of the time by far you’re gonna be having your left thumb on the left joystick and right thumb on the buttons, not the right joystick. The positions those are in on the Xbox style controller are the natural positions for your hand and your thumbs are positioned symmetrically. On the PlayStation style, your left thumb is always forced to be in an unnatural position.
For platformers you’re right, but for twin-stick shooters you’re using the shoulder buttons/triggers far more than the front buttons, and you are constantly using both sticks. And those happen to be fairly popular on PlayStation consoles.
I mean, except for OCD, I don’t see it being symmetrical as important. It’s basically saying that you’d rather have something less optimal just so that it’s equally worse on both sides, instead of it being better on one side and worse on the other.
There are many games where you use the camera constantly. FPS, top down shooters and third person all use the analog sticks more than the face buttons. And I’d argue that’s the bulk of gaming nowadays.
I also have a pro controller with back buttons which allows me to move the camera more freely while having access to jump without taking my thumb off the stick. You get a lot more flexibility that way.
The Xbox position of the left analog stick is really uncomfortable for longer gaming sessions when you are used to the PlayStations more natural thumb position.
I see that design as choosing a tool for the job then. Top down is pretty niche but a valid point, first and third prison shooters though most pc players are going to use a mouse and keyboard.
I remember there was some 3rd party controller where you could hot swap the position of the analog and dpad, I always thought that would be a bigger deal in terms of accessibility.
I mean, first off, a lot of you are focusing on the right side joystick but it’s completely irrelevant since it’s the same position for both, I was just using it as an explanation why it makes sense for it to be assymetrical on the Xbox controller. I personally only play non FPS games with a controller so for me it’s the majority, but I understand that maybe most games played with controllers today are FPS or use the right joystick more than the left. But, again, that wasn’t really the main argument nor the point.
But second, idk man but how is your natural hand position such that it’s easier to reach the PlayStation left joystick instead of the Xbox left joystick? When I look at my hand in a resting position, the thumb is right over where the joystick would be on the Xbox controller. The only type of game where the PlayStation layout would be superior when looking at that element is one where you mostly use the Dpad, like a fighting game.
I don’t have a PlayStation controller with me right now, so maybe the body is differently shaped as to make the bottom joysticks the natural thumb positions unlike on the Xbox one, but on the Xbox controller your natural thumb resting position is definitely the top row.
Got really excited for a Steam Controller like controller… Missing the track pads? Can barely be considered a “Steam Deck” like controller without them… This is no different from an Xbox controller minus a few buttons. Hell id rather use a PS controller since they have a trackpad!
Yeah, it definitely needs trackpads that are easy to reach in order to be a Steam Deck controller. (And I'm saying "easy to each" because the awkwardly placed Playstation touchpad doesn't count.)
I'm curious about this part, though:
Gyro in the "Steam mode". With the sticks having a touch sensor too.
That sounds like an advantage over a Playstation or Switch controller. I'm guessing that means you could enable the gyro just by touching the analog stick, without having to press a button. That's like what most people did on the Steam controller, where the gyro would enable when you touched the trackpad.
If that’s the case it at least has a feature over the dual sense edge, but as expensive as it is I still prefer the edge with all it’s inputs and touchpad
Yep. I’ll keep my Dualsense, thank you very much. The trackpad is invaluable for things like weapon selection, and having the gyro default to on means I don’t have to take my hands off the face buttons to aim. Also, flick stick rules.
I’ve been looking for a replacement for my Xbox controller because I’m tired of buying new ones that all have sticky B buttons. Hopefully this will do the trick.
Check out 8bitdo. In have their pro 2, and I bought their Xbox buttons for it and installed them. Goated controller with replacement parts. PlayStation layout, styled like SNES, and XBOX ABXY buttons.
can’t those can only duplicate standard controller buttons? we need separately mappable extra buttons like L/R 4 and 5 on steam deck. more of them though. games fully supporting steam input can give you named input functions and in game it shows the button you set it to for prompts. it would be great for separating inputs in games where buttons are shared like jump and interact being the same button depending on if an interact prompt is up.
I have done 0 configuration to the controller or steam inputs, I just set the toggle to X for windows/Linux, then Bluetooth pair it. Every button gets mapped and can work independently. Even the 2 grip buttons, and 2 special menu buttons. I did the XBOX buttons because I noticed every game made for controller had the ABXY layout, and not always PlayStation’s square, circle, etc.
And back buttons you can actually map with Steam Input!!!
AFAIK the only other controller with this capability is the eye-wateringly expensive DualSense Edge
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