Steam Controller Worth $34?

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Hulk

Supreme [H]ardness
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Lately for some reason when I am trying to play on my TV via Steam Link an error comes up saying something along the lines of I have to configure my XBox 360 controller and the game won't even launch. It's weird because I don't get that error message on every game.

Is there an easy way to configure the controller? Am I supposed to configure it for every game?

I'm thinking about just getting the Steam Controller so that I don't have to deal with this issue. What do you guys think?
 
I can only speak to my personal experience but no. I got one, tried it, never found it useful/likable, and it has sat in the closet, unused, for over a year. My Xbox Elite controller, on the other hand, gets used any time I wanna sack out on the couch and play a game (my computer has a connection to my TV as well as its monitor) or when I'm playing a game that plays better with a controller.

The Steam controller is like a lot of what Valve has done recently (like SteamOS and such): A neat idea in theory, but half baked implementation, poorly supported, and just not very useful.
 
Glad they made it, so we could finally shut the people up who said "if only they replaced thumb sticks with smooth touch-pads..it would be a perfect world for joypad users from the couch"......pretty sure I was one of them. Avoid them, they basically suck.
 
it's an interesting gadget. Worth picking up but don't expect it to replace a 360 controller for the majority of games. Using the gyro for aiming though is so sweet, it's much better than the early ps3 gyro attempts, you can mount a gun and strafe with it and it feels really cool, im enjoying using it in L4D2 for uzi spraying with rumble :p

one thing to note is that the hand grips can be painful after an hour or so, never had that problem with the 360 controller but it's probably hand size dependent.
 
as a novelty, i think it's worth $34. as a useful controller, no. it often goes for much less (sometimes $5) so unless you really just want something to tinker with, i'd wait to get it at a much reduced price.
 
Honestly no it's not worth it. I use a Dual Shock 4 because it works the best in everything when combined with DS4Windows. I have a Steam Controller, and I really did try to like it but it was just a horrible experience overall. The buttons are in a terrible position and doesn't feel right to me, especially problematic when needing to press multiple buttons like in some fighting games. The giant right pad that doubles as the second joystick never felt right in third person games, it might be a bit better for FPS games for careful aiming accuracy vs a thumbstick, but not as good as a mouse so I'd never use it over a mouse. The awkward concave curve of the controller bothered me a lot. The only really good thing about the controller is that it is so configurable. There are some really nice customized configs for some games that made me think dam I wish I could do this function on the DS4, but even with that, there were just too many things wrong with it to use it.
 
I ended up getting one bundled with a Steam Sale game and hated it. I sold it to a friend who had never really used a gamepad before. I tried to use it for a few days and just couldn't stand it with anything. If you're used to using any other pads, it's going to irritate you.
It's a pain in the ass to configure and the front buttons might as well not even be there considering how awkward they are to reach. Games can be made to work with it, but the Xbox pad is still the universal standard for just about anything made in the last decade. The touch pads feel clunky and they never worked as well as I hoped, too.
It feels like a good idea that was finalized too quickly.

If they truly want to make some kind of device that emulates mouse and pad functions, something closer to the Wii-mote could have been a better solution.
 
Wow, I'm a major minority on this one. I love mine. I would love a Gen II, but that probably wont happen. I will say it takes some time to adjust, and yeah not everyone likes it.
 
For the people that like them - what are your feelings on other pads? That could be the difference maker. I can't help but hate it compared to the Xbox and PS4 pads. If you don't like or don't use those pads, it's probably a different experience.

The configuration steps are the same for all of them, though. I think that's clunky across the board.
 
I like the others as well, but for some games it just shines. I love playing Elite Dangerous with it. I have never been a fan of sticks, my control over them just sucks. The Steam Controller touch pads are more forgiving and you can adjust their dead zones and sensitivities.
 
Domingo said:
For the people that like them - what are your feelings on other pads? That could be the difference maker. I can't help but hate it compared to the Xbox and PS4 pads. If you don't like or don't use those pads, it's probably a different experience.

The configuration steps are the same for all of them, though. I think that's clunky across the board.
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I like the Steam controller for certain games. I'm one of the people who acclimated to the touch pad well, especially for FPS. Had an interesting experience experimenting with the Arkham games using different configurations to find the right one. Ultimately Xbox controllers are still better for me in third person action games. Here is how I would rank the other controllers I've used on PC in the past decade.
  1. Xbox 360: It just feels right in my hands. Near universal compatibility for anything made post-2005.
  2. Dualshock 4: Love the freedom you have to hold your hands loosely in any position you want. Touchpad is awesome when its utilized and configurable. Only downside is the joystick positions make my thumbs stiffen and crack. Increasing plug and play support is nice to see.
  3. Xbox One Elite: Love the first party configurability and build quality. Better hand position than the original One controller, but the angles of the grips and position of the buttons force a tight grip that makes my hands and wrists hurt over time, making it rank below the Dualshock 4. Most games supporting Xinput make it easy to setup and use (plug and play in its purest form, basically).
  4. Dualshock 2: Most comfortable controller for me over long play sessions, but no support on PC required both a USB adapter and mapping software. This was my go-to control method when I was regularly play Final Fantasy XI back in the day. The narrower width compared to the Dualshock 4 doesn't cause issues with my thumbs. Not ranked as high simply because of the workarounds needed to make it work.
  5. Dualshock 3: Like the Dualshock 2, only cheaper and somehow didn't work as well once configured.
  6. Xbox One: Cheap garbage, frankly. Would rather go through the hoops of setting up the controllers above than use this.
I'd rank the Steam controller probably between 2 and 3.
 
Armenius said:
I like the Steam controller for certain games. I'm one of the people who acclimated to the touch pad well, especially for FPS.
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Yeah, I played Fallout 4 almost exclusively with the Steam controller and the touch pad did feel good for aiming. I prefer that touch pad over an analogue stick for camera control tbh.

Feels like a waste that Valve never brought out a further refinement of the controller (excluding the updated 'dongle' battery cover). Give it larger face buttons, swappable attachments (ala joycon), etc - could be a lot of potential there.
 
I don't mind the normal 'ol Xbox One controller mainly because I think it has the best analog sticks around. By far even. However it is a hunk of garbage quality-wise. They creak and crackle, they're fragile, and they're notorious for having connection issues. On the plus side, they're often available on Amazon at a discount. $35-45 for new (black) ones isn't that unusual.
There's something up with the shoulder triggers on the Dualshock 4 that I don't like. They have a sharp point that makes gripping them tight (like with a fighting game) really uncomfortable. Not quite painful, but close. The trick is, using older Dualshocks wirelessly on the PC is a colossal pain in the ass. The DS4 is basically bulletproof if you buy Sony's adapter.

For me, a perfect setup would be an Xbox 360 controller with Xbox One analogs and a Dualshock 3 that works with Sony's official wireless adapter. I use the Xbox pads for everything except a few games that benefit from using a D-pad.
 
Domingo said:
For the people that like them - what are your feelings on other pads? That could be the difference maker. I can't help but hate it compared to the Xbox and PS4 pads. If you don't like or don't use those pads, it's probably a different experience.

The configuration steps are the same for all of them, though. I think that's clunky across the board.
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I can lay in my bed, look up interesting articles to post to the front page, open notepad, copy and paste the link into notepad, type out the name of the file, and send it to Kyle.

As far as gaming goes it takes some time to get used to but I think it is worlds ahead of my XBOX One controller and XBOX 360 controller with the exception of one genre; twin stick shooters. For those I break out one of the XBOX controllers. The only reason that I do that is because I get too excited and start smashing the touchpads instead of lightly touching them. The XBOX controller were made to be crushed I think.

I just can't use the XBOX controllers effectively. I couldn't play the Dark Souls games with the XBOX controller for example. I would get cramps in my hands in less than 5 minutes and then the experience fell apart as it was more pain than fun. Steam controller is a helluva lot more intuitive and fun without pain for me.

Warframe is a game that I want to learn to play with the Steam controller, but I love mouse and keyboard with it so much that I just can't do it.

The really good thing is that with the new Steam controller API if a game has support then you can configure most any other controller to emulate a Steam controller.
 
cageymaru said:
I can lay in my bed, wear my favorite lace, look up interesting articles to post to the front page, open notepad, copy and paste the link into notepad, type out the name of the file, and send it to Kyle.
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That's one thing that I haven't used my Steam controller for but seems like it'd be super handy: desktop navigation.
 
I've always been a KB/M guy, but also spent decade or more on PS1-3.
I picked up a steam controller recently and it has changed how and when I play games, really love it. Now I can actually give racing games a good go after a long hiatus.
I never liked Xbox controllers but found Steam controller to be really awesome, definitely the most unusual but once you're used to it, is quite an accurate and good controller, very, very configurable too, dead zones, hold behaviour, mapping etc etc.
Most games have mapping online. I'm loving racing and platform games on TV in bed via steam link too.. and can check email in the cold winter without going on the workstation to boot! For desktop use the precision is enough for fine photoshop graduations.. slower than a good mouse though.
 
Mine is used solely for a remote controller from my bed.

It is pretty fun to use in racing games though when you set it to hold in the air and use the gyros to turn.
 
I'm rather discriminating when it comes to input devices and controllers. In many cases I enjoy KB/M, but there are certain types of games for which I choose a controller. As controllers go on PC, I am for the moment switching between two 'general use' controllers - the XboxOne Wireless Elite (and really waiting for 2.0 version of this), and the Steam Controller. I would certainly say the Steam Controller is worth $34 - its a phenomenal controller in many ways.

Let me start with the negatives - it WILL require an adjustment period. The lack of a right-stick and its replacement with a touchpad means you're going to have to take some time to adapt. Many users who don't like the Steam Controller get "stuck" here. The right touchpad is, in most controller-preferred titles (ie 3rd person adventures where I need to use the right stick/pad for camera control etc), up to the task and is equally viable but it does take some time to become comfortable. I should also mention the button location which is a little further inward; if there was one choice for a 2.0 I'd consider swapping the locations of the right pad and the buttons. It too takes a little adjustment, but once you get used to it all works well.

On the plus side the Steam Controller has a lot of benefits. The trackpads and haptics are probably the best of any major controller around and both touchpads can be used for any number of gaming needs. Motion controls are built in which is of note for driving games too, thanks to the gyro/accelerometer. The triggers are useful can have multiple modes with a "half click, full click, or analog pressure" option. There are also two "paddles" on the back of the controller that can replicate any other button's function; this kind of feature you usually have to either buy the Xbox Elite or pick up one of those very expensive customized SCUF controller types, so their availability in a $30 controller is great. Overall the controller is well made and based on good tech, with firmware updates activating all kinds of new features too. For instance, a few months ago there was a separate Bluetooth mode option made available, in addition to the wireless dongle connection (the dongle comes with the controller; no additional purchase here! It even comes with a little dock and USB extender if you wish to use it on your desk!).

Another great feature however is the awesomeness of Steam and the Steam Controller working together through firmware and software to pretty much configure the controller in any manner. It natively shows up as an XInput pad , but for any game on Steam or off there are a wide assortment of Steam, publisher/developer/, and user created setups to choose or you can make it your own entirely. This makes the Steam Controller capable of really properly playing KB/M focused titles, as you can bind mouse/joystick/wheel and other peripheral features (plus of course keybinds) to the controller. Different opinions abound on if it is really "as good/better" than KB/M for certain types of games like RTS etc... but it is playable and of good quality, which is not something one can say for most controllers! Oh and by the way, the Steam Controller also works outside of Steam independently and can save various configs locally on the hardware, so those playing games on GOG and whatnot can still enjoy the controller. Likewise, Linux support!

Overall the Steam Controller is an excellent controller. It takes some chances and though it is better for doing so, it does mean there is a little adjustment necessary. I'd love to see a refined version 2.0 or even a Steam Controller Elite with even more high end features, refinement, and various upgrades. I suppose time will tell if such a thing arrives! For $30 I think its a great value on sale and by the way, don't forget to buy the Case for it too - its cheap and protects the controller, its dongle, and more. As far as other after market accessories, there's a cheap battery door with a recessed area to hold the dongle for travel as well as visual appearance skins too; I don't consider either really necessary but merely nice to have at most, though I do suggest the Case as a worthwhile purchase.
 
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It's fantastic as a wireless mouse for my HTPC. I don't really play games with it.
 
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