this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025
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Steam

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[–] Oth@lemmy.zip 41 points 6 days ago (10 children)

I've said it before, just.. give me a Steam Deck without the screen, and I'll buy it. I need that layout, it's the perfect combination of features for me.

If I could be greedy, an extra set of back paddles and some extra "spare" buttons would be nice for flight/space sim games.

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

Hell or go one further and don't even attach them together. It would be a great HOTAS like experience for space games.

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[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I know it got a lot of hate at the time, and much of it well deserved, but for many games I think the steam controller was one of the best.

I quite enjoyed mine for Rocket League back in the day, the remappable controls were quite nice.

Currently I use a SCUF DS4 for my Linux gaming and while I love the Controller in theory, the inability to remap the paddles to a custom button chord instead of just a button that's already on the controller is frustrating.

Steam Controller 2 is on my must buy list.

[–] ECB@feddit.org 2 points 5 days ago

It was the only controller I could ever play first person games with!

Track-ball mode on the right TouchPad is just... chefs-kiss

I love my steam deck but I'm extremely disappointed by the TouchPads compared to the steam controller

[–] laurelraven@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 6 days ago

I never really used mine much, but it was solid and innovative...I should dig it back out and mess around with it again...

[–] TabbsTheBat@pawb.social 20 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Im actually holding off buying a new controller just in case they actually do something with the SC2 that was leaked, so.. real x3

[–] anzo@programming.dev 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Been there... Done that... until I didn't. Then, I got a GameSir Super Nova. I'm super happy with it :)

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[–] Deno@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago
[–] HalfSalesman@lemm.ee 6 points 5 days ago

If Valve was planning on releasing hardware soon they're going to postpone given the tariff threat.

[–] Xttweaponttx@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

I just found this!

https://github.com/steam-deck-controller/steam-deck-controller

Looks like a project to basically cram the steam Deck components into a 3dprinted shell - but it isn't finished yet!

There's a proof of concept video in there where it's shown connected to a PC with a standard USB ribbon pinned to a 2.0 A head... Might have to give it a go someday!

[–] Xttweaponttx@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

Dude, seriously!! I really do hope this becomes a thing. I would LOVE to have a controller that mimicks the steam deck's controls, but without a screen... That SteamVR leak looks like that's basically exactly what it is!! 😭 PLEASE, valve!

I still use my steam controller every day. If they release a version 2 I would instantly buy 2.

[–] WereCat@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

We're waiting for you... In the test chamberrrr

[–] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Tell me about it!!!!
I thought we were super close to an announcement since that 3d model was found in the SteamVR files and then.... Nothing....

[–] Sektor@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Making just another controller with similar features to existing ones people are familiar will not fly. They need to make it as good as dualsense, ad some new feature that is easy to use, and make it cheap. Native gyro for pc is what i would like to see, and maybe pressure sensitive buttons.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And which titles will support that?

I really dig what they did with the touchpads on the Steam Deck, and something like that, complete with the fully comprehensive mapping and input scheme system on the Steam Deck, would probably get me to buy one even though I am very happy with my XBox Elite 2 controller.

[–] fartsparkles@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (7 children)

Steam Input means every title supports that. I’ve been using gyro with my Steam Controller on PC for years now.

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Just like a steamdeck without the screen. The trackpads are irreplaceable

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 6 points 6 days ago (5 children)

To play devil’s advocate, why does Valve need to bother to make their own controller when there are a number of wired and wireless controllers available for PCs?

[–] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 10 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Because the Steam Deck is my all-time favorite controller. A controller that’s just like it but without the bulkiness would only make it better

[–] Psythik@lemm.ee 7 points 6 days ago

Because PC controllers these days are nothing but different variants of the same Xbox and Playstation controllers. The Steam controller is different from the rest of them, at least.

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

None have additional buttons on the back that can be mapped as new buttons, they're all just rebinding existing buttons. Steam deck is pretty special in that regard. I would REALLY like to have those four extra buttons available for couch PC gaming.

[–] Teepo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Steam already lets you remap those back buttons on other controllers to anything you want through their interface. Isn't that how you'd do it with a Steam controller?

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

What other controllers? No other controllers expose back buttons as individually assignable buttons that I'm aware of except Steam Deck and Steam Controller since those use Steam's own interface instead of xinput or dinput

[–] Teepo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I use a Dual Sense Edge controller with steam and it lets me remap the two back buttons, the two front function buttons, and even the microphone button, to anything I want.

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oh that's good to know! If I didn't have to worry about stick drift I might consider the Dualsense Edge

[–] Teepo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Well, while this controller doesn't have Hall-effect sensors (which would be ideal), it does have the sticks as separate, inexpensive, easy to replace modules. They can be popped out and replaced without tools.

[–] noxypaws@pawb.social 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That's neat, but if they're still prone to stick drift and if they aren't free replacements (looks like $20 apiece, that's a bit insane) then that doesn't really improve the situation

[–] Teepo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

If they're not Hall-effect, they most likely are susceptible. That said, I use my controller a lot (I have wrist issues that make using a mouse painful, so I only play games with a controller) for about a year now and I haven't yet noticed any drift. At any rate, I do hope a nice Team Controller 2 comes out with Hall-effect sticks that works for everyone.

[–] Toribor@corndog.social 2 points 6 days ago

I've been trying to figure out if there is a way to do it with the new 8BitDo Ultimate controller but I don't know that it's possible. I've seen maybe you can switch it to direct input mode somehow to map the paddles but I hadn't had any success.

[–] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

The only ones i know of are the top end Xbox and PlayStation controllers which are exorbitantly expensive, especially when all you want is extra buttons.

I also have had issues with my standard dualsenses Bluetooth not acting great when using my Bluetooth headphones at the same time (which are also made by Sony)

[–] gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 days ago

Because nobody's making something like the Steam Controller 1, but better, which is what a SC2 would be, one assumes

If someone else were to make one I'm sure people would cream their jeans if they weren't bespoke and expensive

[–] MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Because they're all shit, each current controller has some kind of downside when wanting to configure it for games.

Either Steam input doesn't recognise extra buttons, or the ones that do have issues with being Bluetooth only.

I've tried the vader 3 which was great, but unrecognised so needed extra software to remap for each game which was never as simple as steam input and required me to use a mouse and keyboard which isn't great with a htpc setup.

And then recently I've tried the horipad for steam, this is almost perfect except for only two back paddles, the face buttons being weirdly shaped so the some of them stick when pressing them and the Bluetooth is shitty.

If steam input allowed the full use of generic controllers instead of ones that have been explicitly set up, I'd have no issues, I'd be able to find the one for me. But because they don't do that, I'm waiting for the steam controller 2 because a full layout just like the steam deck would be the dream.

[–] JoYo@lemmy.ml 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I have a stack of new steam and stadia controllers in my studio. Both last for fucking ever. meanwhile xbox and playstation controllers fail after a couple of months.

[–] finalarbiter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Damn what are you doing that's destroying these controllers? I have controllers from Microsoft and Nintendo that are over a decade old at this point and still work with regular use.

[–] cabb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago

The xbox one controllers I had developed stick drift after 6 months or so, series controllers held up better but I still ended up swapping to hall effect and more recently tmr sticks to avoid stick drift

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