Steam Controller Review: Valve’s updated gamepad is my favorite

Editor’s note: The Valve Steam Controller’s great feel and generous array of control options, combined with its Steam-friendly design that mirrors the Steam Deck controller’s mappings, make this one of our favorite console experiences in years. That’s why it received a CNET Editors’ Choice Award. Our full review below.

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guess what? valve Steam frame and steam machine They still don’t exist yet, and there’s no known price for them either. But there’s another piece of Steam hardware here instead, and it’s more practical. The new $99 Steam controller is available now, and I’ve been living with one at home for a few weeks. I bet it will make your Steam gaming a lot better, especially if you plan to connect your Steam Deck to your TV.

In fact, that’s exactly how I use the Steam controller so far. I reviewed it using with OLED vapor surface Plugged into the Steam Dock, and connected to the living room TV, while I sit on the couch and play my games like I do on a Nintendo Switch. And I love it. But this is also a general Bluetooth controller or a dedicated wireless controller that works with other PCs, Macs, or even Linux computers as well.

You can pair other controllers to Steam Decks, your PC, or wherever else you run Steam games. But I still like what the Steam controller offers for its price, and I like how it feels and performs so far. Granted, I’m testing it with the Steam Deck demo in beta mode, but despite that, I have no complaints.

The Steam Controller is a simple proposition: it’s basically the fully transplanted design of the Steam Deck controls into the form of a wireless controller.

This means there are dual analogue sticks and the familiar crosspad and button and analogue trigger layouts as on most other controllers, but there are also two large capacitive touchpads on the bottom half of the controller. On the back are two sets of tactile paddle buttons that can be clicked. The controller also has gyroscopic controls if you want them, as you tend to aim and point in games that support them.

I I played with the Steam Controller last year At Valve’s headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, he expressed his appreciation for how it felt at the time. I think I like it better at home. It’s not a surprising device, but it’s remarkably comfortable and reliable. I’m impressed that even though I don’t use these trackpads very often, they don’t get in the way of the comfort of the controller for anything else I do.

I think it feels better than the controls on the Steam Deck. Vibrating haptics are great, ranging from strong to impressively subtle (the trackpad’s virtual clicks are tactile, too). The controller feels chunky but not too heavy, a little heavier than the Xbox controller, but I like to hold it.

Shine Wireless Imp

I love the controller’s solution for dedicated wireless resolution: a mini disc included in the box connects to a USB-C-to-A cable that can be plugged into the Steam Dock. This disc can also be used as a wireless charger for the controller, as it attaches magnetically to the back and then detaches easily.

The disk has its own dedicated wireless channel. You can also pair via Bluetooth, but I found the disc’s response time to be noticeably faster. Playing sectora hard-hitting indie shooter that I’m completely addicted to now, the Steam Controller felt as good as holding the Steam Deck directly in my hand when it was connected to the TV.

Four controllers can connect to a single disc at the same time, although each controller also comes with a disc in the box. It’s a nice touch, though, to keep chaos to a minimum in couch multiplayer games.

Worth it? Yes

If I wanted to expand my Steam Deck into a TV, the Steam Controller would definitely be an essential part of the picture. For other Steam gamers, I think it’s worth it too (but I haven’t tested it for PC gaming on a larger scale yet). I just appreciate its width, and for me, it finally gives the Steam Deck a real living room console feel, where it felt a lot more heavy before. However, I’m still not excited about the separately sold $79 Steam Dock that you’ll need to power this TV setup, but you can buy other cheaper dock-like port extenders that do the trick as well.

Now, where are the Steam framework, the Steam Machine, Valve’s promised VR headsets and TV console gaming systems expected to be this year? According to Valve’s software/UI designer Lawrence Yang and electrical engineer Jeff Mucha, who I spoke with during my review, they’re due to arrive this year. Yang admits Rambucalypse As a major part of the reason for the hardware delay, no price has been set yet. That’s why Valve decided to launch the console first, apart from those new hardware.

This makes a lot of sense. The Steam Controller will be the cheapest part of Valve’s new hardware lineup, and it makes the Steam Deck (or other SteamOS-ready laptops or PCs) look like mini Steam devices, too. Unfortunately, the steam surface is Currently sold at Valvewhich we hope will change soon. I already feel like the console breathes more life into my home’s Steam Deck, and now I’m clearing more space for it next to Switch 2. If only the Switch 2 Pro controller was as good as this.