Why aren’t there more PC-first gamepads? Valve don’t know, but they "did see an opportunity" for the new Steam Controller

When "good enough" isn’t bully enough

When the caller Steam Controller goes connected merchantability connected May 4th, it volition spell up against overmuch much established gamepads successful the Xbox Wireless Controller and PS5 DualSense vein – though nary that stock its singular absorption connected being a PC gaming controller, specifically. Why are determination truthful fewer PC pads?

It’s a question I enactment to Valve decorator Lawrence Yang and technologist Steve Cardinali, who’ve besides worked connected the Steam Deck, Steam Deck OLED, and the upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR hardware. And portion theories were offered, the existent reasoning for the peripheral industry’s console monogamy was, alas, near a mystery.

"I really don't cognize why!" Yang chuckles. "But we decidedly did spot an accidental for a Steam-first, PC-first controller, and that's wherefore we made it."

"I deliberation it's partially hard," Cardinali offers, "because if you're trying to marque a controller for PC, you person to take definite buckets that you privation to unrecorded in-between, which instantly has you pitted against different controllers that are retired there. And truthful you person to beryllium truly cognisant of, like, 'Hey, what further problems are we trying to lick present erstwhile we marque this controller, and has it already been solved? And is it worthy the effort to enactment into it with this controller?'

"We judge successful the diagnostic acceptable we're providing, providing gamers with a mode to play games successful each caller ways, and truthful we spot worth successful it. But it’s hard to find that balance, and marque it worthy the effort you enactment into it."

Yang adds that portion a bulk of controller-owning Steam users are already being served by Xbox gamepads, Valve inactive deliberation it worthwhile to physique thing tailor-made for the app’s location level – peculiarly considering the inherent compromise of playing with console kit connected a desktop.

Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun

"I deliberation different mode to look astatine it is: a batch of the controllers that are connected the marketplace close present are made by console makers, and they're making it for their ain consoles, not needfully for PC," Yang notes. "We've done a batch of enactment connected Steam truthful that each controller that we tin find volition enactment connected Steam. And I deliberation past we checked... successful 2024 we did a blog station astir Steam Input, and I deliberation we saw thing astir 59% of radical connected Steam were utilizing Xbox controllers. 26% were utilizing PlayStation controllers, and astir 10% of radical connected Steam were really connected Steam Decks, for each controller sessions. And that divided is benignant of telling. It's similar the immense bulk of those are already covered, successful a batch of ways, for radical who are like, 'Well, I already person 1 of these controllers laying around, and it's bully enough'.

"But we consciousness there's decidedly an accidental to marque thing that's amended than 'good enough' for PC gaming."

Not to parrot my ain review, but I bash deliberation the renewed Steam Controller broadly achieves this goal. On apical of having each the thumbsticks and mainstream inputs that longtime Xbox controller wielders would privation – a large displacement from the archetypal Steam Controller’s eccentricity – its Deck-style trackpads and quality to power mundane Windows applications marque it drastically much useful, and comfortable, than console models for PC use. It does trust connected Steam Input, truthful successful this lawsuit "PC gaming" specifically means "PC gaming done Steam", but past if you’re dropping £85 connected this happening already, you’re astir apt not fussed astir divesting yourself from Valve’s level dominance.

Elsewhere successful our chat, Yang and Cardinali besides spoke of frustrations astir ongoing Steam Machine delays, and which Steam Controller features they’d similar to bung successful a imaginable next-gen Steam Deck. Several, it turns out.