00:06Valve's back in the hardware game, but no, this is not the much-hoped-for Steam Deck 2.
00:10Instead, it's a new version of the Steam Controller, refreshed and refined for modern gamers.
00:15The original Steam Controller was a unique gamepad when it launched back in 2015,
00:20but it never really shook off the novelty factor, and its unique design wasn't an easy sell,
00:24leading to Valve pulling the plug in 2019. That wasn't the end of Valve's hardware ambitions,
00:29however. And since then, it's had some big hits, including the Valve Index VR headset and the
00:34brilliant Steam Deck, which essentially kicked off a new category of devices, the handheld gaming PC.
00:40So has Valve kept the good times coming with the new and improved Steam Controller? Let's find out.
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00:59The Valve Steam Controller costs $99 or £85, but you won't be able to buy it from a brick and
01:06mortar store. As with other Valve products, you'll need to buy it through Steam, Valve's online storefront.
01:10Despite this, the controller can be used with games you've purchased outside of Steam.
01:14And while Valve recommends you add off-platform games to Steam for the best experience,
01:18it does work fine when playing games from the rival Epic Games Store, without adding them to Steam
01:23first, though it will make the controller act more like a generic gamepad.
01:27Price-wise, the Valve Steam Controller is one of the more expensive gamepads out there.
01:31It's almost twice the price of the 8-bit Duo Ultimate 2, which is currently our top pick as
01:35the best PC controller, and the Sony DualSense wireless controller, both of which cost around
01:40$60 or £50. However, it's also a fair bit cheaper than many other gamepads aimed at pro gamers,
01:47such as the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, which sells for around $199 or pounds, and the Xbox Elite
01:53Wireless Controller Series 2, which costs $129 or £159. This places the Steam controller
01:59Fermi in the mid-range, and it's the kind of pricing that we'd expect for what's on offer.
02:07Valve has overhauled the design of its new Steam controller, and to be brutally honest,
02:12that's a really good thing. While I admired them for trying to do something different with the
02:16original model, it wasn't for everyone. Its divisive, two large trackpads where thumbsticks
02:20are usually placed were designed to make playing games that work best with a mouse in genres such
02:24as real-time strategy easier on a gamepad. The new Valve Steam controller, on the other hand,
02:29has a much more conventional design, and while it doesn't feel like such a bold reinvention of the
02:34gamepad, there are still some unique features to be found. Unlike the original, the new Valve Steam
02:39controller features two horizontally-aligned thumbsticks placed beneath the D-pad and face buttons.
02:44The placement of these thumbsticks feels comfortable and natural, and they're no slouches either,
02:49thanks to tunnelling magnetor resistance technology, which is the tech of choice for
02:53most premium gamepads. This uses small magnets to measure even the most minuscule of movements,
02:58improving precision and making the Steam controller well-suited for shooters and racing games.
03:02Because these thumbsticks don't depend on physical contact within the gamepad, unlike traditional
03:07thumbsticks, there's also less risk of damage or performance degradation over time,
03:12which should mean the Valve Steam controller isn't at risk of the dreaded stick drift issues that
03:16have plagued many a gamepad. The inclusion of the D-pad is also noteworthy. Despite being found in
03:22pretty much every gamepad ever made, the original Steam controller did not include one, the idea being
03:28that the left-hand touchpad would work. This was another design decision that made the original
03:32model unpopular, so the return of a physical D-pad is very much welcomed. The controller doesn't
03:38completely ditch innovation though, as it still comes with two touchpads. This time they are
03:42smaller and square, and placed at the bottom of the controller's face. The touchpads are visually
03:47similar to the ones found on the Steam deck, though they are angled to make them more comfortable to
03:51use with your thumbs, and offer haptic feedback with subtle vibrations that let you know when they're
03:56being used. There are four face buttons in an ABXY layout and a Steam button in the middle. Pressing this
04:01once turns the controller on, and twice launches Steam in big picture mode. You'll also find a back
04:06button, a menu start button, and between the two touchpads is a quick setting button. On each side
04:11at the top there are the usual bumpers and triggers, and on the back there are four additional
04:15programmable buttons placed on the grips. The placement of these buttons makes them easy to
04:19reach while using the Valve Steam controller. Maybe a bit too easy, as they can be easily mis-clicked in
04:25heated gamer moments. On the back there's a magnetic port that lets you quickly connect the Valve Steam
04:29controller to your puck, which connects to a PC and is used to both charge the controller and act as
04:34a low
04:35latency wireless dongle. It's small and unobtrusive, and a nice way of incorporating charging and
04:39connectivity, especially thanks to the amply long included USB-C cable. The controller also has
04:45gyroscopes, so physically moving the controller around can control the on-screen action. It's a bit of a
04:50niche feature, but there are plenty of games, especially from Sony, which, like Valve, see the
04:55value in including gyroscopes in their controllers. On that note, the touchpads are a great alternative to
05:00the dual-sensors touchpad, which means the Valve Steam controller is an excellent controller for
05:04people who play a lot of PlayStation games on PC, which makes the rumours that Sony is cutting back
05:09on porting its games to PC particularly disappointing. One thing that is missing is an audio jack on the
05:14controller. Rival controllers often include one, allowing you to plug wired headphones and hear
05:19game audio without having to trail a long cable to your PC or console. I, like many PC gamers, have
05:25a
05:25wireless headset, so this isn't a big issue for me, but it might be disappointing for some, especially
05:30at its price point. Overall, the Valve Steam controller is a marked improvement over the
05:34original, with a more conventional design that's widely used for a reason. It's comfortable. That
05:39doesn't mean it's completely without innovative flourishes, but it does lack the customisation of
05:44more expensive professional gamepads. Still, it feels light and comfortable to hold, and it seems Valve
05:49has taken a lot of what it learned from the original controller as well as the Steam deck, which can
05:54feel
05:54quite big and bulky in hand, and applied it to the new Steam controller.
06:01As you'd probably expect from a product made by Valve, the Steam controller works
06:05brilliantly when playing games on Steam. The company had clearly been prepping for the
06:09launch of the Steam controller for a while, as most major games already had controller
06:13profiles set up at launch. This means that most games can be played with the controller without
06:17needing to tweak any settings. These profiles are also highly customisable, so you can tweak the
06:22plentiful buttons, track pads, and gyroscopic controls to a liking, and you can share these
06:26profiles with other users too. For example, Portal 2, which is a Valve game, has excellent integration
06:32with the new Steam controller, and the controller felt fast and responsive during play. Turning on
06:36gyroscopic controls allowed me to control the camera by tilting the controller, and the default settings
06:41were very accurate, to the point where it actually needed turning down a notch, as it was picking up the
06:46slightest movement or tremor in my hands. The haptic rumble within the controller lets you know when
06:51the gyroscope is being used. If you mainly use a mouse and keyboard to control games, this offers a
06:55way to play games on a gamepad with a level of precision that you often only get while using a
06:59mouse.
07:00The touchpads can also be used to mimic mouse or touchpad controls, and their placement on the Valve
07:05Steam controller is easy and comfortable to use. They're within easy reach of my thumbs, and you can
07:09choose to either use the thumbstick or touchpad depending on the game. The touchpads are nice and responsive,
07:15with the haptic feedback on each pad giving you a clear idea of what you're controlling and the
07:19actions you're performing. When either the touchpad is not needed in a game, the touchpad locks in
07:23place, so you know it can't be used. And while I would probably still use a mouse and keyboard for
07:28playing real-time strategy games, the Valve Steam controller and its touchpads worked well with
07:32management sims like Planet Coaster 2. They also work well when used on Windows 11 desktop, with the
07:38left-hand touchpad controlling up and down scrolling, and the right touchpad moving the cursor. The
07:43thumbsticks feel great, and with the puck keeping wireless latency down, the Valve Steam controller
07:48offers a brilliant experience that's responsive and accurate, even if you're using it as a generic
07:52gamepad without the additional features. For PC gamers looking to enjoy a more console-like experience,
07:58it's a fantastic peripheral that bridges the gaps between a keyboard and mouse and a gamepad.
08:03While the rumble isn't as mind-blowing as that of the DualSense controller, which would need to be
08:08connected to a PC via a cable for the full experience, it still worked well and added
08:13another level of immersion. Valve also promises a battery life of over 35 hours, and during my time
08:19playing with the Valve Steam controller, with a whole manner of games, and using the gyroscopic controls,
08:25touchpads, and with rumble turned on, I didn't experience a gamepad running out of battery once.
08:30To be fair, that's likely because the magnetic charging puck is so convenient that I ended up placing the
08:35controller on it after most play sessions, so the battery just stayed topped up the whole time.
08:42So, what do you think of the new Valve Steam controller? Let us know in the comments down
08:46below, and make sure to hit the subscribe button for more tech news, reviews, and how-tos.
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