EDIT THE 2ND: So, it's finally happened. After some 2 months of owning the controller and about a rough 81 hours or so of playing, some constant, some not, the controller is finally giving me low battery warnings. That is absolutely insane for any controller in this day and age and honestly, puts anything made by Sony and Microsoft to shame just for that. And the nicest thing about this fact is that even on the off chance that you do run out, you can still use the USB cable that came with it in order to play just fine. This is the only controller on the market in which you do not have to worry about ever running low. That is a very welcome change in this day and age of wireless.
EDIT: Actually I should note one glaring issue with the controller here, though this is more on game developers than Valve for this all things considered: Do be careful when trying to play games that do not come with native simultaneous Keyboard/Gamepad support (anybody that's tried to do this with a Bethesda game will know exactly what I am talking about...), as while the controller can do either or, make sure you configure it to only one or the other, or it will absolutely not work. Again, this isn't a problem with Valve as they have done a lot to make sure that developers can set up this controller no problem, but with developers who, somehow in 2016, still haven't gotten around to that kind of support.
So the Steam Controller's been out for a little bit now and at this stage of my ownership of such, I can say I've logged about a good 40 or so hours on this controller thus far. I'd like to take the time to point out some arguments and such in the course of this review.
First off, let's get some major dealbreakers that I have with this controller out of the way first:
1. Yeah, you do have to use Big Picture mode in order to fully utilize the controller's functions. This might be annoying for a lot of people who are just trying to play this on their desktop and kinda don't want to deal with Big Picture's interface. There is no way via the normal interface to be able to configure the controller and all of its functions in order to fully customize it your liking.
2. Controller size. Considering that I in particular have GIGANTIC MONSTER CRAB HANDS, this controller is a perfect fit for me, but this may end up being something too large for those with average to small sized hands. There are ways to get around this in terms of the controller's customization options so you can make it slightly more comfortable, but this might be a major turnoff for those who are used to things like the XBone/PS4 controllers.
So with that out of the way, I just want to say one thing about whether you should buy this or not: If you're willing to be able to put in the time and effort to be able to get used to the controller and figure out what its configuration options mean, then I can safely guarantee you that you have what is astoundingly the most versatile controller in existence.
What do I mean by this? Essentially speaking, if you are willing to figure out how a game you want to play would be maximized in comfort for use with a controller, the Steam Controller's configuration settings are more than you could possibly want for playing that game, even if at first blush it doesn't seem that way. The main feature of the controller, the touch pads, can be set to have a total of /9/ different kinds of input. Whether you want it to look around in an FPS the way a mouse would or you want to quickly maneuver objects and enemies in a Top-down shooter, the touch pads can easily handle it. And if it proves too weird? Just move the configurations around until you find that sweet spot that allows you to use it.
And that's just the very surface of what this controller provides. Say you want to get into an old game like System Shock 2? You know, tons of interface, commands, mechanics? This controller can still do that. Through means of mode-shifting and other such options, this controller has amounts of input that easily measure in the good 40 or 50 commands.
"But," you may be asking me now, "What if I don't want to spend so time making my own setup for this? I thought the point was to get into a PC game without any interruption or preparation!" Well, that is another strength of the Steam Controller, in particular, Valve's method for providing the community with configurations. Essentially, you can choose from one of a few categories for a setup. Either the Developer's own configuration for the controller, if there is one, some templates that fit a general number of cases (gamepad with FPS mouse, XBone gamepad, stupid amounts of inputs, etc.), and last but certainly not least, the community configurations. These all provide a fantastic starting point to understand what the configuration options do. You are more than able to find a good diving point for being able to understand your new controller. I couldn't possibly write all the different configurations here, but the gist is that if you can think of it, the Steam Controller can handle it in some fashion. Pretty much the only case where it becomes a little trickier to do this are games that are not part of it. Again, it's actually rather painless because you can add non-Steam games and use them in Big Picture mode without much of a hitch, but I have noticed some difficulty in making sure that the controller works the way I want it to.
Another praise I have to sing about the controller is the battery life. You remember that some 40 hours I logged in so far? Those are still on THE SAME SET OF BATTERIES that I have started out with. Two AA batteries mind you. That is absolutely insane. Either Valve discovered the secret to energy efficiency (considering all the haptic feedback that this controller provides), or they made a deal with some voodoo elder god to be able to make this possible. And this was all wireless gameplay, I hadn't even touched the cable that they provide you with the controller. The fact that they can do this with just two normal AA batteries should pretty much be a slap in the face to XBone's designs. I can't even imagine the XBone's controller lasting even a fifth that long on a normal basis. Not to say that you even have to use batteries in the first place, as you can use the Steam Controller and all of its features without having a set of batteries plugged in, only using a Micro USB cable if you so desire. This pretty much insures that you have absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of being able to stay in your game for long periods of time.
So, what is the point I am trying to make with all this talk? At this time, I would not give it a full five-star rating because some of the glaring issues are still pretty much there, despite all that you can do to make this controller work well with you and make sure that you aren't wrestling with your games over whether or not something works. This really is a thing that you have to get to know very well in order to have a full opinion of whether or not it is for you. Again, if you can put in the time and effort to really get used to the feel of it and get to know this controller, you have what is, bar none, the most versatile controller on the gaming market to date.
However, this is if, and only if, you are willing to put the time and effort to gaining a full understanding of it. I know that is a major dealbreaker for most people seeing as one of gaming's central points of focus is just ease of use. If that is something that sounds like it might take too much time for you to get used to, then by all means, stick with an XBone or PS4 controller, nobody is going to fault you for that for wanting to use something that you know is consistent and that you know works very well for you.
But, if you truly want something novel and actually innovative to experiment with and actually have a grand old time, making old games seem fresh, making new ones even better, then the Steam Controller can do all that you want, provided you put in the time.
If you do want to do that, I have some helpful advice for you: Don't make the first game you play on this controller something like an FPS or an ARPG like Valve advertises. Play some games first that allow you to be able to get used to the layout of the controller with ease and without any hesitation. For instance, I started off by playing things like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Viscera Cleanup Detail. Things like that, where you can play the game at your own pace and figure out what sorts of settings you like for those types of games. As you get more and more used to it, you'll be using the controller to play these games without even thinking about it.
I got this controller because I really did need something that was more comfortable to play than mouse and keyboard (bad wrists and everything that comes with it), and at this point I can safely say that I have found that thing. But, please, before going out and saying "augh I don't like it" just borrow a friend's for a little bit and play around with it. I guarantee that having done so, you won't even have thought about how weird something like this is and see the value of these things.
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From the manufacturer
PLAY ALL YOUR STEAM GAMES FROM YOUR COUCH
The Steam Controller is an innovative input device that allows you to play games from all genres, including traditional gamepad-style games as well as games usually reserved for play with a mouse and keyboard. The Controllers are wireless and completely configurable.
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Should I Get It Reviews
Steam Controller is nice for Automation of Games or Apps
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2016
This controller has done one thing so far for me that I couldn't achieve without writing my own program for the xbox 360 controller and a usb receiver (which I'm done doing):It has allowed me to hit one button to end my turn in Hearthstone.Let me explain, and if you have a similar situation in a game that you play maybe this controller is a good fit for you. In Hearthstone there is no keyboard shortcut for 'end turn' which you literally do 20 times a game (about 5-10 minutes per game). You have to move your mouse to a button and click it. I know I'm lazy but it just feels wrong that there isn't a keyboard shortcut for something you do all the time.So in the controller software (through steam) if you want the 'Y' button to be your 'end turn' button, click into the diamond of buttons area and tell it to use 'style of input' to 'button pad', then set 'hold to repeat (turbo)' to 'on'. Go back and now program the top right touchpad to have a mode shift (top right of interface). (I know its weird but bear with me) It goes into another screen (see screenshot). Make 'Mode Shift Button' equal to 'Y', now tell it to be 'Mouse Region' and set it to the settings from the attached image. Now whenever you press the Y button, it will move the mouse to the button and press it (due to turbo on and mouse region). The only issue I have with this is you can't really use say the 'A' button anymore to say be a left click because you set the whole control button area to 'Hold on Repeat (turbo)' so that when you press the button it clicks the left mouse button over and over again. I use the right trigger (soft press) as left mouse button and I use the analog stick to move my mouse (style of input: 'joystick move' and output: relative mouse')The only other thing I will mention, I'm not sure if Blizzard counts this as a 'cheat' but I have not been banned yet. The only worry I have is the fact that the mouse jumps to same X Y position every time you press it. I would assume if you were ever banned you could just send them to this review.The only reason I took off a star, is the lack of a D-Pad. The top-left touch pad is just not the same as a directional-pad on something like a Playstation controller.
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2016
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Sam D.
If you are on the fence about buying the Steam Controller like I was
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barbara
Hammerteil, bin sofort klargekommen und total begeistert
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Steam Controller bellissimo comodissimo, ma non a questo prezzo
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francesco PC Gamers
Reviewed in Italy 🇮🇹 on April 21, 2016
tanto per cominciare ha 2 tasti Trigger in più sul retro che premerete con il dito medio o l'indice,quindi in totale ci sono 6 tasti completamente configurabili+ i soliti 4 pulsanti YXBA, contro i 4 tasti trigger e 4 pulsanti degli altri pad, poi come potete vedere anche dalle foto che ho postato manca lo stick analogico di destra,che è stato sostituito con il d-track,in poche parole funziona come il mouse dei pc portatili o come il tasto centrale del pad della PS4, all'inizio sembrerà strano visto che molti di noi siamo cresciuti con i classici pad della sony\ms, ma una volta presa la mano sarà talmente comodo che non vorrete più tornare indietro al classico pad,,in oltre il pad funziona su tutti i giochi esistenti anche i vecchi classici come baldur's gate,dragon age origins ecc, è configurabile come volete tramite steam che passa in configurazione big picture come potete vedere dalle immagini da me postate sul mio pc,
in poche parole per me è Consigliatissimo logicamente pagandolo 59 euro o ancora meno in saldo
io l'ho pagato su Steam a 32 euro visto che è in offerta fino a metà maggio se non mi sbaglio, e comunque costa 59 euro a prezzo pieno sia su Steam che al GameStop,quindi non capisco il perchè dei 150 euro richiesti per lo steam controller..
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Carlos A. Montes de Oca Casas
Agradablemente sorprendido
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Schwer einzuschätzen
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