Steam Controller may be the last gamepad I ever buy for PC – here’s why
All bases are covered with the new Steam Controller
🙌 The new Steam Controller addresses previous flaws by adding dual analog sticks and a dedicated D-pad
🙏 It features Hall effect (TMR) sensors for the analog sticks, virtually eliminating stick drift and offering better responsiveness
😮 The controller includes four customizable back buttons, two haptic trackpads, and a new “GripSense” capacitive feature
🔋 With an expected 35 hours of battery life and improved haptic feedback, it’s positioned as a complete, high-tech PC gamepad
It’s been 10 years since Valve released its polarizing Steam Controller. Some people loved it; others hated it. But its introduction paved the way for Steam Input – a crucial part of SteamOS.
Many of its best features, like the haptic trackpads, back buttons, and gyroscopic aiming, also carried over to the Steam Deck. It prompted many to hope for a new Steam Controller, one that essentially took the Steam Deck’s inputs and turned it into a dedicated gamepad.
Thankfully, that’s exactly what Valve has achieved with the new Steam Controller. And honestly? It might be the last gamepad I ever buy for PC.
All hail the new king of controllers
I purchased the original Steam Controller years ago, but foolishly sold it after I shifted back to the comfort of console gaming. Even though it has its problems – the single analog stick and lack of D-pad being the main points of contention – there’s so much I loved about the Steam Controller that I actually bought one again off eBay last year.
And yeah, the trackpads are still a revelation for navigating menus, precision aiming and dealing with the complications that PC titles can sometimes provide. But even now, it feels like a concept as opposed to a finished product. However, the new Steam Controller is everything I could have hoped for and more.
The updated Steam Controller also has a new feature called “GripSense”, which brings the same capacitive tech to the grips of the controller.
Let’s get the obvious things out of the way. Valve is giving players two analog sticks this time, and a dedicated D-pad. That’s a win. But the analog sticks are built to last the test of time. They use TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) sensors, which means stick drift is all but eliminated, and you get smaller deadzones, more responsiveness, and just peace of mind. Are you taking note, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo?!
Like the Steam Deck, the analog sticks are also capacitive. They can sense when your thumbs are on the sticks, allowing you to activate things like gyro aiming with ease. But the updated Steam Controller also has a new feature called “GripSense”, which brings the same capacitive tech to the grips of the controller, which should make adjusting your aim while using gyro even more intuitive. Nice.
More goodness awaits
So far, so good. But there’s more. The new Steam Controller features four back buttons (not two like the PS5 DualSense Edge), which means you never need to take your fingers off the sticks if you need to press one of the face buttons. This is a must when playing competitive first-person shooters, believe me.
Of course, you also get two haptic trackpads that give you the control needed to navigate any PC launcher or the desktop, as well as play games that require a mouse. What started out as a foreign input is now an essential feature, and something that no other controller on the market can offer.
What started out as a foreign input is now an essential feature, and something that no other controller on the market can offer.
The Steam Controller may be packed with tech, but Valve promises you’ll get around 35 hours of battery life from a single charge. That’s a little less than the excellent Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller’s 40-hour playtime, but far more than the pathetic battery life of the PS5 DualSense controller.
Charging will also be a breeze, as the Steam Controller comes with a puck that snaps onto the back when you need more juice. It also acts as the controller’s receiver, which Valve says only adds 8ms of input latency. Oh, and you can also use Bluetooth, if you like.
Take my money
If these inputs and improvements weren’t enough to sell you on the Steam Controller 2 (which is basically what it is), it should also offer dramatically improved rumble feedback. The original Steam Controller’s haptic feedback was obnoxiously loud and lacked the nuance you can feel when using the DualSense and Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 controllers.
However, it seems like the Steam Controller 2 will address this, too, as Valve says Steam Controller’s “powerful motors are capable of handling complex waveforms for immersive, accurate haptics.
The new Steam Controller not only addresses every complaint I had with the first Steam Controller, but covers every single scenario I could imagine.
We’re still waiting for Valve to announce the price of the Steam Controller, but I’m already sold. Valve’s first attempt at a controller cost $50, and while I expect the successor to cost more, I doubt it will reach the eye-watering heights of the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller or the DualSense Edge.
People called the original Steam Controller “the Swiss Army knife” of gamepads thanks to Steam Input, but the hardware was inherently flawed. The new Steam Controller not only addresses every complaint I had with the first Steam Controller, but covers every single scenario I could imagine.
For that reason, I expect the Steam Controller will be the last gamepad I ever buy for PC. Thanks, Valve.
Up next: Steam Machine just put the PS5 and Xbox on notice – if Valve nails one more thing
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.