Steam Controller Wilhelm screams if you drop it, as players discover Valve's hidden Easter egg
Wait, did it actually do that?
😱 Early users of the Steam Controller have found out it can scream if you drop it
😂 Valve has put the Wilhelm Scream is as an Easter Egg
🎬 The scream is a famous stock sound effect used in film and TV
Users have reported hearing it if dropped while playing in Steam Big Picture Mode
Valve has implemented a fun Easter egg for the Steam Controller that sees the new gamepad let out a famous scream when it’s dropped.
As discovered by early adopters of the controller, such as Reddit user RF3D19, dropping the controller can sometimes cause it to let out the famous Wilhelm scream.
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect of a man screaming, which has been featured in Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and has been used in over 400 films and TV shows since 1951.
VGC has also tested the Easter egg with its own Steam Controller and confirmed that Valve’s new hardware does indeed scream when dropped, though please don’t drop your controller onto a hard surface if you want to hear it.
The way the sound can be triggered is by your PC being in Steam Big Picture mode. If you drop the controller while on the main menu, it may let out the Wilhelm scream.
This sound effect isn’t triggered by an internal speaker on the Steam Controller, but instead is created using its advanced haptics. For instance, this is the case for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, which can use it HD Rumble to make musical sound effects in games such as Super Mario Bros. Wonder, if a player walks across musical blocks or uses grind rails.
The Steam Controller sold out in a matter of 30 minutes when it launched last week, and resellers on eBay listed the controller for double its $99.99 price tag or more, with some listings even selling.
Valve has since implemented a reservation queue as an anti-scalping measure, where players can get in line for a Steam Controller and be notified when the controller comes back in stock. Once emailed, they have three days to purchase one.
Reservations will be limited to one Steam Controller per user. Once an order email is received, users have 72 hours to make a purchase. Users who have already bought a Steam Controller won’t be able to reserve a second one.
Up next: The Steam Machine may come in four different models
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.