Valve’s original Steam Controller was a rather unconventional piece of kit. But a newly revealed modified version of the controller put it more in line with a standard controller. The new Steam Controller will feature a traditional d-pad and four face buttons (A, B, X, Y) in the standard diamond formation where previously there was a touchscreen akin to a smaller version of the Wii U GamePad.
The change makes it analogous to the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 and the Xbox One controller, meaning games designed for consoles could be more easily adapted to work with Valve’s new toy. Like the latter, the controller will also use AA batteries rather than a dedicated battery pack, which is a bit of a let-down given how easy it is to charge the likes of the DualShock or GamePad using a cradle dock or mini-USB cable. It will also be packed with an internal gyroscope and players will be able to use a whopping 16 Steam Controller at once if the game supports that many.
Valve has also hinted that more changes to the controller may happen in the future, as the company constantly seeks to refine it during the beta testing process. It seems the developer is keeping future VR headsets in mind while molding the Steam Controller, meaning it could be only part of what Valve has in mind.
[Source: Games Industry International]
