this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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Steam Hardware
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Is it just me or is this hella ugly?
It is. But that's the compromise for trackpads.
The important question is; does it feel good to game on?
i think the Steam Controller (2015) incorporated the track pads and had a good aesthetic. Really, all it needed was a real d-pad.
I disagree, I've always thought it was pretty ugly. Too bulbous looking. The new one looks like a "normal" controller, but oversized to accommodate the track pads. Still not a looker, but at least it isn't so bulbous. Also, glossy plastic can smd.
I always thought the old one looked like a Sega genesis controller, but with a modern button scheme.
I lost the dongle to mine. i cry evry tim
That old thing had just one analogue stick, and like you said, no D-Pad.
The new steam controller has the same layout as the Deck, sacrificing no button or input options.
I personally don't think it's ugly, just plain, maybe. And while I would say "you don't watch your hands while you game", I do like a classy and/or nice looking controller. I kind of wish Valve would decide on a more striking look, but I suppose this look IS a statement of their values and priorities.
I was hoping they would do a transparent version, since it does kind of look like a mad cat's controller that you give to your kid brother while you have the proper controller, really lean into it.
Although no doubt dbrand will have a skin for it.
Ngl, I also thought of that and think it would be badass. If it were that 90s clear plastic, what colors would you want the most, besides, obviously, that purple? ^.^
https://64.media.tumblr.com/bbc096566ab94bfc0086361c36a506d3/e3609eac53a9b92f-87/s2560x500/df66d6f5fc46433e10f20eeeff8891cc5e74d771.png
I really liked the design of PS4 controller, it had a neat, small, handy feel, this looks bloated, large, idk
Unlike popular console controllers, which have games designed specifically for them, the Steam Controller was created to play games originally made for mouse and keyboard, not a controller.
The goal was to have a single controller that lets you play your entire Steam library. So it has all the buttons and axes expected by XInput-based games, but compared to the other controllers it sacrifices simplicity in favor of flexibility. It has four additional buttons on the back and dual trackpads on the front, which makes it considerably larger.
I think if you had the back buttons act as modifiers changing input layers, you could play a MMORPG with this which requires you to have 20 abilities on hotkeys. I haven't looked into Steam Input in years, though.
Steam input is insanely powerful, and just a bit confusing. But, Valve was smart and layered on public sharing of profiles PER GAME and when you look for community profiles for a game, it shows you their popularity and age.
More dedicated buttons is always the correct second choice to proper game input design, but having a custom Steam input layer will make up for almost anything you wanted to ever throw at it; you could control an mmo with a wiimote if you were daring enough.