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Recently, I was in Tokyo for the Tokyo Game Show, which was incredible, and while I was there, I stopped by a spot called CeeU Yokohama. There was a big Steam Deck there on display, and of course, I took a picture with it. But on a whim, I looked to see if the new Steam Controller from Hori was there, and sure enough, it was! This controller was designed with Steam in mind and had some fantastic features like a dedicated quick access button, two back buttons, and full Steam Input support, but there are some features missing, like Rumble and trackpads. It got me thinking about the perfect controller for the Steam Deck, and I definitely have some thoughts.
Before I go into it, this is all purely my opinion about what a great controller for the Deck should have. At first, I thought maybe just putting the Steam Deck gamepad together without the screen in the middle would be good, but thinking about it, there's a bit more I would like to see.
Now of course the gamepad should have all of the basics: The ABXY, right and left bumpers and triggers, two joysticks, start and select buttons, Bluetooth compatibility, and a Dpad, but there are a couple of other features that I feel would really elevate the experience while keeping the Steam Deck spirit alive. In the end, all of these may be a little too much to fit into one controller, but one can dream.
Trackpads Are Essential
This is probably the biggest thing I have gotten used to with my Steam Deck that now feels necessary to have in a controller. Having dual trackpads, one on each side of the gamepad, has allowed us to not only navigate Desktop mode much more easily, but also lets us play games without proper controller support better. This really helps out with point and click titles, but I find myself using it a lot with city-management games like Frostpunk 2.
These are requirements in my mind, and I don’t see any proper future Steam controller that does not have them. Honestly, I would want trackpads for ANY controller I use with my Steam Deck, but I haven’t found any out there. They would also need to be compatible with Steam Input so we can configure them with virtual menus and change their behavior when desired. They can be pushed down in one of at least 4 directions to activate a button or action we determine.
Extra Configurable or Dedicated Buttons Are Needed
One of the first things I do when I start a game for the first time is go into Steam Input and set one of my back buttons to screenshot. It’s significantly easier for me to use a dedicated back button to take pictures instead of trying to press the Steam button with the right bumper. Having the extra buttons to do this is also a big need for me, but the number of buttons and placements are up in the air.
I have come to enjoy having two back buttons on each side of the controller, and it allows me to do much more in some games than I wasn’t able to before. I would like that to translate to a Steam Deck gamepad, though I could also be fine with a single back button on each side. Two on each just opens up more possibilities for configuration, and I love it.
In the Hori Steam Controller, we have a back button on each side, but we also have two configurable front buttons and some dedicated buttons that I have come to love. I can see having extra front buttons to be really helpful as well, especially when placed in good spots. I would love to see them possibly toward the bottom (where the Hori gamepad has them) or near the left and right bumpers.
I think having dedicated buttons would be great if those can't be achieved. The Hori gamepad has a dedicated Quick Access menu button, which should definitely come over, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a screenshot button similar to the Nintendo Switch. Pressing it once could take a screenshot, and holding it down could activate the game recording feature for Steam (when it is out of beta). Of course, a configurable button could do this, too, but it would need to differentiate between a short and long press.
To Rumble or Not To Rumble
Now, I am going to get into some territory that may seem controversial. I am not a fan of rumble in controllers. I understand that a lot of people like it, but I always find myself turning it off or just not really enjoying it. The closest I came to liking it is the Nintendo Switch’s HD Rumble feature, which could give very different feelings depending on what you were doing in the game. But even still, it isn’t a make-or-break feature for me.
So, in my perfect controller, this feature would be cut. I don’t care much for rumble, and having it gone makes the device a little bit lighter, which is something I really like. I can’t see Valve making a gamepad that doesn’t have rumble, especially with the Deck having it, but it isn’t something I need and could happily sacrifice for lighter and more comfort in my hands.
Trigger Behavior Switches and Gyro Activation
I absolutely love the triggers for the Steam Deck, and I think they are nearly perfect. They feel great when pushing down, and while I love the analog ability to push down the trigger only halfway and the game recognizes it, not all games take advantage. On top of that, there are some who prefer digital triggers like the Nintendo Switch since it’s easier to just push it down. For this controller, I would like a switch to change the behavior of the triggers from analog to digital and back. However, I would prefer it to change how the actual triggers feel, similar to the ZOTAC Zone.
I also feel gyro is especially important in a controller, but even more so, how it can be activated. The Steam Deck uses touch sensors in the joysticks to activate it. So, when your finger touches the joystick, it could activate, and as soon as your finger leaves, it will stop. Having joystick touch sensors to activate gyro and being more configurable in general would be especially helpful and great here.
Symmetry Positioning is Key
While most controllers I have used in the past have similar positioning, I never cared much until I started using the Steam Deck. I love how the Deck’s gamepad has everything positioned and easily reachable with my thumbs, and I want this trend to continue. To accommodate the trackpads, I believe the ABXY and Dpad will have to be horizontally across from the joysticks on both ends to ensure they can all be reachable. It may widen the controller, but using it will be worth it.
Speaking of which, this will also include symmetrical joysticks. I find it much more enjoyable and easier to use the joysticks when they are symmetrical to each other instead of asymmetrical and diagonally opposed. Some controllers already do this, like the DualSense from PlayStation, but I want it more widely adopted.
Quality Parts for Long Shelf-Life
The last thing I can think of for this dream controller is using quality parts and materials for the actual controller. Specifically, I want hall-effect joysticks and triggers and quality plastic being used. I don't want the actual controller to feel cheap, nor do I want the joysticks to have any noticeable drift that could come in early on in the controller's lifespan.
To me, that is the perfect controller. It has everything I could want feature-wise while keeping the symmetrical joysticks I love, trackpads for point-and-click games, and extra configurable buttons with full Steam Input support. I know that lack of rumble will be a deal-breaker for most, but I don't care for the feature in general, so I won't be missing anything. This would be an instant buy $60 controller for me.
What about you, though? What features would you want to see in a controller for your Steam Deck? Let us know in the comments!
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I do like the Xbox Elite trigger switches to adjust the pull distance from just hair to the full analog, though I don't actually use them, I like pulling them all the way, haha. A couple things I'd add to this list is haptic feedback options for the trackpads and triggers, even if not full rumble which I tend to miss and feel weird when it's off. And one other thing that I really loved about playing my PS4 was the speakers in the controller, and games that used that in conjunction with the rumble/haptics just felt so satisfying and immersive. I assume PS5 controllers have it, too, but I don't have one. But I don't know if PC games could even do that, because I don't remember it ever happening with my PS4 controller connected to my computer.
I think a design similar to ps5 edge controller would work, just make it so trackpad in middle splits into two to mimic left and right of steam deck pad.
I think I would like that!
Homie wrote a whole article asking for a Dual Sense Edge.
Dualsense Edge doesn't have the trackpads I want to see, but it does come close!
I have to admit I disagree about the symmetrical thumb sticks. I can't use PlayStation controllers for this exact reason. My thumbs cramp up having to constantly contort them to reach the thumb sticks. My Xbox elite V2 has the perfect layout with the thumb sticks and I think any handheld controller should have this same design. The SteamDeck however, is the one exception. The sticks are in a perfect reachable position for my thumbs not to cramp up and the reachability of everything is just perfect. If they can somehow meld the best things about an elite V2 And a steamdeck I think they'll have a winner.
I disagree with your disagreement.
I guess it's personal taste, but if I'm using off set sticks, I hold the controller a bit cockeyed.
You say it's uncomfortable to hold your left thumb as the same angle as your right thumb?
Nani the F, that makes no sense.
You're just holding your thumbs the same. Did you break your left thumb or something? I think that's all in your head man. To me that's like saying you need the left handlebar on a motorcycle bent up so it's more comfortable. Unless you've had a physical injury, it makes no sense.
That would be interesting to see! I wouldn't be opposed to that combination.
As one of the semi-mythical diehard users of the original Steam Controller (I have four to make sure I can use them for as long as possible) my controller already ticks basically all those boxes!
Squeeze a second thumb stick on it and the Steam Controller is perfect. 😀
I haven't used a Steam Controller. My brother had one back in the day, but I never used it. It always did intrigue me though. My brother wasn't a fan at the end of the day haha.
Yeah, I need to pull out my old Steam Controller again sometime, I used to love it, especially the haptic feedback options. I would need that in a dream controller, even if not full rumble.
First comment on Steam Deck HQ! Great work on the site, by the way. And great photo with the giant Steam Deck!
While I mostly agree with your feature list for a dream Steam Controller, I think the other way about rumble, or more precisely haptics: for me, a perfect Steam Controller (or future Steam Deck model) would have DualSense-compatible haptics and adaptive triggers.
I have recently been using my PS5's DualSense connected to the Deck via USB for playing Helldivers 2 and Chiaki4Deck, and I'm really loving to have those advanced effects while being portable.
Hopefully DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers become more common on PC games, as Sony has been publishing lots of their games on PC.
Conversely, what I miss the most while using the DualSense compared to the Steam Deck built-in controls are the right and left trackpads, and gyro activation by touching the stick tops.
Yeah, I think controllers are a very personal thing, as I hold different opinions to both yourself and Noah. Haha
Unlike Noah, I like to have vibration/rumble on my controllers, it's something you don't really notice until it's gone, but in racing games for example, the vibration helps with a sense of speed.
Unlike yourself, I dislike the adaptive/rumble triggers on the DualSense, as the majority of games (>90% in my opinion) overuse them, and my hand actually gets numb after a while of the vibration straight through my finger.
Astro Bot did a good job as it only used them in short bursts, but going back to racing games, some of them constantly have the trigger vibrate as you accelerate and it's just an abysmal feeling, and testing my lap times in Gran Turismo 7 with them on and off, I was faster with the triggers off, so they made me play worse as well.
I think the saving grace here is that we have options, and it's great that all of these different controllers exist, and if we do one day get the holy grail of controllers with all the options, we can pick and choose what features we want enabled on it. And I would love to see a controller one day with all these bells and whistles.
Still use (and love) the 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4G Controller. It works perfectly, the loading dock is even better than all any ps5 dock I've ever owned and is robust, has long battery and is precise. Is also lacking the Trackpad sadly. Maybe some day they release their own trackpad - controller.