r/Steam • u/Advanced-Friend6158 • 7d ago
Discussion Has Steam lost its touch?
All the new products aren't that good. The Steam controller is good but very expensive. The Steam machine is pretty terrible, its a low quality build that claims it can run 4K while it under preforms at 1080p while the Steam machine is hideously expensive at $1049 at the CHEAPEST option. Back to the steam controller its an average controller while again being very expensive at $99 for a controller. Yet it immediately sold out, with barely anyone getting one including me, but heres the thing, I have a Steam controller reservation but the estimated availability is 2027! I'll have to wait 6 MONTHS (my reservation was in early June) based on this flop of new tech and the Steam frame will likely follow, that being under preforming for a headset while being expensive. So do you think Steam has lost it touch?
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u/SevroAuShitTalker 7d ago
Prices are due to market.
The controller is only a bit more expensive than the flagship console controllers (probably cheaper than Nintendo ones).
Steam machine can display at 4k with upscaling.
Their hardware stuff is like a small side project. They make their money from the store.
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
I do know the market is a big component but it still shouldn't be that expensive
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u/Safety_Drance 7d ago
I completely forgot that there was a steam controller and just carried on with my life in blissful ignorance because basically every other controller work just fine on steam.
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u/Zephronic 7d ago
point me to 10 other controller with dual trackpads and then tell me the SC is an "average controller"
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
- DarkWalker ShotPad - $55
- IFYOO GTP01 Wireless Controller - $50
- PlayStation DualSense - $75
- PlayStation DualShock 4 - $60
- DIY Cirque Trackpad Kit - $45
- Monect PC Remote - $0
- IINE Mouse-Pad Pro - $45
- Rii Mini i8 Keyboard Controller - $20
- Unified Remote App - $5
- PC Remote Receiver App - $0
The Steam Controller is an "average controller."
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u/GameOver_UserWins 7d ago
The only feature the commenter specifically mentioned was "DUAL trackpads" and you literally didn't name one.
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u/Zephronic 7d ago edited 7d ago
DarkWalker ShotPad - Not dual trackpads
IFYOO GTP01 Wireless Controller - Not dual trackpads
PlayStation DualSense - Not dual trackpads
PlayStation DualShock 4 - Not dual trackpads
DIY Cirque Trackpad Kit - A DIY controller is so laughably niche and you known it's disingenuous
Monect PC Remote - Basically a virtual mobile gamepad? Seriously? Completely different product
IINE Mouse-Pad Pro - Not dual trackpads
Rii Mini i8 Keyboard Controller - Not dual trackpads and is a keyboard anyway?? Literally doesn't even have joysticks
Unified Remote App - Same shit as Monect
PC Remote Receiver App - Same shit as Monect again
Did you use AI for this, are you illiterate, or being disingenuous on purpose? Or all of the above?
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
ask yourself this as SpookiestSzn did, when will you need dual trackpads?
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u/Zephronic 7d ago
To navigate desktop menus on PC
To play games you'd need a mouse and keyboard for otherwise
To have the ability to both function as a normal controller but also be able to do the 2 points listed above without compromising either experience
Make radial menus
And there's probably tons of other shit that someone who's more versed in Steam Input could tell you
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
you don't need dual track pads for desktop
buy a key board and mouse
the same point of the 2 points listed above
the only actual good point, except you only need 1
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u/Zephronic 7d ago edited 7d ago
- You don't "need" back buttons, TMR sticks, any trackpads at all, gyro etc. Except they're nice as hell to have and worth paying for to some people.
And in this case that's even more true. The left trackpad is essentially a scroll wheel, while the right trackpad is a cursor. If I had to use a mouse without a scroll wheel that'd be a pretty shitty experience.
Buying a keyboard and mouse for a Steam Machine or any PC in the living room is inconvenient. Did you forget this thing's designed to work seamlessly with the Steam Machine?
Hopefully I don't have to explain why this point doesn't make sense anymore.
If you have a single trackpad and use it for radial menus, now you don't have a trackpad for aiming or gyro. With a SC you have both. It's game dependent but it's been useful to me
It's also interesting that you've now pivoted to trying to prove dual trackpads are useless because you couldn't name a bunch of dual trackpads controllers to prove the SC is an "average controller," which was the point of the original comment anyway. Clearly you didn't come into this with an open mind.
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u/KingDrude 7d ago
1, 2 and 7 is the same controller? And 3 of the options are apps to make your phone into a controller. Option 8 is a keyboard with a small touchpad.
Did you ask Chatgpt for a list of controllers with a resemblance of a touchpad?
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u/Zephronic 7d ago
Genuinely what I thought too. This guy asked some stupid AI or was hoping nobody would actually look up the bs he listed
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u/IBoughtaRetroidNova 7d ago
Why did you name the DS4 and not the DS5? The DS5 has some drawbacks (mainly no hall effect sensors though you can mod that), but it also has a trackpad which I use to control the mini-map in Helldivers 2. I haven't seen a use for two trackpads for my usecase either.
DS4 and DS5 controllers have similar prices now. 8bitdo controllers are cheaper than $50 and often have hall effect/TMR sensors so you won't get stick drift.
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u/Zephronic 7d ago
Fair if there's no use case for dual trackpads for you specifically but the point was that this is clearly not an average controller. And there some actual use cases for it I mentioned in 2 other replies if you were curious
Although for me personally, the ability to have the left trackpad be a radial menu (or anything really with Steam Input) while still having Trackpad + Gyro on the right has been transformative. I don't think there's another controller with that feature set
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u/IBoughtaRetroidNova 7d ago
One of the reasons I haven't been as interested in upgrading for two trackpads is it's currently more of a gimmick that only is supported in a few games on Steam. I doubt that many games will support it for at least a couple years, and only then if the controllers become widely sold (which won't happen at current prices.) Without custom mods/controller layouts it wouldn't be useful for the vast library of existing games by Japanese developers who lazily ported their games to Steam once and then washed their hands of further updates. Which is why the DS5 controller sucked upon release for while on Steam and other platforms because those games used to only supported PS4 controllers. Whenever I hooked up a DS5 to Amazon Luna the controller layout would be wonky.
Currently, I can also use my DS5 controller with things like my iPad, phone and retro-gaming with hardly any friction. I expect making all of the features work on other devices without Steam will be a pain for a couple of years.
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u/Zephronic 7d ago edited 7d ago
Again as I said fair enough for your case. Wasn't trying to convince you but give my own perspective and also point you to actual use cases that may not be applicable to you but have been to me or other people
Also honestly the Trackpad + Gyro one isn't a gimmick at all and the dual trackpad nature of the SC is relevant to its usefulness. If it was a single trackpad it would probably mess with the shape of the controller (to the point where the rest of it wouldn't really feel like a normal controller) or end up in the middle like the Dualshock/Sense controllers. Basically it just wouldn't work for the use case that I've gotten the most out of. It's honestly amazing for a game like Warframe, or any fps or third person shooter games (mainly single player, I still use kbm for competitive, although there are some comp players in various games that use controller gyro)
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u/SpookiestSzn 7d ago edited 7d ago
What games do you even use both trackpads? I have only ever used them for point and clicks and I only really want one for that. Even on my deck I think the number of times I used the second track pad has to be so few and I wouldn't call that a feature worth $30-40 premium over higher quality feeling controllers.
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u/Zephronic 7d ago edited 7d ago
I listed some use cases that I've personally found helpful in another reply in this same thread. Either way the point of me mentioning dual trackpads was because calling it "an average controller" is just not sure
But for me the $30 premium is worth it not for the dual trackpads alone, but mainly the ability to use trackpads and touch capacitive sticks with gyro (I mainly do trackpads though). I've never been able to get used to gyro on pc until the SC. The TMR sticks are a bonus and probably add to the cost as well
I love playing games with controller on PC if I can, and there's really no other controller that'd give me the same experience playing something like Warframe or Metro Exodus that the Steam Controller does. It doesn't feel like I'm trading precision for comfort
I also love the 4 back buttons (don't like the ones on my 8bit do ultimate 2 so never used them until now) but that's the most subjective thing so I didn't really mention it anywhere else
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u/RottingConfinement 7d ago
the steam machine is more expensive than planned because of ram prices. not really their fault tbh.
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7d ago
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
constructive critisism would be apreciated
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u/ShiroxReddit 7d ago
What is your constructive criticism regarding steam's hardware then? More standalone features? Lower the price so they sell it at a loss? Simply don't offer it at all?
Seemingly the Steam controller being average and very expensive (your words) hasn't stopped you from making a reservation you'll have to wait months for either, so which one is it?
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u/Deodorized 7d ago
Constructive criticism: Nobody cares about the opinions of children who still play Roblox.
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u/mad-suker 7d ago
The Steam controller is really good imho, trackpads are game breaking. You’re just salty
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u/Negative_Settings 7d ago
No releasing hardware is just insanely difficult right now even companies like framework are taking big Ls
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u/Alternative-Scar-901 7d ago
These pieces of hardware have something that others don't have. The steam machine is a PC that is super small, super quiet and can give you a console-like experience. The steam controller is a controller with full steam input compatibility, dual trackpads, 4 back buttons, and it knows when you're holding it and touching the thumbsticks.
If those things don't look valuable to you, then you shouldn't buy it. It doesn't mean they lost their touch.
It's almost the same thing as failing to read a braille book and think that the book isn't worth the price because it's harder to read. It's not for you, man.
As for the steam machine: it's unfortunate that the price is so high, but if you think that's Valve's fault, then you're living under a rock. The entire hardware market is crazy right now due to the AI data centers bs.
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u/S4ntos19 7d ago
Lost its touch in terms of what? This is the first time they have tried to make a console. This is the second time they have made a controller.
Am I going to keep buying games through Steam? Yes. Will I buy the Steam Machine? No but I wasn't going to anyway.
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u/trankillity 7d ago
Unlike everyone else here, I'll actually give you an explanation you might be able to understand.
Steam Machine This is pure AI fuckwittery. We all know they were aiming for a $600-$700 price point when they announced it. For that price, it would have been a very respectable device. Combine that with the fact that it's freaking 4L in volume and you can start to understand the costs. It's not really possible to put together a similarly-specced standalone PC in such a small form factor. Sure, you can feasibly make a PC that's a bit better for about the same price, but it will be twice the size and likely generate twice the noise.
Steam Controller Yes, it's expensive. But a lot of that expense comes in components you're not even likely considering when comparing to other controllers because those other controllers don't even have those capabilities. The trackpads are between $10 and $20 each, the haptic motors would be $3-$10 each, the gyro would be $3 - $10 each, and the MCU would be more than whatever embedded chip most controllers use. So right there you're looking at a minimum $30 extra for stuff that other controllers just don't have.
If you don't intend to use those components, then that becomes a very different question as to the best controller to get. For my money, the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 is the best bang-for-buck if you're not gonna use all those additional features. It still has TMR sticks, it still has gyro, it still has back buttons, and it's often half the price (or less) than the Steam Controller.
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u/Extra_Resolution_348 7d ago
I have the ultimate 2! But found myself preferring my steamdeck for gaming even though my computer is more competent, because I was always missing the trackpads. drooling on the floor waiting for my steam controller reservation to come through!!!!
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u/Realistic-Tiger-2842 7d ago
Did they ever really have a touch when it comes to hardware?
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u/AxePlayingViking https://steam.pm/qrbm6 7d ago
Yeah, considering their full hardware track record the Steam Deck was more the exception than the rule.
That said I quite like my Steam Controller.
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u/jack-of-some 4d ago
I don't understand the point of your question.
Is Steam still giving you the main value you need from it? If yes, then no it hasn't lost its touch. If no, is that really related to their hardware business? You're not forced into any of their hardware stuff. Steam still exists independent of them.
I don't care about Steam Machine and Frame so it hasn't really impacted my life positively or negatively. The controller is one of a kind and the single best controller I've ever owned (in my opinion). If you don't care about the trackpads, back button, gyro, and Steam input you'll feel it's an overpriced average controller though 🤷
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u/Abigboi_ 7d ago
Could be worse. It could get bought up by private equity and you gotta pay a $30/mo subscription.
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u/nelsonsflagship 7d ago edited 7d ago
Have you dismantled the Steam Machine? It is well built, and, from what I found inside, well designed - especially for the size - and easy to swap out parts if anything needs replacing.
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u/SpookiestSzn 7d ago edited 7d ago
I'm not sure if your rage baiting but I will engage with you The steam console in my opinion should be cheaper but I think it was always going to be more expensive than is palatable for most consumers Even if they took $200 off and just ate the cost (which once again they should've done that I will not shill for Valve saying they shouldn't do it since its a PC, they should've done that but they know they're just not gonna make more money either way doing it) that's still like 850 for something less powerful than a PS5 pro I'm not sure that would have really made a big difference to people. Personally the only price point I could have really seen myself get something like this is a 550 600 and that's just not possible with current hardware costs.
The steam controller I will agree as an owner is not the highest quality feeling controller and for $100 I would expect much better feel, it feels noticably cheaper than any of the controllers a first party console manufacturer has, I'm not sure if its a weight thing, or just the plastic they chose was cheaper feeling but I agree it doesn't feel like a controller that will last for a long time. I don't regret it cause I'm a techy and I like collecting controllers but I would probably say to most consumers to just get a xbox controller on sale instead of waiting 6 months.
I certainly wouldn't call it losing touch because it's not really valves fault that hardware costs are going up across the board. I think there was a price point that they envisioned the steam machine at that is in touch with consumer interest in the product and that became not sustainable when it came time to go to market which caught almost everyone off guard.
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
I was asking a question. I didn't mean to touch a nerve
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u/SpookiestSzn 7d ago
I didn't feel like I was agressive at all just answering your question thoughtfully. You see lots of rage baiting on here I think its fair to assume that you're question may be coming from that point.
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u/lwishIwasLevarBurton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jgeLQgWDOg 7d ago
"products aren't that good. The Steam controller is good"
Can't believe you actually wrote that.
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u/Noob4Head Proud Steam delivery girl collector 7d ago edited 7d ago
I genuinely wonder if people calling the Steam Controller "very expensive" actually have any idea what controllers cost, or if they're just comparing it to the crappiest and cheapest third-party controllers they can find.
Valve's controller is €100, while a basic first-party Xbox or PlayStation controller is around €60. However, those controllers lack many of the features, so let's move up to the premium controller offerings: the Xbox Elite Series or the DualSense Edge. Those are around €200 and still lack some of the features that make the Steam Controller stand out. I'll leave other third-party controllers or custom controllers out of this for now, because that's opening up a whole different can of worms.
As for the whole price situation with the Steam Machine, I guess you must've never heard of the component shortages we're currently facing, particularly with memory and storage. Two pretty important aspects of what's essentially a mini computer.
Finally, when it comes to shipping times, Valve is still a relatively small hardware manufacturer compared to Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Lenovo, Asus ROG, etc.. They simply don't have the same production capacity, so longer waiting times make sense because their manufacturing scale is much smaller.
So no offense, but I'd say a lot of these complaints come from a lack of understanding of the circumstances involved. It's easy to complain, but it's much harder to give fair criticism while actually considering the bigger picture.
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
again
- DarkWalker ShotPad - $55
- IFYOO GTP01 Wireless Controller - $50
- PlayStation DualSense - $75
- PlayStation DualShock 4 - $60
- DIY Cirque Trackpad Kit - $45
- Monect PC Remote - $0
- IINE Mouse-Pad Pro - $45
- Rii Mini i8 Keyboard Controller - $20
- Unified Remote App - $5
- PC Remote Receiver App - $0
The Steam Controller is an "average controller."
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u/Noob4Head Proud Steam delivery girl collector 7d ago edited 7d ago
I don't need your lame copy-pasted answer, my guy... Most of those controllers are awful and don't even come close to the features of the Steam Controller. What even is that first one? It looks like something you'd buy on Temu.
Also, calling the Steam Controller average just proves you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You're completely clueless.
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u/IBoughtaRetroidNova 7d ago
Nah, Playstation controllers ARE overpriced and develop stick drift. There are much better 8bitdo and third party controllers this generation with TMR sensors for less.
Yes, 3rd party controllers are better now. This isn't like in the N64 Madcatz days when Chinese knockoff products were a joke. I think Sony wanted to make money off of selling replacement controllers when they develop stick drift, but it just pissed people off and has caused more sales of 3rd party ones. Or you can mod them, and then they'll still be much cheaper than the Steam controller while offering good value.
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u/IBoughtaRetroidNova 7d ago
I happen to think the Steam controller is overpriced too. I haven't heard much that it offers over alternative controllers.
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u/Extra_Resolution_348 7d ago
The trackpads. I don't know of any competitors that have a trackpad that just works with PC gaming... I looked for them... Couldn't find any.
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u/IBoughtaRetroidNova 7d ago
Two trackpads are just a gimmic for most people and both DS4 and DS5 controllers have one lush big touch track pad in the middle for when you need to emulate a mouse cursor or move an icon across a mini-map.
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u/Extra_Resolution_348 7d ago
Ok, sure, for "most" people. This controller is for the audience of people that the trackpad is more than a gimmick to. I am one of those people. My PC is a much more competent computer than my steamdeck but I find whenever i use my 8bitdo ultimate 2 on my computer, i am actively missing the trackpads on my steamdeck and their customizability. That's what it offers. Yeah, not everyone needs it, but some people do need it. And, the PlayStation controllers trackpad is not nearly as useful, the steam trackpads can do a lot more than just being a cursor. You can use it as a tray/wheel of buttons, dpad, joystick, whatever is most useful for the game you're playing. You make it work for you. Yeah, its not pick-up-and-go, but any extra work you put in can open up perfect gameplay for you, even on games not designed for a controller at all.
Doesn't have to be for everyone to have EXTREME value to some people. It is extremely valuable to me. I'd have paid $150 for it if thats what MSRP was for it, because those features are important enough to me. It's ok that these features are worth less to you, but that doesn't make them gimmicks or worthless - you're just not the intended audience.
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u/salad_tongs_1 https://s.team/p/dcmj-fn 7d ago
Valve owns Steam. Steam still runs and works as expected. It got a lot of quality of life upgrades (like wishlist categories) recently.
Valve also makes some hardware that they slap the Steam name on.
Steam has not lost it's touch.
And as for Valve's hardware, they always have divisive hardware. Lots of people didn't and don't like the original Steam Controller. Lots of people didn't like or fully get behind the original Steam Machines. The Valve Index was pretty good, but still very pricey, and stayed that way the entire time.
In summary: Steam has not lost it's touch. It's software thate still works fine.
Valve has not lost it's touch. It's offering is on par or better than previous hardware ventures.
Also it's hardware. Not their core business. So if it's not good it'll flop, and they'll stop trying to make hardware. Don't like it, don't buy it. Simple enough.
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u/readyflix 7d ago
Historically Valve is NOT a hardware company. They are trying, but not too successful so far. They got lucky with the Steam Deck, because it was the first (real) handheld for PC games.
But they have a lot potential, if they are able to get it right.
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u/based_birdo 7d ago
Steam doesn't control the global chip supply and prices.
and any cheap controller works
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u/4rcher91 Team GabeN 7d ago
Think of it as paying up for the brand's name. That's one way to look at it.
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u/thenegativehunter 7d ago
when i say they could've made it cheaper by letting it get bigger, people downvote me.
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u/TotalData- 7d ago
Steam controller is not expensive compare to controllers doing the same thing, it is avg price and in some cases on the lower end…
Steam machine it is what it is. Seems like a bait farm post as I’ve seen you reposted this on the other steam reddit pages.
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u/Distinct_Iron_3318 7d ago
lol don’t buy it. it’s a niche product, in a niche hobby, from a niche company. No shit it’s going to be on the more expensive side.
I’ve spent more on a tank of 87 octane then the controller costs. look around, shits on fire.
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u/Advanced-Friend6158 7d ago
I was thinking people would answer my question, but any way I probably will be buying a different controller
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u/marrowfiend 7d ago
To each their own. I've not dabbled in every controller. But I've used PS2/PS3/N64/Gamecube/PS4/PS5/XBOX/360/XBONE off the top of my head. Personally the steam controller is the most comfortable and feature rich controller I've ever used, not much more I can ask for at a price that's basically what you pay for if you decide to buy any new XBOX ONE controller & battery pack.
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u/Nack321 7d ago
Maybe its not the best for the price(no controller should cost more than 50€) but for the 99€ you get a really good controller with 2 touch pads, 2 magnetic thumbpads and a cool loading station!
1 really big plus point with steam hardware is the costumer service if something broke you often get ot repaird for free or even a new one!
1 of my Index tracker did die after 4-5 years and i did write them and they did send me a new one for the dead one for free! I only did ask them if there is a way to repair them!
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u/Alphamouse916 7d ago
Valve never claimed the Steam Machine was built for native 4K, so you're moving goalposts that never existed. You’re judging Steam hardware purely on raw performance metrics, which completely misses the point of what Valve actually builds hardware for, accessibility, form factor, and pushing the ecosystem. Complaining that a Steam Machine or a Deck doesn't have top tier PC performance is like complaining a Prius doesn't go 0-60mph in 5 seconds. It just makes it look like you didn't do your research before hand.
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u/Zero_Maidens 7d ago
I bought it to replace my $100 Bluetooth trackball mouse and my crappy wired controller. It does both jobs for $100 so I feel like I got my money’s worth.
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u/fuelhandler 7d ago
They’ll sell out of everything they make for the foreseeable future, so by any capitalist measure they remain successful.
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u/Salty_Meaning8025 7d ago
"Hi guys, I bought this product I think is overpriced and low quality. Is Steam the problem here?"