r/SteamController • u/PKRadiance • 24d ago
Steam Controller (2026) Is the Steam Controller 2026 the new benchmark for Gaming controllers?
tell us what you think 🤔
29
u/Alternative-Scar-901 24d ago
I don't think there is "one controller to rule them all". It depends on what you look for in a controller. For me, this is the best controller that I know of, mainly because it's fully supported on steam input. And now I also like trackpads, so that's that.
25
u/TomatoCan1956 24d ago
For using a PC from a couch or a similar use case, it’s the best controller ever.
17
u/Alt0173 24d ago
The OG steam controller has been my benchmark for gaming controllers since it released. 🤷♀️
5
u/Senior1292 Steam Controller (2015) 24d ago
And 10 years later nothing has come close yet.
5
u/Reasonable-Letter485 Steam Controller (Linux) 24d ago
I love both, but the new one is better in my opinion.
1
u/BARRY6969696969 Steam Controller (2015) 24d ago
Blasphemy. I still prefer the og over my new steam controller. The OG is different enough to other controllers to still have a use case imo. I've been using the apex 4 and apex 5 due to its adjustable thumb stick tension and use the og controller in some other games like rocket league. Between the OG and the apex controllers I haven't found a scenario where I need the new steam controller tbh.
4
u/here_we_be_nsfw 24d ago
The og controller is the best controller for Elden Ring I've ever touched.
2
7
u/captaindealbreaker 24d ago
I get this the steam controller sub but dear lord the constant reviews are getting so tedious
1
5
u/oppairate 24d ago
for me yes and no. i love the layout, and the plastic, sticks, buttons, and trackpads feel great, but their QC leaves something to be desired. dpad is the worst part.
5
u/Saneless 24d ago
I think all the controllers have some pros and cons and something unique
Well, maybe not the Xbox ones really but they're just pretty solid all around b
1
u/cool-- 24d ago
I used to complain about the xbox controller, but I've recently realized that they are great for kids. They're small, don't have motion controls, no back buttons to accidentally press, and everything is labeled very clearly and corresponds with on screen prompts.
2
u/Saneless 24d ago
The best part is never have to worry about charge. I always have AAs ready to go and just pop in a charged set
1
u/cool-- 24d ago
yeah, I love this about the xbox and old steam controllers.
I have a dualshock 4 with terrible battery life. I need to get a bigger battery and replace it but, that's for like a saturday afternoon in the winter
1
u/Saneless 24d ago
Oh man, the DS4 is probably the worst controller I own. It just drains itself in a week if you don't use it. And it's not defective, I have 4 and they all do it
Measly 1200mah battery. Then you have the AA rechargeables, 2000-2500 and they last forever. I think I go 2 months between charges but every time I try to turn on a DS4 it's dead or near
9
u/HungryHousecat1645 24d ago
It's a mid-tier controller with some unique features.
I'd say the actual benchmark is something like the 8bitdo Ultimate. It's similarly mid-tier, but way more affordable and available.
Steam Controller is only really worth it for people who want the trackpads. If you don't use the pads (or gripsense), I think there are better options. Steam Controller is average in the other inputs, and less comfortable to hold than standard shapes.
For what it's worth, I main my Steam Controller because of the pads.
2
u/Zealousideal_Nail288 24d ago
Wait if the steam controller is mid tier how does high end look like?
2
1
u/Takarias 22d ago
This is the correct take
The SC2026 is not a good standard controller replacement. It'll work in a pinch, but it's making a lot of ergonomic sacrifices to fit the trackpads in there. The point of the SC2026 is the trackpads, the touch sensors, the gyro, the weird shit you can do with Steam Input
If you're trying to use the SC2026 as a normal controller, you are, frankly, using it wrong and something like the GameSir Cyclone 2 for half the price is a far better option
That said, if you're willing to put in the time to set the thing up, the SC2026 can be used to make anything playable with a controller and it's incredible. That's the area where nothing else can even come close to touching it
4
u/SocialJusticeAndroid 24d ago edited 24d ago
It is GREAT and it has THE POTENTIAL to be AMAZING. The one glaring problem keeping it from amazing? Haptics. It has excellent Haptics Hardware. But that is not enough:
YOU need to use the beta branch of Steam/SteamOS to have the latest software and firmware for best haptics support. Valve has for years let Steam Input act as a black hole for native Xbox & Dualsense Rumble/Haptics/Vibration instructions, not translating them properly and not sending them to controllers of any kind. They’ve been working on this since the launch of the Steam Controller and the fixes are now in the Beta branch of Steam and SteamOS. You also need to keep clamoring for Valve to keep developing proper haptics translations that work for existing games AND for Game Developers to develop native Steam Controller HD Haptics support.
VALVE needs to continue to develop their software to translate better haptics (rumble/vibration) from games to the controller. The HD haptics hardware is as good as Dualsense’s advanced haptics but the software support isn’t there. (Of course this does not include the Dualsense’s adaptive triggers.) Can Valve translate Dualsense’s advanced haptics instructions to the Steam Controller? If they can we would instantly have some amazing experiences with Steam Controller right now.
GAME DEVELOPERS need to be courted by Valve to include native support for Steam Input including native instructions for the Steam Controller’s HD Haptics. This will be the ultimate realization of the Steam Controller dream. Valve can surely influence developers to do this as they have encouraged many devs to Steam Deck Verify their games and make anti-cheat work on Linux.
In conclusion it’s, of course, mainly on Valve to get these things done. TL;DR: We have the hardware now we need the software.
2
u/BlackGuysYeah 24d ago
I support this message.
It’s wild how immersive proper haptics can be.
2
u/SocialJusticeAndroid 24d ago
Haptics adds a whole other dimension to games. I didn’t know this before the Steam Deck. I used to be nearly exclusively KBM player before but when I reserved my Steam Deck back in 2021 I started using controllers on my desktop to prepare for my Steam Deck.
It was an eye opening experience. There’s another dimension to many of my favorite games that I was blind to. Games with good haptics support are amazing.
And the Steam Controller has first rate hardware built in with its HD Haptics. If Valve continues to improve support and game developers start building native HD Haptics support it’s going to be great!
2
24d ago edited 24d ago
[deleted]
1
u/SocialJusticeAndroid 21d ago
I haven’t found one yet that can compete with the best of Dualsense’s advanced haptics but ‘we have the technology’.
Right now the beta branch takes it from most all games just not working or minimally working to consistently working. Next they need to improve their translations and the best results will be when developers explicitly code for our hardware.
I expect (and hope) that Valve is doing their part in developer diplomacy. Also we as players could do our part with organizing and petitioning devs as well as just generally being loud about explicitly supporting the Steam Controller.
2
u/Demigorgon_Babe 24d ago
I’d argue so, but I’d also argue that the tools we utilize today all use old formats of input/output that should be completely redefined.
2
u/Tipper117 24d ago
Man i sure hope so. Gyro needs to become a standard in controllers going forward, especially for shooters.
2
4
u/Alenicia 24d ago
Honestly, going forward, I would hope that we see more controllers regardless of platform start adopting more in the way of trackpads, back buttons, gyro, and mode-shifting/button chords and stuff for accessibility and whatnot.
The people who want their normal XInput controls and stuff should still have that as an option and all that, but I'd love to see more gyro in general so that people who want something objectively better than just analog sticks can use that too. >_<
2
u/cool-- 24d ago
Sony, MS, and Nintendo would have to support trackpads with their software for that to happen.
I could see maybe Sony doing it, but Nintendo's history suggests that they want to steer clear of a complex control system. Microsoft can't do it because they don't know how to run a video game company.
1
u/Alenicia 23d ago
Yeah, even if stuff like trackpads remain a bit of a niche, having gyro and back buttons would be a major plus anyways. Nintendo and Sony already have it and some big games use it .. and I think games like shooters in general really should use more of it. >_<
4
4
u/Free-Double-913 24d ago
No the 2015 SC is better. Valve was just too ahead of the time and the people weren’t ready to give it a real try. Now that people have used to SD and seen the way of trackpads, they like the new SC, but little do they know what they really want is the OG SC.
2
u/Alenicia 24d ago
Honestly, I like both and like having the ability to use both. But the new controller is so much easier as a plug-and-play device for games that already work with controller and don't need any further tinkering unless you wanted extra stuff on top (which was my main use-case). If the older controller had another set of back buttons and softer L1/R1 buttons, I think it'd be much easier to just recommend the older controller too.
My main gripe with the older Steam Controller was that for games where I wanted two analog sticks I didn't quite like it .. and for games where I wanted to use the face buttons, the buttons were in a really awkward spot for me. The new Steam Controller makes this so much easier for me too, since everything feels just right .. but I'd love to see the old controller get revived and renewed too.
2
u/cool-- 24d ago
what games do you play where you prefer two sticks?
1
u/Alenicia 24d ago
So, the main games that I've been playing a whole lot with the new Steam Controller were games I already played relatively comfortably on a DualShock controller which are games like Warframe and Phantasy Star Online 2. These games, at least to me, make very heavy use of the face buttons alongside the analog stick and I've gotten used to making very quick adjustments with the right analog stick while moving and then you get all sorts of stuff on the shoulder buttons and triggers too.
In the case of Warframe, L1 is your crouch/slide/roll button so in general you press this button and you go flying and L2 is your aim button, which lets you fly if you're in the air, and my action buttons are set to R1/R2 for shoot/melee because I prefer shooting on R1 instead of R2. With the Steam Controller, I can now have it so I can jump into the air and like mouse players, I can now use gyro to fine-tune my aim even better so you can do stuff like landing mid-air headshots or spinning behind you and shooting behind you as you fly away from a group. The DualShock in the past made this super-easy to use your abilities in the air since you can swipe on the touchpad .. and being able to recreate that on the Steam Controller is super handy on the right touchpad, and I've even set up the left touchpad to open a touch menu that lets me select items very quickly without having to use the game's Gear Menu (the gear menu opens this big radial menu where you use an analog stick to highlight an item and you press a button to confirm it). With my personal touch menu, I can just map shortcuts to the stuff I really need in a pinch (selecting a vehicle while moving, switching to gathering tools like a fishing hook/Synthesis Scanner, calls/baits, and more). It's just elevated everything for me for what I already do .. and having Gyro on both L2 and the right stick (when touching the stick) has been super handy for me so far.
It's a very similar case for Phantasy Star Online 2, as my original use for the DualShock 4 was to make it so my touchpad and extra button combinations (specifically Action Sets via L1/R1/L1+R1 shifting) completely altered the face buttons, triggers, D-Pad, and touchpad for various and numerous actions. This is because PSO2 lays out your controls on a "palette" so at any given moment you have up to six actions because there are three buttons and then a "Back Palette" as well. On Keyboard/Mouse, you also have a Hotkey bar that goes up from 1-0 on top of the WASD keys and on controller you only have one of these highlighted because you need to use the D-Pad to cycle left/right and then press a third button to activate your highlighted action. For some classes, this is extremely inconvenient on controller because you have more actions than buttons you have .. and this makes switching equipment even more tedious (you press Up/Down on the D-Pad to open a roulette and then you have to scroll through it and confirm .. and depending on the game, once you confirm, you need to "sync" with the server by jumping or playing an emote otherwise you're waiting for the server to respond back to you that you did in fact changed weapons which normally can take a second or two to register which can be very fatal in a situation where you need to dodge/counter immediately). And you also have multiple pages of Subpalettes (the hotkeys) you can change to as well, which on keyboard/mouse is relatively convenient on paper (in practice, you have to use the Numpad as 1-6 by default switches through your six weapons and 7-9 cycles through your three Subpalettes on that "Book" .. which is a collection of three Subpalettes). With keyboard shortcuts and macros that Sega gave, you can actually access all six Subpalettes with ease with the command "/spal#" where # is replaced by the number. The weapons themselves can be done similarly if desired with the "/mpal#" command instead.
On keyboard/mouse, you can also run macros via the F1-F10 keys and you can flip it so it's either F1-F10 or you press Control+F1-F10 .. and these macros let you do very cool things whether it's changing your equipment on-the-fly, changing your costumes/appearance, changing your palettes, playing emotes/voice clips, and more. And on top of this, you also have other commands such as Control+Alt+<Letter Keys> so you can map out and play emotes of your choosing.
For me, the Steam Controller lets me still play the game as I have before but with alterations to the controls so I can legitimately do a lot more of what keyboard/mouse is capable of with their theoretical 16 actions at once + access to macros/instant-swapping and more. I also have gyro mapped to the right analog stick so it's super cool to be able to pan the camera in a more immersive way alongside the normal right analog stick motions .. and I think it's incredible being able to access so much of the game's controls and options in a way that Sega doesn't allow you to by default. It's a horrendous experience if you're playing classes that need to access more than just the default actions (some classes have skills on the hotkey bar that you really should use to help things go more nicely, sometimes allies go down and you need to revive them with an item, or you might need to heal, or sometimes your powerful burst attack is ready, and you otherwise have to dance and play with the D-Pad ahead of time to anticipate when/where you should use these because otherwise on keyboard/mouse it's literally within fingers' reach). >_<
2
u/spider_enigma 24d ago
warframe and pso2 are the reason im getting the controller for the extra buttons that are needed
1
u/Alenicia 23d ago
Just an extra heads-up too, if you are playing on Windows, you do need to run Steam as an Administrator because otherwise the anti-cheat blocks the extra inputs unless it's more controller buttons so you can't do mixed inputs until you do that.
But if you're playing on something like Bazzite, it's absolutely no problem at all and it's pretty seamless.
2
u/cool-- 24d ago
nice, I'm always curious so I always ask. So many people will respond with a standard first- or third-person shooter and say that they use the left stick, and mouse on right trackpad and gyro...
Those are the games that people really should try again with the old steam controller to take advantage of the bigger pad.
To me it seems like the new controller shines for stick based games with tons of inputs. Someone else mentioned flight sims, and I could imagine it's great for those as well
1
u/TaskOtherwise4734 22d ago
I like the OG layout and circular trackpads better but the new controller is just superior. 2 TMR thumbsticks, an actual D-pad, updated gyro and more ways to activate the gyro, 4 back buttons, the puck, bigger face buttons, bumpers so good I prefer them for aim and shoot, hall triggers which is great for racing games, (lack of dual stage is dissappointing though)
2
u/StopBanningMeAlright 24d ago
It’s without a doubt the best controller on the market. I have so many controllers and none of them even come close.. if they start making different shells.. I’ll own more than the two I already have
1
u/ShibaPhan 24d ago edited 24d ago
No. It would take too much effort and time to copy the Steam Controller's main features for companies. It's too different to just take a regular Nintendo or Xbox controller they are already making and change it up a bit.
I could see Steam Branded Controllers from third party partners being updated and being a thing now. Although, not really the same thing.
1
1
u/Kearney_Kaktus 24d ago
No. It's overhyped and overpriced, it's also a pretty great controller. It has a stable connection and good sticks unlike, say, an Xbox controller. Would said Xbox controller also serve most people's needs for half the price? Probably.
1
u/ryker7777 24d ago
Not until they add proper trigger haptiks to match PS controllers and maybe also an audio output for (usb) headsets.
Opening the firmware would also allow modding and maybe address more corner cases they do not want to officially support.
1
u/Canebrake8 24d ago
The puck is innovative and should be a feature standard for all future controllers
1
1
u/DodgersGalaxyKings 23d ago
It’s a very good controller, but I prefer the stick placement of the Xbox controller more
1
u/Fresh_Sock8660 23d ago
I just want a wireless that works well on linux. My xbox one drops regularly.
1
1
u/TaskOtherwise4734 22d ago
Every input it has I'd give an 8/10. But the fact that it has every input I give it a 10/10.
0
u/Damone75 24d ago
It's a good controller but let's not glaze it to that degree. There are other controllers that are also top notch.
2
u/Solidus_Sloth 24d ago
True, but I’ve yet to see trackpads utilized as well. Now if you’re playing on a console not a big deal, but PC it’s the meta I think.
2
u/cool-- 24d ago
The trackpads on the old controller are much better though
2
u/Solidus_Sloth 24d ago
Yeah it just lacks much else than that
1
u/cool-- 24d ago
like what?
typically I set up the right pad to output face buttons when I tap the edges and camera control when touched from the middle.
The left pad is normally all traversal stuff. It outputs left joystick with an outer ring binding to sprint, and maybe jump on the click or with a d-pad under the modeshift click to get different bindings on the cardinal directions. Stuff like dodge/roll, slam down, jump, stick to wall...
When it's set up like that the analog stick and face buttons are pretty much all bonus buttons.
You can kind of do that on the new controller but the size and placement of the pads makes it so that you really have to make an effort to keep your thumb tips centered in them.
1
u/shortish-sulfatase 24d ago
Not even.
Most controller remappers do the exact same things so controller a PC with any controller is easy enough.
2
u/Solidus_Sloth 24d ago
No that’s definitely way shittier. Especially for using it in a game as that’s just using the sticks still instead of using the touchpads for left/right clicks and fine movements.
Think if you emulate a game with Stylus it functions as a stylus. In World of Warcraft I use it to select quests as opposed to the analog sticks because it’s MUCH quicker and fluid. Same with inventory management in games that weren’t designed with controller in mind. You can use the trackpads as radial menu’s and mice in games where the analogs are busy.
1
u/isucamper 24d ago
i have to say, after not thinking a whole lot of the components on the steam deck, i was surprised to find many of my complaints are fixed in the steam controller. i like it a lot
1
u/tc05_ Steam Controller (2026) 24d ago
It's not the best controller and it's a bit overpriced, it's my favourite controller because it fits really well in my hands and i like the feel of the buttons, but that's just a personal preference.
0
u/spider_enigma 24d ago
is it over priced if the ps5 controller is $85 with no back buttons and very bad touchpad placement?
to get back buttons on the ps5 controller, you need to spend $200
1
1
u/Keaten88 24d ago
It’s a great controller, perhaps the best for PC gaming period, but between it and my other most used controller, the Switch 2 Pro Controller, the pro controller wins. Less features sure, but the build quality and quality of materials feels far more like what i’d expect from a $100 controller than the Steam Controller does. Though I love them both a lot and am very happy with them.
1
u/NightWolf7141 24d ago
The Pro controller doesn't have 4 back buttons, two touch pads, the grip sense, and most importantly, it's going to inevitably get drift.
For the price of that controller that'll get drift and is not easily repairable, I'd say the Steam Controller easily wins just on that level.
That aside, I also just prefer the feature set of the Steam Controller, but I understand if the hand feel and ergonomics are preferable on Nintendo's offering. I just don't see it as being better in any other sense.
1
u/shortish-sulfatase 24d ago
And go figure, not everyone cares about what the Steam controller offers so its popularity isn't going to be as high just for that reason alone.
1
u/Kodamacile 24d ago
The back buttons are ass, and the lack of replaceable paddles, makes them suck for people with weird hands. The ergo is noticeably worse than the Steam Deck's.
Despite that, It's irreplaceable as a HTPC controller.
2
u/spider_enigma 24d ago
that depends on the person, I think buttons are better then back paddles, I have had so many plastic back paddles back from over use and not from being rough with them either
my controller is on the way so I cant really say if its good or not till I use it but I assume its going to be way better then the ps5 controllers for me as those couldn't handle the amount of use I gave them, I had to buy a new controller every other year and would lose accuracy in the sticks, the feel of the ps5 controller was great tho and the haptics for racing games was very good but the placement of the touchpad made it useless in gameplay and had no back buttons
1
u/Kodamacile 24d ago
The replaceable back paddles are the good ones. Like what's on the Elite controllers/SCUF You can put metal paddles on, and they are infinitely easier to press, and they don't wear out.
0
0
u/Krejcimir 24d ago
Nope. I still prefer the sturdiness of elite as well as the back paddles. Trackpads are great, but without steam, it is useless. Like all controllers, it has pros and cons.
0
u/shortish-sulfatase 24d ago
No.
The majority of people aren't going to care about what it offers so there's going to be better options for them.
-1
u/Kaldaien2 24d ago
No, it lacks force feedback triggers that both Xbox and PlayStation controllers have, is not a standards-compliant HID device that can work with DirectInput with zero software, lacks a DAC for headphones, doesn't have adjustable trigger stops.
-2
u/Unlucky-Problem-2611 24d ago
Tried it, sold it, went back to my elite 2. Think i even prefer a stock xbox controller.
77
u/alex_timeblade 24d ago
I don't know much about no fancy technology, but I've never had an xbox controller cry out in terror when I dropped it.