Earlier iterations that Valve tested were even more extreme.

It also includes two “paddles” that the player can grip with their ring and pinky fingers, which are otherwise unused by conventional controllers.

It replaced them with two huge circular touchpads, one of which is bare like a laptop touchpad, and one that has a cross-shaped groove to help ease the loss of those cardinal buttons. While using mostly conventional shape, the Steam Controller did away with the standard D-pad and a secondary thumbstick, elements of controller design that have been more or less set in stone for almost two decades. When Valve first sold the retail gadget in 2015, its wild design turned heads. Why? It’s all about hitting that sweet spot between comfort and functionality.īut before I make the case for the Dual Shock 4, I should tell you why the official Steam Controller isn’t the obvious choice. Let’s examine why.Īfter spending several weeks tinkering with my Big Picture and Steam Link setup, and trying out the first-party controller options from Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Steam itself, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Dual Shock 4 from the PS4 is the best controller to use with Steam. Steam’s Big Picture Mode and Steam Link platform have their own branded Steam Controller.

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