Steam Controller May Not Arrive Until Late Fall 2014

By Kevin Parrish
published

Sources say it may not be until November before we see the final product.

Unnamed sources told PC Gamer at PAX East that Valve Software's upcoming controller won't be released until sometime around October or November 2014. Given that the controller is one of the prime ingredients of most Steam Machines hitting the market, we now have a better idea of when they will finally be available to purchase. Last we heard, the release window was September.

The sources also told PC Gamer that around 500 games will be ready to play natively on SteamOS by the end of the year; currently, there are 382 compatible titles. Unfortunately, that's it for juicy details, as the sources didn't provide any additional information such as pricing.

Valve Software updated the controller last month by ripping out the touch screen and using that space for classic diamond-spaced front-facing ABXY (right) and directional (left) buttons. Also in that space is a Steam button, and two additional buttons for (presumably) Start and Select functions. However, Valve has indicated that the touch screen could return in a future version.

So what happened to the touch screen? This feature was slated to hook into a game's UI – such as Civilization V -- and provide players with keyboard shortcuts. However, a Valve representative said that the company made the decision to delete the screen in order to cut costs. Apparently, tests revealed that prototype users really didn't need it after all.

Valve's updated controller layout should make it easier on developers to add Steam Controller support to their existing games now that the peripheral is similar to an Xbox or PlayStation model. In addition, the directional buttons will likely make movement a lot easier, especially in 2D games, instead of using the left trackpad.

The Steam Controller is slated be sold at a "competitive" price when it appears on store shelves later this year.

Kevin Parrish
9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Steveymoo
    Valve - Professional foot draggers.
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    Valve - Professional foot draggers.

    Footdraggers, maybe. But you gotta admit, they do shit right. At least the shit you have to pay money for.
    Reply
  • toddybody
    Big valve supporter, but the steam controller is pretty useless. Most PC gamers don't want a controller, and of those who do (no doubt, certain titles are best with a controller, like Starcraft)...the 360/windows controller is superb.

    PS: StarCraft reference was a joke...damn folks :/
    Reply
  • timaahhh
    LoL Steveymoo, I am very excited for this controller. This looks like one of the best controllers made. I am a mouse and keyboard man but sometimes I do wish for the simplicity of a controller. Most of my gaming friends are console gamers and have no interest in playing on my computer. Unless they can use the xbox controller I have for the Arkham games and some controller centric titles.

    I also am a living room gamer and somehow using mouse + keyboard in the living room seems especially geeky. Though an xbox or a controller is perfectly acceptable.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    Before the "this is no mouse+keyboard replacement" talk engages... This is not meant to be a mouse+keyboard replacement at all.

    This is their way to tell games about playing at their couch with very close functionality as a mouse+keyboard without any hassles.

    Remember the SteamBox is aimed to compete with Consoles, and that means the Living room, not your regular computers. So, you can all start comparing it to the XBox controller or the PS controllers, but not a mouse+keyboard.

    Cheers!
    Reply
  • doomtomb
    We already gave a perfectly good controller made by the same people as your operating system, called the. Xbox 360 controller. Until game publishers like Blizzard add controller support this is going nowhere fast. Steam machines ran out of steam about a month after CES
    Reply
  • Vlad Rose
    Ugh, buttons for the directional pad just like the Playstation controllers. This will suck big time for fighting games. :( Not saying the 360 controller is any better though. Makes me really miss the SNES pad and the Genesis 6 button pad.
    Reply
  • npcomplete
    Ugh, buttons for the directional pad just like the Playstation controllers. This will suck big time for fighting games. :( Not saying the 360 controller is any better though. Makes me really miss the SNES pad and the Genesis 6 button pad.

    That's what I was also wondering about. The focus all seems to be kb+ms replacement. But this is also supposed to replace console controllers. Have they, or anyone at all, tested this with fighters?
    Reply
  • ultameca
    I hope more controller based games start coming out for the pc, I love mouse keyboard games but, sometimes I just want to play some controller games. You know Like sonic...
    Reply