I was watching this video the other day and our friend Bob made a comment about the steamdecks trackpads, essentially calling the bad. I want to know what the community thinks.

For me, they are a game changer. They are not the best implemented trackpads I’ve ever seen but on a handheld it made a world of difference setting up any desktop software like emudeck, and any of the associated emulators. Civ games in my opinion are easier to navigate and I would be hard pressed to try to play any type of RTS game without them. Not to mention that after a year of having the Deck, I just learned how to comfortably type with them. I’ve bound them to be a radial dial of tools within games and with the desktop mode.

This morning I heard of the Aya Neo Kun, a 75 watt hour x86 handheld with trackpads. Outside the GDP WIN 4 with it’s physical keyboard this is the only other x86 handheld I think I could consider using. I believe its physical trackpads would help me navigate the nightmare that is windows 11. I will always prefer a mouse and keyboard but on the go, they’ve been a handy tool to getting things done.

Love em, hate em, or just don’t care about em, I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

  • TheThinker@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Almost the best thing that has ever happened to a controller. Especially with how the steam deck implemented it.

  • merthyr1831@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Any gaming pc handheld without trackpads are DoA in my opinion. You simply can’t use the desktop interface without them

  • zeus ⁧ ⁧ ∽↯∼@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    i think they are bad. i bought the steam deck specifically because of the trackpads, and they’re just much too small and awkwardly placed. compare to the steam controller, the greatest controller known to man, they’re just horrible

    the steam controller also has slightly concave pads, allowing ones thumb to make contact with consistent pressure. the steam deck has flat pads

    and they’re square. why are they square? whose idea was that? my thumbs can move in a circle, the pads should be circular

    gripes

    i wish the smach z hadn’t been a scam. i was so looking forward to that thing

    however sensitivity-wise as he’s talking about: i’ve had no problems. they’ve been perfect. and definitely needed if using the deck in desktop mode, much better than an awkward joystick mouse or using the touchscreen like some weird nintendo ds