Leaker here is Brad Lynch, who generally seems reliable as a leaker for Valve software and products. He was also the source for the leaked renders of the steam controller.
Leaker here is Brad Lynch, who generally seems reliable as a leaker for Valve software and products. He was also the source for the leaked renders of the steam controller.
I want this controller, but I am so annoyed that no controller on the planet comes with separated directional buttons for the D-Pad. Accidental diagonal input is the bane of my existence. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons have separate buttons and I freaking love it! But the ONLY reason they did that is to allow them to serve as ABXY when held sideways. No “real” controller does this.
The only option I’ve found to achieve this is to get a PlayStation controller (PS4 or PS5), and mod it with a kit that separates the buttons under the faceplate. But the extra features of the Steam Controller sound too good to sacrifice just for that.
The only D-Pad I’ve ever actually liked is the 3DS (XL), because it’s so clicky and never caused accidental diagonal input. Seriously, how do people accept this crap?
So yeah, I really hope the D-Pad on this is clicky. I’ll probably be buying it either way.
In some use cases the 4 buttons instead of the D pad on the Joy Cons are amazing. As you say, you have no false diagonals. I really like them in Tetris for example.
But in 2D platformers or metroidvanias like Mario or Hollow Knight? Literally unplayable.
I don’t know what you mean, Hollow Knight is unplayable with accidental diagonals. Try attacking in mid-air while moving left, but then oops! Instead of an attack to your left, you do a pogo or an upwards attack. You miss your target, and you die.
After years of conditioning to play platformers with a D pad I just can’t play them with the Joy Cons. I played Hollow Knight with the 80BitDo SF30 Pro. Of course sometimes I died :D But I don’t blame the controller for that.
Was about to recommend the same thing; I just couldn’t get anywhere on Silksong with a normal pad, had to set it up for a fight stick to have proper control.
Only got yourself to blame for diagonals with these bad boys:
https://www.8bitdo.com/arcade-controller-transparent-purple/
Of course, 8bitdo’s stuff is awesome, but Steam controllers are awesomer.
Interesting. I played Hollow Knight on Switch and joycons were my favorite option for this exact reason. The few times I tried with a Switch pro controller … did not go well. It’s too squishy, and I absolutely do blame the controller there! Presumably 8BitDo is much better and clickier.
Silksong I actually played on PC, with a keyboard. It was great for me, the biggest downside personally is the lack of rumble - I love haptic feedback. The game definitely plays better with a controller but the button layout on keyboard was totally playable.
Xbox Series controller dpad is very clicky and well defined, so accidental diagonal inputs aren’t a concern with that one.
There’s likely a number of other similar clicky dpads on the market nowadays, it’s been popularised again with quite a few retro handhelds.
8bitdo d-pad is very clicky and defined
I only accept it because I have become used to it.
Otherwise, I do tend to agree with you for the pretty rare time I need to not go accidental diagonal.
I mean, arguably… it isn’t a D Pad if its actually seperate buttons.
But anyway, with the Steam Deck, which the Steam Controller 2.0 is basically a scaled down version of, that doesn’t have the whole computer and screen… you can at least get after market uh… contact boards?
I’m not sure of the term, but like the internal platter board thing, that the dpad/abxy buttons actually physically connect to, with the trigger/switch mechanisms.
For my deck, I got a kit that replaces the original ones with ones that are much ‘clickier’, like a mechanical keyboard as compared to a membrane keyboard.
It has more tactile and also audio feedback, beyond just being more responsive… that was like $30 bucks or something?
For a while, it was the case that to do this kind of mod, you’d have to do your own solder, but I waited and eventually somebody in China somewhere started making ones that are pre-soldered, and just require an appropriate screw driver and some dexterity to install.
So… if the Steam Controller takes off, I’d say give it 6 months, and by then something similar will probably exist for it.
That’s a good idea actually!