It’s a full controller, no “only one joystick” like the 2015 model.
The quality of the IO is great, like the TMR joysticks, good trackpads, gyro, and nice haptics.
If a PC runs Steam, it supports all the controllers features (in Steam). This isn’t always the case on DS5/xbox controllers.
The “puck”, despite looking insignificant, makes the experience much better. Unlike Xbox with AA batteries or DS5 with USB-C charging, and both of those with Bluetooth wireless connectivity (by default). The Steam Controller (2026) is fully “pick up and start playing”.
Whether it’s worth the price depends on what you value in a game controller, and how much. For me, the “extra” inputs (mainly back pedals, touchpads, gyro) and accurate sticks (TMR instead of potentiometers) are worth it.
Its more a regular controller plus extra vs the old one was a good but you had to tweek your brain to make it work as the touch pads were a replacement for normal controls. Where as the touch pads are there own thing. Being able to create popup menus that only show up on touch and the gyro being enabled and disabled by touching the thumbsticks is a game changer. Its everything you love about the steam deck without the neck pain of looking down at the screen.
The main things for me are the dedicated D-pad and dual thumbsticks. On the original, the left touchpad surface was just sort of textured to help it act as a D-pad. And the right touchpad is positioned in place of where you might want a right stick to be, and can be mapped to act as one in software. But in practice, there are some situations in which an actual D-pad or actual right stick are much better than faking it with touchpads. The new controller just has all the different input methods so that it should hypothetically work great in any game.
I loved mine. I used it until it died. Took a bit to get used to it. But when it died on me it took even longer to get used to a regular controller again.
I still got this one in a drawer. I just wasn’t big on the primary touch pads with only one joystick.
I loved mine but the 2026 steam controller is superior In every way.
Yeah I plan to get one at some point. So over messing with Xbox controller drivers and other BS on Linux.
What makes it better? I kinda ignored the new one because the old one was so below expectations
Not OP but a couple things:
Whether it’s worth the price depends on what you value in a game controller, and how much. For me, the “extra” inputs (mainly back pedals, touchpads, gyro) and accurate sticks (TMR instead of potentiometers) are worth it.
This is 16-bit controller slander.
The rumble and haptics also feel a lot better too
Its more a regular controller plus extra vs the old one was a good but you had to tweek your brain to make it work as the touch pads were a replacement for normal controls. Where as the touch pads are there own thing. Being able to create popup menus that only show up on touch and the gyro being enabled and disabled by touching the thumbsticks is a game changer. Its everything you love about the steam deck without the neck pain of looking down at the screen.
The Deck gyro is activated by touching the thumbsticks, the Controller has sensors in the grips to activate the gyro.
You can reprogram gyro activation triggers too
The main things for me are the dedicated D-pad and dual thumbsticks. On the original, the left touchpad surface was just sort of textured to help it act as a D-pad. And the right touchpad is positioned in place of where you might want a right stick to be, and can be mapped to act as one in software. But in practice, there are some situations in which an actual D-pad or actual right stick are much better than faking it with touchpads. The new controller just has all the different input methods so that it should hypothetically work great in any game.
Except it didn’t look like an owl. Original Steam controller 1, new Steam controller 86.
I loved mine. I used it until it died. Took a bit to get used to it. But when it died on me it took even longer to get used to a regular controller again.