Like a lot of people, I missed the first round of the Steam Controller. That’ll happen when it sells out in something like thirty minutes. Credit to Valve though. When they realised the overwhelming popularity of this thing they inevitably swapped to a reservation system. Did I stay up to three in the morning waiting for reservations to open just to give myself the illusion of being first in line? Of course I did. I was drawn in the same way a lot of people were by how much this thing resembles the Steam Deck and I wasn’t missing out on this one. When it finally landed on my doorstep after what felt like a stupid amount of time refreshing my email for the order link, my first impression was just how much of the Steam Deck’s DNA is baked into it. That same matte plastic finish, grip texture and even the layout feels eerily similar. Heh, maybe it might even encourage me to play docked more than I currently do.
I think a lot of people may expect the Steam Controller to be a Steam Deck without the, uh… Steam Deck. In some respects, I guess that’s true. Under the hood, the biggest change is the move to TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) joysticks. Unlike traditional joysticks, TMR sticks use magnets to detect movement instead of physical contact. Being contactless means there isn’t any physical wear on the mechanism or resistive track, making them far less likely to develop stick drift. They also use less power, which is a smart move for a controller already jam-packed with sensors, we’ve got haptics and gyro and probably don’t need another battery drain. Everyone will instantly recognise the trackpads but this time they’re bigger, flatter and slightly more rounded. They honestly feel like an upgrade over the Steam Deck’s trackpads. The wireless puck is a pretty nice touch and it easily snaps onto the back magnetically so there’s no messing around trying to line it up. We’ve also got a 6-axis IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), which is a motion sensor that combines an accelerometer with a gyroscope, along with an 8.39Wh battery that’s good for about 30 hours on a single charge. At $149AUD, if you can snag one, this is a pretty absurd amount of hardware for the money.
Picking the Steam Controller up for the first time felt a little like coming home since the shape and layout are so close to the Steam Deck that my hands knew exactly what to do straight away. At 292 grams, it’s a little less than half the weight of the Steam Deck OLED (640 grams), it really does feel like the Steam Deck without the Steam Deck. Your usage may vary, but in my hands this thing is comfortable and all the face buttons feel great. They’ve got a bit of give rather than being clicky, which I prefer. The gyro is a similar story to the Steam Deck too. It’ll take some getting used to but once it clicks, there’s a lot of fun to be had and may even open up a heap of different ways for you to play, depending on the game. Outside of the slightly updated trackpads, the bumpers are probably the most obvious difference. Valve have gone for a glossy, fairly soft feeling non-clicky option and the triggers feel less substantial. They don’t necessarily feel cheap, but I guess something had to give to meet the price point and they probably picked the right spot. I definitely prefer the more tactile click of the Steam Deck’s bumpers, but overall it’s a pretty minor knock on an otherwise well built controller. I’ll fully admit, my years on the Steam Deck OLED probably skew how I’m writing about this thing… but, that’s kinda to be expected from Dad with a Deck.
This might be the kick I needed to use the Steam Deck docked more. The first game I loaded up was Discworld Noir and within a few minutes I’d stopped thinking about the controller almost entirely. Mouse-heavy content like point and click adventure games are where the trackpads really shine and playing them on the big screen with a controller feels endlessly more satisfying than hunching over a mouse at a desk. I also fired up some Duke Nukem 3D and the Washington Prime Demo for a bit of a first-person shooter test and gyro aiming felt instantly familiar. After years of using the Steam Deck, it isn’t something I had to consciously think about, it feels comfortable and instantly natural. There’s a good chance I’ll twist my own arm and do another playthrough of Fallout 2. Maybe this time I’ll finally give the Sonora mod a crack, now that I’ve got an excuse to play it on the couch with a bigger screen. I haven’t touched a real time strategy game with it yet, but I’m keen to see how they handle. I dunno about you, but parking a mouse on my coffee table isn’t my idea of couch gaming and just makes me feel like I’ve dragged my desk into the living room. Each to their own. If the Steam Deck has taught me anything at all, it’s that the trackpads and Steam Input can make genres that I’d normally avoid on a controller feel entirely natural. I’ve never really given management sims much of a chance and Two Point Hospital has been on my list for a long time. Maybe now is the time to finally pull the trigger.
So, was the Steam Controller worth that arduous 3AM refresh spree? Absolutely it was. For $149AUD, you’re getting a controller that borrows enough from the Steam Deck to feel instantly familiar, but brings its own upgrades to the table. The updated trackpads and TMR joysticks earn their keep and that combination alone makes it feel like more than just an accessory. It won’t replace a Steam Deck as a daily driver, but as a docked companion it’s already changed how I want to play certain genres and that’s probably more than I expected before bashing refresh so early in the morning. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical that I even needed another controller in the house given how little I use the abundance of others I already own. There’s some compromises in the build of the controller, but they’re pretty minor in the grand scheme and none of them have stopped me from enjoying every gaming session so far. I think Valve picked the right places to save money, none of these compromises have really affected the overall experience. I’m only a couple weeks into ownership, so this is really just the unboxing and honeymoon period rather than my final word on it. Once I’ve had some proper time with this thing and a few more hours on the couch with my favourite point and click adventures, RTS games and maybe even Two Point Hospital, I’ll circle back with a more in-depth review. For now, if you can actually get your hands on one of these bad boys, it’s worth the hassle of chasing a reservation down.
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