Will the Steam Controller Replace Your Keyboard and Mouse?

Eh, I played around with one. It was neat but I still vastly prefer a mouse for aiming. So no, it won't be replacing my mouse/keyboard anytime soon.

Touch pad as main stick is plain stupid try playing fps on phone or laptop sometimes analog are far better than digital.

Good video with lots of depth.

Steam... The only company that made PC gaming as it is today and now trying to turn master race into peasants with it's controller.

Why are most people failling at testing the gyroscope?

It seems to be a viable control scheme looking at early youtube videos.

This is one of the first controllers I've seen that mimics the Gamecube's analog triggers with a digital click at the end. Pretty interesting. I feel like this could be a pretty sweet controller once you get the hang of it.

If you own a PC and you're using a controller to play an FPS, you're a scrub.

Excellent review. I was on the fence on whether to get one. My concern was the placement of the buttons and the lack of a second stick (how good a replacement is the right analog pad?). Your review pushed me off the fence. Will pass until they release a 2.0 version that fixes your criticisms of the controller.

This is not meant to be a Xbox controller replacement.

Steam goal is to compete with other consoles by making PC gaming friendlier to the living room and easy for anyone to setup.

They basically are trying to bring the best of both worlds. Simplicity of console gaming with the customization and better performance of PC while also trying to attract a part of the people that aren't that much into technology and just want to play games.

The Steam Controller is not perfect but the gamepad isn't perfect either.

We seem to forget that there a variety of games that aren't popular on consoles because they are hard to port to consoles. Strategy/tactical games for instance.

We are still seeing Valve as a PC company when in truth they are evolving into a console company.

The only difference is that you get to pick how powerful your console will be.

My Roccat Mouse has 12+ programmable buttons in addition to my Razor gamepad that has over 60+ programmable keys. This controller would be a massive downgrade.

And if I want to use a controller I'll pull the one from my Xbox1. I also don't like losing the physical right stick.

Safe to say at this point that This controller is indeed a failure. As is Steam Machines. Good that Valve have cash to spend, being the richest company in the world.

Valve is right in that standard controller (xbox's) is far from being the optimal tool to control games. But what they've made is definitely not the answer to this conundrum. Someone else will probably figure it out.

While I think the steam controller is a great idea and will be picking one up, I will always prefer M+K when I'm sitting at my desk. It's great that I will finally be able to play RTS' in a more casual setting (lounging on the couch) without switching to a wireless M+K and trying to use a mouse on a book balanced on the arm of the couch.

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Bummer. Not what I was expecting to hear. -saddyface-

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:Off topic:

Dear Lord!

Gamespot where the heck is the volume button for mute and inc/dec bar? Look, I get you guys get revenues from Ads but please give us the option to mute the f-ing thing. you guys have great videos but having to sit here and not be able to mute that particular ad/video or even now lower the volume (say you are working and just want background sound from your site!) is just plain dumb not to have....

I enjoy coming to this site to watch reviews/opinions/shows.. but even when used to get ads, I would simply mute them until the content of my choice.

Kindly bring back the volume options.

:/offtopic:

I like using the controller for moving and mouse for aiming... I still don't' get this game pad unless you are playing slow mouse movements but for fast cam movement... It won't do us any good unless using moue. I feel your thumb will hurt after a while...

Bummer, the controller has a couple neat ideas but maybe the tech (or their controller making skills) isn't quite there yet.

I really hope this is the answer to playing games that don't support controller. I might be able to finally play Mass effect on pc with a controller without using some 3d party software

Sorry, but this looks ridiculous. It tries to be a hybrid controller/kb/mouse, but it fails hard. In order to replace something, you have to do it better. While it can function as all three (to an extent), it looks 100x worse at all three functions.

I have no problem sticking with kb/mouse, and picking up my 360 gamepad when I want a controller.

Even if these were free, I'd pass on them.

So conclusion:

A controller designed to replace controllers is not as good as a traditional controller using xpadder and a controller designed to replace KB & mouse isn't as precise as what it tries to emulate.

I'm sure Valve will reiterate.

Captain Obvious: there's no universal device for video games.

- gamepad: excellent for platformers, brawlers, fighting, racing, sports, side-scrollers and arcade games,

- mouse & keyboard: excellent in strategic / tactical games, point'n'click adventures, tycoons, builders, managerial & social sims, FPS/TPS, cRPGs, hack'n'slash, puzzle games,

- joystick: excellent in flight / space-combat simulators,

- steering wheel: good for racing games.

I am getting one of these controllers, but there is no way it will ever replace my keyboard/mouse setup.

I would hope so, playing with keyboard and mouse is great, but I can really only play it for so long before my fingers can no longer take it. My Diablo sessions are usually at around 40 minutes, playing as a Demon Hunter is murder on my fingers.

So in conclusion....... FAIL!

no

It will never replace my mouse and keyboard. How can you even assume such nonsense?

all of these controller development are pointless. No major changes just in design and push button. They are supposed to start building controller with creative motion sensor.

otherwise, better stick with the old style.

I don't see this replacing anything; it tried to do everything, but doesn't excel at anything. I'll stick to my xbox360 controller for 3rd persona games, keyboard for fighting games and mouse+keyboard for strategy and fps. The only way I see the steam controller being a thing is if it could be use on consoles for strategy games (if there were any RTS games on consoles).

The question is, is there a good use? I mean most keyboard and mouse games will always play best on keyboard and mouse. For other games there's the xbox 360 controller... This controller seems at this point, pointless.

It won't replace keyboard and mouses as for X box and other controllers it's a big chance. need to get hands on it in next month.

Video ain't working.

Fail.

I think we can anwser: NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very helpful video. Thank you

Is this configurable outside of steam, or do you have to buy a game on steam to use it? Origin and GOG for example.

I think the fact that the thumb pad doesn't work for fps games makes this whole thing irrelevant. What does this controller do better than anything else on the market?

If those two circles are touch, hell no. Touch controls dont belong in gaming unless its for menial things like the main menu.

0:24 wtf? This dude's got Megan Fox thumbs.

Things like this will take time to us. You can't judge it after using it for a few hours. There is no doubt some will get the hang of this faster than others for things like shooter, and mobas.

This will probably be a godsend for certain disabled players as well.

Why not use a controller, kb and mouse simultaneously? I did that with ffxiv on ps4 and it worked great. The keyboard was awesome for setting any key to whatever and the controller was great for being able to run and move the camera at the same time (not possible on kb/m alone). The mouse wasn't needed most times but for menus it was a bit easier than the track pad on the controller.

Sounds disappointing. Only really seems to be good with games that don't require quick precision.

That's unfortunate, I was hoping this would be neater than that.

Oh well. No biggy. Mouse and Keyboard still work fine, I just like new tech.

PC Master Race!!!

Call me old an lazy but it just doesn't seem worth it. I content to turn on my Xbox or PlayStation when I want to sit in front of my TV to game. Maybe others will find use from this but I don't think I will be one of them.

Nope