Here is how Valve’s controller measures up

After a number of months of uncertainty, you’ll lastly have the ability to order your Steam Controller starting on Might 4. It’s an excellent possibility for PC gamers on the lookout for a dependable gamepad, nevertheless it’ll price you — $99 to be precise. It’s an eyebrow-raising quantity for those who’re used to purchasing alternative Xbox Wi-fi Controllers, however simply how dear is it in comparison with different gamepads available on the market? It’s extra all the way down to Earth than it might sound, however your view of it’ll fluctuate relying on what you anticipate from a premium value level.

First, it’s a must to know what precisely you’re getting with the Steam Controller, as a result of it’s not only a reskinned Xbox Wi-fi Controller. It options two haptic trackpads that permit you to simulate mouse controls in PC video games. That’s a characteristic you gained’t discover on nearly any gamepad. You’re additionally getting Grip Sense, which permits gyroscopic controls, and 4 again buttons. All of that comes bundled with a puck that’s used to each simply pair the controllers to a PC and doubles as a charging cable. It doesn’t have swappable elements, nevertheless it’s protected to say that the Steam Controller has a reasonably premium characteristic set that locations it above your typical gamepad.

So how does it stack up with the competitors? At a look…

Let’s begin with the massive three. The Xbox Wi-fi Controller sometimes prices $65, although you’ll be able to simply discover it for $50 nowadays. That’s an actual meat and potatoes gamepad with no distinctive options. Subsequent up is the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, which is able to run you $74. That price ticket will get you adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions. Lastly, there’s the Pleasure-Con 2 controllers, that are solely suitable with the Nintendo Swap 2. A set of these will run you $100, however naturally that isn’t your common controller. Movement controls, HD rumble, an NFC reader, mouse mode assist, and extra clarify the upper value there.

The Steam Controller traces up with the latter, however these aren’t the one $100 controllers on the market. That is the worth bracket you are likely to see for low-end premium controllers. The Scuf Valor, for example, sits at that price ticket. It comes with again buttons, set off locks, and onboard audio controls. Then there’s the $100 Razer Wolverine V3 Event Version, which additionally has again buttons and set off locks, along with further bumpers and Corridor Impact thumbsticks. Energy A’s XP-ULTRA Wi-fi Controller is up there too, an uncommon gamepad that may be reconfigured right into a compact cell controller, full with a telephone clip.

These are comparatively inexpensive in comparison with a few of gaming’s most feature-loaded gamepads. The Xbox Elite Wi-fi Controller Sequence 2, the holy grail of PC gamepads, prices $200 — and for good motive. It comes with tons of swappable elements, a charging dock, and its personal carrying case. (Even the stripped down Core model of it, which doesn’t include any of these fancy extras, will price you $150.) $200 can be the worth of Sony’s PS5 and PC suitable DualSense Edge, which comes with an identical set of options. The Victrix Professional BFG, a wonderful modular gamepad that permits you to swap the whole structure of your controller round, sits at that value too.

That isn’t even the height of the mountain. If you happen to actually wished to interrupt the financial institution, there’s the Scuf Reflex FPS with TMR, an extravagant DualSense various that works on each PS5 and PC. It sells for a whopping $280.

Picture: Polygon

So at $100, the Steam Controller is extra center of the pack than it appears contemplating the distinctive options that you simply’re getting with it. It feels a contact excessive subsequent to the DualSense, which is perhaps its closest equal, however the trackpads do rather a lot to make it really feel like an affordable deal in context of the worth tier. The catch is in the end compatibility, because the Steam Controller solely works with the Steam consumer. Different launchers acknowledge it as a composite mouse and keyboard setup, which suggests that you may’t use it as your go-to PC controller throughout apps. That makes its use case just a little area of interest in comparison with an Xbox controller, placing a dent in its worth.

If you happen to’re going to drop a cool Benjamin Franklin on it, simply know what you’re entering into. It’s a feature-loaded gamepad that can work throughout your PC Steam consumer, Steam Deck, cell through Steam Hyperlink, Steam Machine, and Steam Body. It’s not going to hook up with your PS5 or Nintendo Swap 2, nor can you employ it to manage video games through the Epic Video games Retailer. If that’s a dealbreaker, hold on to your cash. However for those who’re all-in on Steam, it simply is perhaps the perfect companion controller you may get.

Associated

The Steam Controller is so near being the proper PC gamepad

Valve’s second draft is an ideal match for Steam, however do not anticipate to make use of it elsewhere