This guy will have to wait for his younger brother.
It was available to buy starting noon local time. I refreshed the page until the buy option became available, but kept getting an error when submitting payment. Waited about half an hour and now it’s sold out. Ni modo I guess.
Whats the big deal with this controller anyway? I dont get it.
It has trackpad which allow you to play KB+mouse games very fluidly. Also they can be used to add radial or grid buttons to any game.
It has TMR sticks which means no drift and less power consumption.
It has a gyro.
It has 4 back buttons.
It’s fully compatible with steam Input so you can do crazy mappings of every single input.
It has capacitive sensors on the thumb sticks and handles so you can use that as input or modifiers.
It uses a dedicated dongle that has a latency comparable with plugged device according to some tests.
It also connects via cable or Bluetooth.
It’s very reparable friendly and Valve will be offering replacement parts.
It’s so good if you ignore the price, the symmetric thumbsticks, the awkward trackpads and the fact it only works on Steam games.
It’s so good if you ignore
the price
Which is fair considering the features
the symmetric thumbsticks
Which some of us prefer.
the awkward trackpads
Which are the biggest selling point of the controller, if you don’t want trackpads an 8BitDo has almost the same features.
and the fact it only works on Steam games.
That’s not a fact, in fact it’s quite wrong. The controller works outside of steam normally, it’s just that it’s mapped to common desktop inputs which are less than useful for games butake total sense in a world where it’s meant to be used plugged to a PC and you might need to click your way through to open Steam. But there are open source programs to map the inputs to a controller which is essentially what SteamInput does. At least that’s what the OG controller did and from the reviews of the new one seems to be exactly the same.
And before you say “but you have to install a third party tool” that’s also true for other controllers if you want full features.
I dont think it only works with steam games
I was getting an error as well. I saw someone on Reddit say they just spammed the “confirm” button and it eventually went through.
So I did that for like 10 min and it worked
I have mine still. Bought it at launch. Never went back. Best controller I’ve ever had the pleasure to use. I genuinly LOVE everything about it. I don’t even want the new one.
Can’t improve upon perfection
I’ve had mine not since launch, but for many years. I use it occasionally, mostly as a curiosity, but can’t reliably get used to it long term. Do you play many action games with it? I find 3D camera controls are too awkward for me.
Honestly I wish they had kept the upturned grips. Those felt really comfy.
I’ve had 2 different ones, and both got the “R1” button broken. It’s a pity because it’s the best controller I’ve ever used
I have repaired this myself at least 4 different times. The piece is so flimsy. Still love this controller.
I’ll sorry to hear that. I suppose I’ve been fortunate enough to never have any issues at all with mine. I will be a sad day when it gives up. I don’t think I could play Elden Ring with any other controller.
The only thing that appeals to me with the SC2 is having 4 back buttons. I love my OG, but I often struggle to decide upon where to bind CTRL or SHIFT modifiers. I like to use the existing back buttons for mode-shifting.
I recently setup my OG for playing Endless Sky. It’s wonderful. On a low-power arm64 machine as well.
It will be back in stock reasonably quickly imo.
No issues getting in AU, I think they were live 3am our time and I ordered mine lazily at 9am post-coffee. Almost forgot to do it
I had no issues here in Australia either, almost also forgot about it, but was having a coffee at work and ordered it on the steam mobile app. I’m pretty sure Valve have a warehouse for our region, its why we still have stock of the LCD steamdeck is still available
DO NOT BUY THEM FROM EBAY!
or any other one of those websites … the resellers are scum and you’ve waited this long, you can wait longer! hold strong!
No point anyway. It’s not like they’re difficult to manufacture or constrained by available components.
Don’t jinx us… we’re in the middle of a war, there are new tariffs every other day. I’m sure something could happen to the controllers supply chain.
Actually, that is a good point… That being said, Steam as a company stays entirely apolitical.
However, of course, someone at Valve would simply need to whisper anything Anti-trump, and Trump would actively invoke laws to sabotage them, and call them woke or whatever
Or they could just be caught in the crossfire, like they already have with the RAM shortage
Are they manufactured in the US that seems like a bad idea.
They were shipped into the US from Hong Kong, so probably manufactured (or at least assembled) in East Asia.
Very interesting. The data shows that they stopped importing most controllers about three weeks ago.
Is that because it takes that long for a boat to cross the pacific?
Or was it their first batch and Valve is now waiting for the next one?
Trying to figure out how long they will be out of stock
They did a hardware launch perfectly for the Deck - Account of minimum age needed, and a queue to buy as devices became available. Why the hell did they go with the old, shit version that only serves scalpers that use bots to scoop up every item?
Practically there wasn’t really a difference with the Steam Deck. You still had everyone rushing at the same time to get the deposit in. People got errors during the check out, just like this time and scalpers popped up immediately as well.
Sure, you might have had a few people less, trying to buy it, if you restrict by age, but the controller was announced last year. Do you want Valve to sell the first controllers only to accounts that are older than 6 months or a year? Or do you go by the time the review embargo was up, which got broken because a few reviews leaked early.
People got errors during the check out,
And? With the queue, people were able to continue submitting orders as things calmed down. There will always be a rush to be first. The queue handles it better by not outright denying those who didn’t make it in right away. This also reduces the FOMO that funds scalpers’ abuse of the system.
As for account age, it doesn’t really matter when it is set at - any limitation reduces the number of bots able to spam real users out of a purchase. Admittedly, that only really helps if there’s also a limit on number of units bought, which I don’t think was implemented this time, either, for whatever reason.
So headlines will say “sold out in minutes!!!” and create FOMO for the second wave. That’s my guess at least.
This doesn’t really seem like Valve’s MO
Why would you assume that is Valve’s reason
People like to add reasoning to chaos. Everything has to be planned out for some people instead of life happening and businesses do what they do naturally. Take advantage of situations when they can and make money. I like valve and plan on getting a machine or deck when they are restocked. I think it’s normal supply and demand with this one.
I still have one I never used. You can buy mine (I’m in the EU though). Send me a pm
But know this isn’t the new one. It’s the same as in the picture, which is years old.
I genuinely don’t understand the hype beyond valve fanboyism. They already released a steam controller years ago and it was actually terrible, like there’s a reason no one else has even bothered to try and copy the track pad controller gimmick, because it’s just bad.
Not sure if you’re trolling, or have been living under a rock. This new controller is the same as the Steam Deck layout, which has been extremely successful and well received.
The lack of twin thumbsticks are what killed the original.
This one is better, but aside from better trackpad placement, it doesn’t offer a lot above the PS5 controller, which a lot of people already have.
Still, they sold out, so mission successful I suppose. I’ve no doubt the same thing will happen when I try and get a Steam Frame.
The main failure of the original controller was the lack of two thumbsticks (just like the PSP). While the track pads made a lot of PC games playable with a controller some games were worse with one thumbstick.
This controller fixes my main compliant, has a dedicated d-pad, and what looks like better track pads. So it’ll be perfect for playing around 90% of games with one controller.
This. The original Steam Controller did not meet the de-facto standard baseline for controller layout established by the first DualShock[1] that games have learned to expect and build their control schemes around.
The Steam Controller 2 does have everything in that layout. It’s modeled after the Deck’s layout, which is quite good.
Ignoring the analog button - which is not part of that “standard” because the software does not even need to acknowledge its existence - and the vibrations (which many controllers have, but are not required for input to work) ↩︎
The original controller is pretty awesome. It was also really really cheap. I love them because it’s the only controller for playing games that were not designed for a controller.
The original controller was great for its innovation. Especially when you got used to it all.
However, the build quality was very lacklustre. The back paddle on mine died in about 200 hours of gaming. After I fixed that the shoulder button went after another 100 or so hours. Fixed that. But within about 500 hours it was totally dead.
Whereas the 2nd hand ds4 I got from eBay that I fitted with my custom made back paddles gave me 2000 hours of rocket league before I had to do any tinkering.
I did over 4000 hours of RL in total and only had to replace the left thumbstick and put o rings over the shoulder button internals.Do I want the new steam controller, yes. Would I buy one, no.
The original controller was like a concept car, lots of new ideas but not every one was guaranteed to stick. Plenty of them did stick though, like grip buttons and gyro control. The new controller is a more conservative iteration that takes what worked and drops what didn’t while acknowledging why the industry converged on the standard button layout all the way back in the late 90s. That’s exactly the sort of innovation I want to see.
Gyro control is still just a gimmick, but grip buttons are decent I guess.
But it’s still combining a controller and a kbm and ending up being worse than either one individually. And there’s only a very limited niche where a steam controller could be better than either on its own.
It’s like trackball mice, it just takes practice to get used to. Next to no one outside logitech makes them either but they are still genuinely good if it’s what you need.
Eh, I have my trackball from a more niche company, and it’s been fantastic. Their customer service was waaaay better than I expected from my experiences with logitech.
Also, trackballs are great. I can orient my hand any direction I want!
…but competitive fps is still beyond me. I need to catch 20+ years of mice usage to get the skill to par.
Just give it a week and they’ll be back in stock.
Ah, one of the dozen people who actually liked the original Steam controller! A rare sight indeed.
I actually didn’t like it very much. Had to dig it out of a drawer for this photo. The face buttons are in an awkward position and the left trackpad is a terrible D-pad substitute. But I loved the gyro, and if it didn’t invent grip buttons it was my first exposure to them at least, and both MS and Nintendo liked them, too, since the Xbox elite controller and switch 2 pro controller have them. I saw the potential and looked forward to Valve improving it, and by all accounts this new iteration is an improvement.
I’m also a sucker for mold-breaking attempts at better ergonomics. I own a Twiddler. Still can’t get the hang of it, but nothing ventured nothing gained.
Exact same, I loved the features but it just wasn’t very comfortable in my hands. The steam deck feels way better to me, and the new controller looks like that minus the screen, so I’ve been super excited for this.
One of the things I did like about the original was actually the grips. I also loved the Gamecube style triggers, though I wish they had the same amount of travel as the GCN.
That’s interesting. The comfort was the number 1 feature of the original controller for me. The deck is the one hurting my wrists.
I guess it depends on the shape and size of your hands. For me the Steam controller sucked, the xbox controller fits much better in my hands but also isn’t quite right sometimes.
I’ve heard a lot of other anecdotes from people who found the og controller really comfortable when others weren’t, so you’re definitely not alone there. Personally, I was constantly readjusting my grip but could never find that illusive sweet spot, so after awhile I’d start straining and cramping. I had a couple bumping around for a few years that I pulled out occasionally but I eventually sold them on eBay when their prices skyrocketed and mine were just collecting dust.
The old one was great if you just dropped the idea if twin sticks. I switched to a flick stick like setup without the stick and it changed the whole game. It only became unusable after I got the steam deck. I can’t live without the touchpad menus.
I loved my OG steam controller! I wished I had bought more than one when it died 7 years later. Thing was bomb proof. Never had any other controller last that long say for anything built after the N64 anyway.
It took a lot of getting used to. So great for pc games.
Hoping the new one is just as durable. I guess it’s reparable too!
Bomb proof is not how I’d describe the OG steam controller. Maybe a bomb? They were not built well.
My OG controllers 7 years of service speaks volumes against the PS4-5 longevity of 1.5 years. Dont know about the xBox as I absolutely hate non symmetrical joysticks.
I’ve had quite the oposite experience. My PS4 controller never gave me any problems for the 6ish years I had it. But the OG steam controller is the only controller I’ve ever broken. I like to think I treat my stuff well because I’ve never had any issues besides stick drift on any controller I’ve ever owned. But in the limited time I used a steam controller I managed to break it twice. After the second time I just got rid of it.
Like 6 months ago I found one at a thrift store and it’s rough too. I should dig it out before the new one arrives.
How did it die? I’ve never had any problems with mine because I baby it.
For me one of my controllers shoulder buttons failed. I tracked down the switch and soldiered on a new one. On another one of the back buttons broke and I had to print a new back plate for it. Also on my heavily used steam controllers the stick is now getting drift. But I have 4 of them. Two still new in box.
I also could not get a new steam controller and I really want one.
I don’t even remember what happened. Mourned her every time I had to buy a ps5 controller ever since.
I’m going to see if I have her packed away somewhere and if I do I’ll give an update.
why is today reminisce about projector day?
I used the OG steam controller when I had a projector setup, I’d turn my office chair (that I used at home) around to look at the wall instead of the computer and use the virtual keyboard/mouse for films or watching stuff, or even playing games. Although it did take a lot to adapt to some which I preferred to use a regular controller. I forget if it was Just Cause 3/4 I played the shit out of with the steam controller or something else.
Oof. That’s rough. But given how insanely profitable these ~90 minutes must have been for Valve, I’m sure they’ll be back in stock in a few weeks since none of the components seem to have supply issues.
I managed to get one by just spam-clicking the continue button for about two minutes. I know, I’m part of the problem.
I managed to get one by just spam-clicking the continue button for about two minutes. I know, I’m part of the problem.
I tried that too but stopped because I thought it might think I was a bot.
I never do that because there’s not much I need enough to commit that much, but also because I’m worried that the next week thirty of them will show up on my doorstep and I’ll realize I’m broke.
For me, the error was popping up before the payment confirmation screen, so it wouldn’t have been possible. Spamming the button worked for me.
But shit, if I did accidentally buy several, I’d just offload them at MSRP, probably to people on this site that couldn’t get one.
Same except for about 20 minutes, and that’s after wasting like 5 minutes looking for my wallet lol, so apparently I bought one of the last ones in stock
I knew the inventory would be sold in minutes, so I prepped. I loaded 150 EUR into my Steam wallet in case the 99 didn’t include taxes, I double checked that my shipping and billing info is automatically filled in, and I made sure to be at my computer one hour before the release time just in case I fucked up the time zone conversion.
Same here but with a 100. Had to spam click on payment but it went through after a couple of tries
Was 100 enough? Mine came out to like 106 or something, with tax
In the EU prices have to already include tax, so steam prices are exactly what it costs at checkout
Gotcha. Must be nice.
I actually got kinda lucky in that respect, I learned last week that it was coming out today, but I didn’t know when, and I stupidly didn’t set any reminders or anything. Thankfully I happened to remember the sale this morning and was able to find out the time it started literally 10 minutes before it went live.
Maybe they would have lost money overall. The store being down for 45 minutes, is not good fo business.
While true, they still sold out.
They certainly did.
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I barely managed to get one, had to spend well over 20 minutes spamming the continue button, because the first couple of times I passed that screen something else failed (they even charged me one of those times but the purchase didn’t finish, so I imagine it will get reverted in a while).
I liked my old steam controller more in theory than in practice, I still have it and use it occasionally but it’s more of a rarity when I think the features make up for the lack of d-pad and right stick. But the Steam Deck is just ideal for me, from the moment I grabbed it I have been wanting a standalone controller with that same format and inputs.
In any case, sorry you didn’t get one now, I’m sure they’ll be back in stock very quickly, it’s likely they did a small batch first to test the waters on how much people wanted this. But production is probably ramping up just like what happened with the Steam Deck.
It’ll be in stock again soon I’m certain. They’re gamepads, not limited edition Pokemon cards or super cutting edge HBM memory chips
Damn, I must have gotten lucky. I bought one around around 9:57 PST, no refreshed, no reloads, no issues. I’m sorry you missed out. Hopefully they’ll be in stock soon. I’ve got a friend that also missed out.
The original was great for games that weren’t made for a normal controller. And FPS games.
