Valve have given out updated numbers for their Steam Controller and they expect to sell 1 million by early 2017. They are also planning to allow configuration of other gamepads, with the PS4's Dualshock 4 coming first. Thanks to Lars Doucet's post on Gamasutra. That post is well worth a read due to Lars explaining in much greater detail, I will include some big points below.
Doing the Steam Controller talks were Jeff Bellinghausen (Valve) & Lars Doucet (Level Up Labs).
First up, we have a handy timeline of how the device has progressed:
Sometime this month there will be a Steam client update to allow the configuration of other gamepads.
So they have on average about 27 thousand daily unique players using the Steam Controller, which is pretty impressive. More impressive is just how popular their Steam Controller actually is in terms of sales.
I do wonder if Valve thought it would be as popular as it is? They probably knew it would gain a following, but for a gamepad I personally think those sales numbers are damn good. Especially considering its unique and unorthodox design in comparison to nearly every other gamepad.
Valve actually have some guidelines for listing full controller support:
- You need to show Steam Controller glyphs
- Your config screen needs to focus on actions, not inputs
- You need to publish an official configuration (ie input bindings)
- You must allow full customization of your inputs
- You need to use the steam software keyboard overlay for text input when the player is in gamepad mode
- You shouldn't have to configure inputs in an external launcher, ideally it should launch straight into big picture mode ready to go
I hope developers stick to this, and I hope those who don't have their feature list adjusted if they do not.
Also exciting is that Steam will be getting an update to allow the configuration of more types of gamepads. They will apparently start with the Dualshock 4 (the Playstation 4 gamepad), as pictured above.
Lars also released a pack of free Steam Controller pictures to use in your games, available here.
Still, it would be nice if Valve would fix the issue of the Steam Controller no longer working as a mouse and keyboard unless Steam is specifically open when wireless. Originally, it would work right away on boot-up (even at the Grub boot screen), but now it won't work when wireless unless Steam is open. It's not an issue when plugged in via USB, so something broke the wireless side of that for it after an update at somepoint.
I have two Steam Controllers, and I do think they are really great. It's still an issue of getting used to not having a stick, as plenty of games still aren't designed with a pad in mind and have terrible default configs. Any time I come across this I let the developer know, and a few have actually updated their default config at my request. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Doing the Steam Controller talks were Jeff Bellinghausen (Valve) & Lars Doucet (Level Up Labs).
First up, we have a handy timeline of how the device has progressed:
Sometime this month there will be a Steam client update to allow the configuration of other gamepads.
So they have on average about 27 thousand daily unique players using the Steam Controller, which is pretty impressive. More impressive is just how popular their Steam Controller actually is in terms of sales.
I do wonder if Valve thought it would be as popular as it is? They probably knew it would gain a following, but for a gamepad I personally think those sales numbers are damn good. Especially considering its unique and unorthodox design in comparison to nearly every other gamepad.
Valve actually have some guidelines for listing full controller support:
- You need to show Steam Controller glyphs
- Your config screen needs to focus on actions, not inputs
- You need to publish an official configuration (ie input bindings)
- You must allow full customization of your inputs
- You need to use the steam software keyboard overlay for text input when the player is in gamepad mode
- You shouldn't have to configure inputs in an external launcher, ideally it should launch straight into big picture mode ready to go
I hope developers stick to this, and I hope those who don't have their feature list adjusted if they do not.
Also exciting is that Steam will be getting an update to allow the configuration of more types of gamepads. They will apparently start with the Dualshock 4 (the Playstation 4 gamepad), as pictured above.
Lars also released a pack of free Steam Controller pictures to use in your games, available here.
Still, it would be nice if Valve would fix the issue of the Steam Controller no longer working as a mouse and keyboard unless Steam is specifically open when wireless. Originally, it would work right away on boot-up (even at the Grub boot screen), but now it won't work when wireless unless Steam is open. It's not an issue when plugged in via USB, so something broke the wireless side of that for it after an update at somepoint.
I have two Steam Controllers, and I do think they are really great. It's still an issue of getting used to not having a stick, as plenty of games still aren't designed with a pad in mind and have terrible default configs. Any time I come across this I let the developer know, and a few have actually updated their default config at my request. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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madmachinations Oct 12, 2016
I really wish they'd make it work properly when you're trying to play local coop and have more than 1 steam controller plugged in.
It sort of works but lately it keeps freaking out and closing the game to ask which bindings to use over and over.
And it still has no support for other local players earning their own achievements even though the controller has been bound to their specific steam account.
It sort of works but lately it keeps freaking out and closing the game to ask which bindings to use over and over.
And it still has no support for other local players earning their own achievements even though the controller has been bound to their specific steam account.
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Quoting: madmachinationsAnd it still has no support for other local players earning their own achievements even though the controller has been bound to their specific steam account.Yeah, that's a major difference between how Steam/SteamOS and traditional consoles work. I imagine there's a lot of back-end work that needs to be done to allow such things.
Like with everything Valve, it's a slow but steady progress. Allow people to use their own accounts bindings when turning on a controller for co-op was a first good step.
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QuoteI hope developers stick to this, and I hope those who don't have their feature list adjusted if they do not.Actually I doubt most will as exactly their special API stuff *heavily* sucks for any dev that does not want to *only* support the Steam Controller (or in future the pads supported by Steam's API) as you basically have to implement two completely different sets of input support (e.g. kbd/mouse/controllers vs Steam Input). That's not good for any code design at all :(
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Note: Adjusted the headline as it wasn't right, the text however was. Valve expect to sell 1M by early 2017, not in early 2017. Sorry for any confusion.
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Crystal Dagger Oct 12, 2016
Awesome. Those numbers are way higher than I expected... Although I wonder which games have higher rates of people playing them with a controller, like... CS:GO has full controller support but I can't imagine someone playing it without a mouse and a keyboard unless you have been playing shooters with a pad for ages.
It would be really cool to see a valve keypad for gaming, like the ones from razer/logitech, specially because there are no "out of the box" native drivers for those, although some people have created great projects that make them able to use under Linux it would be great to have one that works straight away. But that's just my humble opinion.
Last edited by Crystal Dagger on 12 October 2016 at 11:47 pm UTC
It would be really cool to see a valve keypad for gaming, like the ones from razer/logitech, specially because there are no "out of the box" native drivers for those, although some people have created great projects that make them able to use under Linux it would be great to have one that works straight away. But that's just my humble opinion.
Last edited by Crystal Dagger on 12 October 2016 at 11:47 pm UTC
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orochi_kyo Oct 13, 2016
Way too hard to get this controller outside the U.S. Even if you get it, it will cost the double it cost on the Steam store.
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I love input devices, so I preordered the Steam Controller based on its novelty. Right now it is gathering dust, and my time is spent with the Playstation 3/4 controllers, and I also want a SNES gamepad.
My main issue with the Steam Controller is that it is very noisy - I can't ignore the plastic clicking sounds practically all buttons/triggers make, even with headphones on. It's not that it feels cheap, it is just way too loud for me.
I also have a problem with the face buttons, they are spaced the close to each other IMO. I don't have large hands, and I still press the wrong button or multiple buttons more times than I like. Using the touchpad as a D-pad is a no go, again because of the noise but it also doesn't feel as precise. Another thing I find disappointing is that the controller is so tied to the Steam client, and especially Big Picture mode. I hoped it would be a more general purpose controller and that Valve would contribute the driver to the Linux kernel or something. I know there's the sc-controller project (haven't checked it out yet, because of the issues above), but ideally this should come from Valve day one I think. Lastly the controller mapping experience is not super great right now.
Unfortunately mostly negative experiences for me, but I sincerely applaud Valve for their innovative ideas and risk-taking in making this controller, and I look forward to future iterations of the Steam Controller.
My main issue with the Steam Controller is that it is very noisy - I can't ignore the plastic clicking sounds practically all buttons/triggers make, even with headphones on. It's not that it feels cheap, it is just way too loud for me.
I also have a problem with the face buttons, they are spaced the close to each other IMO. I don't have large hands, and I still press the wrong button or multiple buttons more times than I like. Using the touchpad as a D-pad is a no go, again because of the noise but it also doesn't feel as precise. Another thing I find disappointing is that the controller is so tied to the Steam client, and especially Big Picture mode. I hoped it would be a more general purpose controller and that Valve would contribute the driver to the Linux kernel or something. I know there's the sc-controller project (haven't checked it out yet, because of the issues above), but ideally this should come from Valve day one I think. Lastly the controller mapping experience is not super great right now.
Unfortunately mostly negative experiences for me, but I sincerely applaud Valve for their innovative ideas and risk-taking in making this controller, and I look forward to future iterations of the Steam Controller.
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boltronics Oct 13, 2016
Imagine how many they would sell if they were sold outside of a few select countries. I gave up waiting for them to come to Australia so long ago, I'm just not that interested in it anymore.
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Quoting: numasanI love input devices, so I preordered the Steam Controller based on its novelty. Right now it is gathering dust, and my time is spent with the Playstation 3/4 controllers, and I also want a SNES gamepad.
My main issue with the Steam Controller is that it is very noisy - I can't ignore the plastic clicking sounds practically all buttons/triggers make, even with headphones on. It's not that it feels cheap, it is just way too loud for me.
I also have a problem with the face buttons, they are spaced the close to each other IMO. I don't have large hands, and I still press the wrong button or multiple buttons more times than I like. Using the touchpad as a D-pad is a no go, again because of the noise but it also doesn't feel as precise. Another thing I find disappointing is that the controller is so tied to the Steam client, and especially Big Picture mode. I hoped it would be a more general purpose controller and that Valve would contribute the driver to the Linux kernel or something. I know there's the sc-controller project (haven't checked it out yet, because of the issues above), but ideally this should come from Valve day one I think. Lastly the controller mapping experience is not super great right now.
Unfortunately mostly negative experiences for me, but I sincerely applaud Valve for their innovative ideas and risk-taking in making this controller, and I look forward to future iterations of the Steam Controller.
My Steam Controller is also eating the dust with almost the same reasons as you mentioned. I really need a dualstick controller I cant get used to the steam controller interface.
I am using now the Logitech wireless gamepad F710 but I was thinking to get a ps3 controller.
I didnt know that ps4 controllers were working fine as well on Linux. Hmmm... I maybe get a ps4 controller then.
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I've waited forever for them to release it in Japan. No luck so far; maybe I'll just buy it on Amazon or something. I've never really used controllers (always used trackball and keyboard so far) so I may not have the same trouble getting used to it as some other people seem to have.
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