HORI announced a special gamepad for Steam / Steam Deck

I'm just slowly starting to replace my aging Xbox 360 gamepad collection, and I love the Xbox layout and the purple color. But a gamepad without vibration — why??

Quoting: Liam Dawe

Quoting: Pickettf3nceThe "Gulikit KK3 MAX" is a great alternative for those of us in the US or UK.

L3, L4, R3, R4 detachable rear paddles, toggle-able hair triggers, analog triggers, hall-effect joysticks, 8 (or 4) way d-pad, programmable macros, 3 vibration intensities, USB-C rechargeable, addressable RGB, integrated gyroscope, extra buttons to swap between Nintendo and Traditional button layouts. Support for Switch, SteamOS, Android, iOS, MacOS, and windows.

It's a night and day difference between this and an Xbox Series controller.

Do their paddles actually fully work on Linux and Steam Deck without needing an external app like 8bitdo?

Perhaps not ideal, but I went around this issue by using the 8Bitdo android app to configure the controls, which allows you to do everything the Windows program does, if I'm not mistaken. I'd definitely not give up my 8bitdo controller for something as minuscule and easily solvable as this.

Quoting: Liam Dawe

Quoting: Pickettf3nceThe "Gulikit KK3 MAX" is a great alternative for those of us in the US or UK.

L3, L4, R3, R4 detachable rear paddles, toggle-able hair triggers, analog triggers, hall-effect joysticks, 8 (or 4) way d-pad, programmable macros, 3 vibration intensities, USB-C rechargeable, addressable RGB, integrated gyroscope, extra buttons to swap between Nintendo and Traditional button layouts. Support for Switch, SteamOS, Android, iOS, MacOS, and windows.

It's a night and day difference between this and an Xbox Series controller.

Do their paddles actually fully work on Linux and Steam Deck without needing an external app like 8bitdo?

To my knowledge, there are no dedicated apps for any of Gulikit's products, the KK3 included. I have neither installed nor needed any supporting applications to date... Updates to the controller's firmware, for example, are handled via a USB connection to a computer and booting the controller into a removable storage mode. After which the firmware can be manually downloaded from Gulikit's support site, transferred over to the controller, extracted, and applied with a reboot.

As for the paddles, all the mapping and configuration for the KK3 is handled by the controller itself. So back buttons/paddles can sadly only be mapped to other buttons on the controller. So long as your distro and app can recognize traditional controller DInput or XInput (Depending on the controller's selected mode), you should be able to use all the buttons on the controller with a little bit of extra legwork.

Quoting: Pickettf3nce

Quoting: Liam Dawe

Quoting: Pickettf3nceThe "Gulikit KK3 MAX" is a great alternative for those of us in the US or UK.

L3, L4, R3, R4 detachable rear paddles, toggle-able hair triggers, analog triggers, hall-effect joysticks, 8 (or 4) way d-pad, programmable macros, 3 vibration intensities, USB-C rechargeable, addressable RGB, integrated gyroscope, extra buttons to swap between Nintendo and Traditional button layouts. Support for Switch, SteamOS, Android, iOS, MacOS, and windows.

It's a night and day difference between this and an Xbox Series controller.

Do their paddles actually fully work on Linux and Steam Deck without needing an external app like 8bitdo?

To my knowledge, there are no dedicated apps for any of Gulikit's products, the KK3 included. I have neither installed nor needed any supporting applications to date... Updates to the controller's firmware, for example, are handled via a USB connection to a computer and booting the controller into a removable storage mode. After which the firmware can be manually downloaded from Gulikit's support site, transferred over to the controller, extracted, and applied with a reboot.

As for the paddles, all the mapping and configuration for the KK3 is handled by the controller itself. So back buttons/paddles can sadly only be mapped to other buttons on the controller. So long as your distro and app can recognize traditional controller DInput or XInput (Depending on the controller's selected mode), you should be able to use all the buttons on the controller with a little bit of extra legwork.

I can second the KK3 Max. After having suffered with drift on both my Dualshock and Dualsense controllers, I've been loving the versatility of this controller. My only complaints are that because it reports as an Xbox controller, I've yet to find a way to natively activate it's gyro functionality via Steam Input, and unfortunately the built in gyro option leaves something to be desired in terms of fidelity. It's not awful but you can tell it's not quite as precise as a Dualsense or Joycon.

The only other issue I've encountered really has just been that the low latency dongle seems to struggle with connecting from time to time, requiring I either unplug the dongle or just keep cycling it a few times before it catches. That being said I'm not one hundred percent convinced the controller is at fault there as I've had a few other devices behave similarly in the room I'm renting, so it might just be interference from the plethora of other wireless signals saturating the house. And either way, once it connects, so long as it isn't left idle for 10 minutes, it stays consistently connected.

EDIT: Small note, one of the recent firmware updates adjusted it so that when the battery is running low, the LED starts blinking with a bright white light, even if you've disabled the LEDs completely. The flashing continues even if you plug in the controller, so you'll have a nice, relaxed orange interspersed with a harsh white flash every 5 seconds or so, which I'm not super fond of.

EDIT 2: Because I keep forgetting to add these things before posting, my thoughts on the HORI controller. It looks nice, and is probably the closest we'll get to a Steam Controller 2 (No, I do not count the Steam Deck, it's a handheld computer/portable console) anytime soon, but not including vibration is an odd choice, and as mentioned above, if they're going to use regular potentiometer sticks, it's just not worth it in my opinion. No matter the build quality, no matter the feature set, no matter the price, there's more than enough e-waste in the world, I don't want to support the use of sticks that are designed to fail at some point.


Last edited by JustinWood on 28 June 2024 at 3:11 pm UTC

Quoting: JustinWoodand as mentioned above, if they're going to use regular potentiometer sticks, it's just not worth it in my opinion. No matter the build quality, no matter the feature set, no matter the price, there's more than enough e-waste in the world, I don't want to support the use of sticks that are designed to fail at some point.

Sorry, I didn't understand - could you please explain further? I understand a potentiometer is some kind of electronic component. What are regular potentiometer sticks and what is the alternative? What do Steam Controllers use?

Quoting: chrWhat are regular potentiometer sticks and what is the alternative?

Irregular potentiometer sticks, obviously.

Glad to see some third party controllers, if there's a sale I might grab one anyway but it doesn't quite cover all of my needs.
Four grip buttons and track pads are a necessity for me now after using the Steam Deck for two years.
I really just want the Steam Deck controls s a game pad, with dual stage triggers of course but otherwise no real changes... well better d-pad certainly.

Lack of rumble is also a deal breaker at that price.
Though nice to have gyro and touch activation as I'd have expected that have been absent too.

Really, at the price I think it just needs rumble and could call it but eh, gotta have my track pads cause it really is convenient to have a trackball simulated mouse on the right track pad just, there when ever I need it and all the silly quick menus I like to make.

Really hope to see more third party Steam controllers but I really want to see them match the Steam Deck and improve on it rather than be a few steps behind.

Maybe 8bitdo might consider trying one.
Though really hope this starts a new standard for PC controllers as well.

Quoting: chr

Quoting: JustinWoodand as mentioned above, if they're going to use regular potentiometer sticks, it's just not worth it in my opinion. No matter the build quality, no matter the feature set, no matter the price, there's more than enough e-waste in the world, I don't want to support the use of sticks that are designed to fail at some point.

Sorry, I didn't understand - could you please explain further? I understand a potentiometer is some kind of electronic component. What are regular potentiometer sticks and what is the alternative? What do Steam Controllers use?

I will try to explain them, but I learned these things at school, so they can get somewhat complex and since I don't know how much you know about electronics I'll try to be as simple as I can.
I'm aware this'll affect the quality of the explanation feel free to offer tips.



Lay explanation:
Potentiometer stick is a fancy word for "thumb stick category 4b".
Regular means "Our programmers had to do less work and you still get a functioning product."

Alternatives could've been "irregular poly switch stick"(thumb stick category "our programmers had to do everything themselves"), "capicative stick"(thumb stick with too much fancy tech) and "ldr stick"(We needed a really good excuse for leds around a thumbstick).
Valve also used a potentiometer stick(and soldered it to the main board). Whether or not it's regular I don't know, but for mass production reasons I think so.



Technical explanation:

Basics:
Electronic resistance is measure of how hard it's for electricity to get through it.
Analog measurement methods in electronics often work this way:
Put a predictable amount of power at one side, put a resistor between the power source and your processing unit whose resistance is reliant on the thing you want to measure.

What's happening here specifically
A potentiometer is essentially an electronic resistor of which you can set the amount of resistance with a slider.
If you put two of them in a triangle and connect the sliders to the same stick you can track its stance with math.

What's regular:
regular means in this case that the amount of resistance provided by the potentiometers can be accurately described with R(esistance) = ax+b
where a is the distance removed from one of the sides, x is a constant and b is a constant.


Last edited by LoudTechie on 1 July 2024 at 12:25 pm UTC

Quoting: LoudTechie

Quoting: chr

Quoting: JustinWoodand as mentioned above, if they're going to use regular potentiometer sticks, it's just not worth it in my opinion. No matter the build quality, no matter the feature set, no matter the price, there's more than enough e-waste in the world, I don't want to support the use of sticks that are designed to fail at some point.

Sorry, I didn't understand - could you please explain further? I understand a potentiometer is some kind of electronic component. What are regular potentiometer sticks and what is the alternative? What do Steam Controllers use?

I will try to explain them, but I learned these things at school, so they can get somewhat complex and since I don't know how much you know about electronics I'll try to be as simple as I can.
I'm aware this'll affect the quality of the explanation feel free to offer tips.



Lay explanation:
Potentiometer stick is a fancy word for "thumb stick category 4b".
Regular means "Our programmers had to do less work and you still get a functioning product."

Alternatives could've been "irregular poly switch stick"(thumb stick category "our programmers had to do everything themselves"), "capicative stick"(thumb stick with too much fancy tech) and "ldr stick"(We needed a really good excuse for leds around a thumbstick).
Valve also used a potentiometer stick(and soldered it to the main board). Whether or not it's regular I don't know, but for mass production reasons I think so.



Technical explanation:

Basics:
Electronic resistance is measure of how hard it's for electricity to get through it.
Analog measurement methods in electronics often work this way:
Put a predictable amount of power at one side, put a resistor between the power source and your processing unit whose resistance is reliant on the thing you want to measure.

What's happening here specifically
A potentiometer is essentially an electronic resistor of which you can set the amount of resistance with a slider.
If you put two of them in a triangle and connect the sliders to the same stick you can track its stance with math.

What's regular:
regular means in this case that the amount of resistance provided by the potentiometers can be accurately described with R(esistance) = ax+b
where a is the distance removed from one of the sides, x is a constant and b is a constant.

Thank you! And so I understand that it was said initially that regular potentiometer thumbsticks are kinda crap because they inevitably fail eventually and need to be replaced. Is the desirable alternative thumbstick here based on an irregular potentiometer or capacitive or ldr?


Last edited by chr on 1 July 2024 at 12:58 pm UTC

Quoting: chrIs the desirable alternative thumbstick (that you wish your ideal controller included) here based on irregular potentiometer or capacitive or ldr?

As I understand it, hall-effect magnets, which, as anyone with experience of the Sega Saturn analogue controller knows, can fail too, with some very wacky effects when they do.