Here’s how Valve’s controller measures up

After a number of months of uncertainty, you’ll lastly be capable of order your Steam Controller starting on Might 4. It’s a fantastic choice for PC gamers in search of a reliable gamepad, nevertheless it’ll price you — $99 to be precise. It’s an eyebrow-raising quantity in case you’re used to purchasing substitute Xbox Wi-fi Controllers, however simply how expensive is it in comparison with different gamepads in the marketplace? It’s extra all the way down to Earth than it may appear, however your view of it is going to fluctuate relying on what you anticipate from a premium value level.

First, you need 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 let you simulate mouse controls in PC video games. That’s a characteristic you gained’t discover on just about 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 large three. The Xbox Wireless Controller usually prices $65, although you may simply discover it for $50 today. That’s an actual meat and potatoes gamepad with no distinctive options. Subsequent up is the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, which can run you $74. That price ticket will get you adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions. Lastly, there’s the Joy-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 help, 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 inclined 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 additional bumpers and Corridor Impact thumbsticks. Energy A’s XP-ULTRA Wireless Controller is up there too, an uncommon gamepad that may be reconfigured right into a compact cellular controller, full with a cellphone clip.

These are comparatively inexpensive in comparison with a few of gaming’s most feature-loaded gamepads. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 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 also be the worth of Sony’s PS5 and PC suitable DualSense Edge, which comes with the same set of options. The Victrix Pro BFG, a superb modular gamepad that allows you to swap the whole format of your controller round, sits at that value too.

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

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 may be its closest equal, however the trackpads do so much 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 shopper. Different launchers acknowledge it as a composite mouse and keyboard setup, which implies that you could’t use it as your go-to PC controller throughout apps. That makes its use case slightly area of interest in comparison with an Xbox controller, placing a dent in its worth.

For those who’re going to drop a cool Benjamin Franklin on it, simply know what you’re moving into. It’s a feature-loaded gamepad that can work throughout your PC Steam shopper, Steam Deck, cellular through Steam Hyperlink, Steam Machine, and Steam Body. It’s not going to connect with your PS5 or Nintendo Swap 2, nor can you utilize it to regulate video games through the Epic Video games Retailer. If that’s a dealbreaker, cling on to your cash. However in case you’re all-in on Steam, it simply may be the very best companion controller you will get.

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