{"id":1905583,"date":"2026-04-27T17:00:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1905583"},"modified":"2026-04-27T17:00:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:00:54","slug":"valve-steam-controller-review-a-gamepad-in-search-of-a-console","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1905583","title":{"rendered":"Valve Steam Controller review: A gamepad in search of a console"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/nWA06oiXvrMA1MN.Un5qxw&#8211;\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzU-\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/be39a9b0-4246-11f1-963d-9178f9b0a99f&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"article-96b18512-f9fe-46dd-90ce-7bbf7e2e039c\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"mx-auto md:px-10 md:max-w-[1220px]\">\n<nav class=\"prestige-breadcrumb relative mx-4 md:mx-0\" aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<ol class=\"no-scrollbar overflow-scroll whitespace-nowrap text-battleship\">\n<li class=\"inline\">\n<li class=\"inline-block cursor-default last:pr-10 md:last:pr-20 font-bold\">Gaming<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"px-4 md:px-0 disclosure\">\n<div class=\"commerce\" data-pw=\"disclosure\">\n<div class=\"mb-7 flex items-center rounded-lg p-3 w-fit flex-col md:flex-row\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center self-start md:self-center mb-[10px] pb-[18px] md:mb-0 md:py-2 mr-3 border-b border-bob pr-1 dark:border-dolphin md:border-b-0 md:border-r md:pr-3 w-full border-batcave md:w-fit\"><span data-pw=\"disclosureLogo\" class=\"mr-2 size-5 md:size-6\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2023-09\/72819a70-4d9b-11ee-97ef-bc308af496e0\" alt=\"Engadget\"><\/span><span class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap lg:w-[86px] text-xs font-bold text-batcave dark:text-grey-hair md:text-sm\">Why you can trust us<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-[10px] [&amp;_p]:text-[12px] [&amp;_p]:font-[400] [&amp;_p]:text-batcave text-[12px] text-battleship dark:text-gandalf md:text-[13px] [&amp;_a]:text-batcave [&amp;_a]:underline dark:[&amp;_a]:text-grey-hair\">\n<p>Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<header class=\"mb-4 px-4 md:mb-6 md:px-0\">\n<h1 class=\"layout-h1 my-2 font-bold leading-tight\">Valve Steam Controller review: A gamepad in search of a console<\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"my-2 text-[18px] font-light leading-5 md:max-w-[660px] md:text-[20px]\/[28px]\">And a VR headset.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"flex-col items-start lg:flex lg:flex-row lg:items-center lg:justify-between mt-6\">\n<div class=\"relative md:mr-[10px]\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n<div class=\"flex mr-2\">\n<div class=\"shrink-0 cursor-pointer inline-block size-[42px] lg:size-[48px]\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt role=\"img\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full rounded-full object-cover object-center shadow-[0_0_0_2px_#ffffff]\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/qYxoYGj1ulyB_u90P9pMbg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTgwO2g9ODA-\/https:\/\/o.aolcdn.com\/images\/dims?image_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fo.aolcdn.com%2Fimages%2Fdims%3Fimage_uri%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fo.aolcdn.com%252Fimages%252Fdims%253Fimage_uri%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fs.yimg.com%25252Fos%25252Fcreatr-uploaded-images%25252F2023-02%25252F06245e60-a5af-11ed-affc-21021796d363%2526compress%253D1%2526progressive%253D1%2526quality%253D75%2526client%253Dhawkeye%2526signature%253D28de5d2f5265b92c151f2edde363a0010a6f5566%26compress%3D1%26progressive%3D1%26quality%3D75%26client%3Dhawkeye%26signature%3D5099c6962d2eba19c61f7657e00946992473ce27&amp;compress=1&amp;progressive=1&amp;quality=75&amp;client=hawkeye&amp;signature=8eeb9f157f60b7d94a1edf731739b1788bbbb635\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-block\">\n<div class=\"w-max text-sm\/5 font-semibold lg:!flex flex items-center\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col\">\n<div class=\"flex w-max items-center\">Jessica Conditt<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"font-normal sm:before:inline-block\">Senior Editor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"lg:hidden\">\n<div class=\"text-xs text-dolphin dark:text-shark md:text-sm\/5 pt-4\">\n<div class=\"inline-block\"><span class=\"mr-1 hidden lg:inline\">Updated<\/span><time datetime=\"2026-04-27T17:00:54.000Z\">Mon, April 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ml-0 mt-4 flex items-center lg:ml-3 lg:mt-0\">\n<div class=\"ml-0 mr-2\">\n<div class=\"relative flex\">Add Engadget on Google<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden lg:block\">\n<div class=\"text-xs text-dolphin dark:text-shark md:text-sm\/5 pt-4\">\n<div class=\"inline-block\"><span class=\"mr-1 hidden lg:inline\">Updated<\/span><time datetime=\"2026-04-27T17:00:54.000Z\">Mon, April 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-x-8 lg:gap-x-0 mx-auto md:px-10 md:max-w-[1220px] md:grid-cols-[[main-start]_1fr_[main-end_right-start]_min-content_[right-end]] lg:!gap-x-8\">\n<div class=\"md:col-main\" data-i13n-boundary=\"true\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-[[fullbleed-start_body-start]_minmax(auto,750px)_[body-end_fullbleed-end]]\">\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative overflow-hidden fig-image-round left-1\/2 w-screen -translate-x-1\/2 md:left-0 md:w-auto md:translate-x-0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt class=\"object-cover object-center\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EnezFe5eQ72lxGmj6MdRnw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/be39a9b0-4246-11f1-963d-9178f9b0a99f\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-article-mobile md:grid-cols-article lg:max-w-[750px] drop-cap\" data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Don\u2019t mistake the Steam Controller for a PC controller. Even though its main function is to play PC games, Valve\u2019s new gamepad communicates with Steam, and only Steam. This is not a general controller for your PC, Android or iOS devices, and it\u2019s certainly not compatible with any console on the market today, unless you count the handheld Steam Deck. In order to play a game with the Steam Controller, you have to boot it up through Steam. (More on this later).<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Valve\u2019s end goal for the Steam Controller is compatibility with the Steam Machine, a console that doesn\u2019t yet have a public release date or price point. The Steam Machine will support 4K gaming at 60 fps with FSR, it\u2019ll come with 512GB or 2TB of SSD storage, and it\u2019ll work with the Steam Frame VR headset, as will the Controller. The new Steam Machine was supposed to drop early this year, fulfilling a long-promised dream of PC gaming by moving your entire Steam library to the couch in a compact but powerful box. Due to the memory shortages plaguing the tech industry, the Machine and Frame aren&#8217;t here yet, so the Steam Controller is the first step in Valve\u2019s hardware takeover of living room territory. It\u2019s due to come out on May 4, priced at $99.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller represents roughly 13 years of R&amp;D, from its first iteration announced in 2013 to the debut of the Steam Deck in 2022, and the refinement period clearly paid off.<\/p>\n<div class=\"commerce productModule [&amp;+.productModule]:mt-9 [&amp;+.productModule]:border-t [&amp;+.productModule]:border-dirty-seagull [&amp;+.productModule]:pt-2 [&amp;+:not(.productModule)]:mt-10 col-body\" id=\"e0edb565475d4c9cac945e392ee6bc78\">\n<div class=\"mt-6 text-batcave @container\/p dark:text-grey-hair\">\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"relative mb-4 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-grey-hair pb-[75%] @xl\/p:pb-[56.25%]\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image for the large product module\" class=\"mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white object-contain @xl\/p:transition-transform @xl\/p:duration-300 @xl\/p:ease-in-out @xl\/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl\/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/j7.rKF.2buU2vqhk4Xg0VQ--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/fcbee970-4246-11f1-84bd-cc421d8fcc61\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"absolute -right-0.5 bottom-0 rounded-bl-none rounded-br-lg rounded-tl-lg rounded-tr-none bg-white\/90 px-3 py-2 text-[10px]\/3 text-battleship\">Valve<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mx-0 my-auto overflow-visible @xl\/p:grow\">\n<div class=\"commerce-score ml-4 mt-1 inline-block rounded-lg bg-white [box-shadow:0_4px_8px_0_rgb(0_0_0\/10%)] @xl\/p:ml-5 @xl\/p:mt-0 dark:bg-batcave float-right mb-3\">\n<div class=\"relative m-4 flex h-[77px] w-[62px] flex-col items-center justify-end gap-0.5 @xl\/p:h-[92px] @xl\/p:w-[72px] @xl\/p:gap-1\"><span class=\"commerce-score-val text-2xl\/7 @xl\/p:text-[32px]\/9\">90<\/span><span class=\"w-6 border-t border-solid border-t-battleship text-center text-xs\/5 text-battleship dark:border-t-bob dark:text-bob\">100<\/span><span class=\"whitespace-nowrap font-['Yahoo_Sans_Cond'] text-xs\/none font-medium text-battleship dark:text-bob\">Expert Score<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<h3 class=\"mb-1 text-xl\/[1.3] font-bold @xl\/p:text-2xl\/tight\">Steam Controller (2026)<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"commerce-desc mt-2 space-y-6 text-base\/relaxed md:text-lg\/8 [&amp;_li]:ml-4 [&amp;_ol&gt;li]:list-decimal [&amp;_ol]:space-y-6 [&amp;_ul&gt;li]:list-disc [&amp;_ul]:space-y-6\">\n<p>The Steam Controller is a sturdy and sleek gamepad that stands up to the competition. It\u2019s for Valve diehards, trackpad fanatics and anyone whose main gaming hub is Steam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col rounded-lg bg-marshmallow p-5 @xl\/p:flex-row dark:bg-batcave clear-right mt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex-1 border-solid border-dirty-seagull dark:border-charcoal border-b @xl\/p:border-b-0 @xl\/p:border-r-2 mb-6 mr-0 pb-6 pr-0 @xl\/p:mb-0 @xl\/p:mr-4 @xl\/p:pb-0 @xl\/p:pr-4\"><span class=\"space-x-2 text-lg\/6 font-bold uppercase\"><span>Pros<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Well-balanced and solidly built<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Precise TMR thumbsticks<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Trackpads and Gyros add flexibility<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Long battery life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex-1\"><span class=\"space-x-2 text-lg\/6 font-bold uppercase\"><span>Cons<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">It\u2019s built for Steam, for better or worse<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Some features won\u2019t be useful until the Steam Frame is out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5\">$99 at Valve<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller is a tidy chonker of a gamepad with a broad, Duke-like face holding two square trackpads beneath the standard analog sticks and face buttons. Despite its extra girth, the Steam Controller feels light, slim and balanced, even in my smaller-than-average hands. The grips are slender and have four circular rear buttons, two per side, that are super satisfying to click even when they don\u2019t do anything in-game. The bumpers, triggers, D-pad and face buttons are shiny black plastic, and all of the controller\u2019s edges are rounded, allowing for a smooth glide between the bumpers and triggers especially. The trackpads don\u2019t get in the way when you don\u2019t need them, but in-use, they\u2019re incredibly sensitive and kind of mesmerizing. They look and feel just like the trackpads on the Steam Deck, following the trails of your thumbs with miniature popping bubbles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_17h9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_27h9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller uses tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks, which are a leveled-up version of Hall effect sticks, offering ultimate precision and long-term stability with no chance of drift. After a few days of use across a range of game genres, including competitive first-person shooters, they\u2019ve proven to be reliable and accurate. In terms of stick precision and feel, I find the Steam Controller is comparable to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, my PC gamepad of choice. I otherwise much prefer the swappability, rubberized microswitches and crisp clickiness of Razer\u2019s gamepad \u2014 but the Wolverine also costs about $100 more and doesn\u2019t come with trackpad capabilities, so we\u2019ll call it a wash.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/OgRlO5qJcQ2AJvBGviR7vw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390bec70-4247-11f1-bffa-100e34b56c25\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">One of the neatest aspects of the Steam Controller is its charging and connection puck, which plugs into your PC or Steam Deck through a USB cable and enables stable wireless play. The puck snaps onto the belly of the controller for charging, and when you hover the gamepad\u2019s connection point over it, it jumps up and latches on like a cute little sucker fish. I don\u2019t know if this behavior is an intentional selling point, but it certainly is for me. The Steam Controller also connects to devices via Bluetooth or with a cable, and in all configurations it\u2019s performed without issue for me. Of course, Bluetooth mode has the highest latency, so that\u2019s mainly for phones and Steam Link play. The puck can support two Steam Controllers at once. Swapping between Puck and Bluetooth mode is a simple matter of holding the right bumper and A or B, respectively, when you turn the controller on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Pressing the power button with the Steam logo wakes up the gamepad, and pressing it twice when you\u2019re connected to a PC launches Steam in Big Picture mode. The Steam Controller feels like a natural extension of Valve\u2019s storefront, and with its matte black finish and bubbled edges, it\u2019ll be familiar to anyone who\u2019s fallen in love with a Steam Deck these past few years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I tested out the controller on my PC with Steam games and non-Steam games (added to my Steam library first, of course \u2014 seriously, more on that later), and in my living room with my Steam Deck acting as a makeshift, low-powered Steam Machine. On PC I played <em>The Seance of Blake Manor<\/em>, <em>Creature Kitchen<\/em> and <em>Overwatch<\/em>, and on Steam Deck I played <em>Blake Manor<\/em>, <em>Demonschool<\/em> and <em>Balatro<\/em>. Whether connected with Bluetooth, the puck or USB, the Steam Controller provided seamless play and no noticeable latency. The distance from my couch to the puck nestled behind my Steam Deck is about eight feet, and I didn\u2019t feel a frame drop while cosplaying as a Steam Machine owner. I also never ran into battery issues, but that\u2019s not shocking considering Valve\u2019s claim that the gamepad has more than 35 hours on a single charge. In my testing, the battery barely registered a drop after multiple hours of playtime, and I was happy to snap on the charging puck whenever I wanted to set the controller down.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/UjP2IjObuWgWq_5Pb4b8vQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390c3a90-4247-11f1-9dff-eeca50c08f2a\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Valve notes the battery life may be lower if playing with the Steam Frame. The Steam Controller has infrared LEDs for tracking, which will obviously drain the battery a little faster. Some VR games may have you waving your controller, as there are gyroscopic sensors in there as well. As the Steam Frame isn\u2019t out, I wasn\u2019t able to test some of the controller\u2019s more interesting features.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1fh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2fh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Even against players using a keyboard and mouse in competitive <em>Overwatch<\/em> matches, I won games and earned awards, passing my personal ultimate test of a controller\u2019s capabilities. When it comes to <em>Overwatch<\/em>, I\u2019m mostly comparing the Steam Controller to Sony\u2019s DualSense, and it feels surprisingly similar. I enjoy the Steam Controller\u2019s smooth slide between the bumpers and triggers, though its haptic feedback is more subtle than the DualSense\u2019s, lacking in the analog sticks particularly. Much like with the Steam Deck, I haven\u2019t found a consistent use case for the trackpads on the Steam Controller, but I appreciate their inclusion, the accessibility factor, and the fact that they aren\u2019t otherwise intrusive. Now, just add a Playdate crank and I\u2019m really sold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller is a clear and unmistakable signal that Valve is joining the console wars, and perhaps by patient and diligent design, it\u2019s appearing at a vulnerable time. Xbox is fumbling the current generation and attempting to redefine its place in the console market amid a significant leadership shakeup, while Sony and Nintendo are carrying on with standard hardware upgrade cycles in a landscape that\u2019s based less on platform exclusivity every day. Right now there\u2019s room for a robust PC-based storefront to stake its claim on couch gaming, and <em>voila<\/em>, here\u2019s Valve with the Steam Machine and Steam Controller.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rGqKRAJ.Dr4o.EKOOfEMyw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/39022870-4247-11f1-84b1-0fd5a94e36fd\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Similarly to the way Valve used <em>Half-Life 2<\/em> to get people to download Steam in 2004, the Steam Controller pushes players to fully consolidate their PC libraries in its own ecosystem. You\u2019ll have to add games with their own launchers like <em>Overwatch<\/em>, <em>Valorant<\/em>, <em>Minecraft<\/em> and <em>Fortnite<\/em> to your Steam library before you can play them using Valve\u2019s controller. This is a small inconvenience, since it takes just a few clicks to add a non-Steam game to your profile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">(Welcome to later). However, I don\u2019t enjoy doing it. As I was browsing through files to add <em>Overwatch<\/em> to my Steam library, I couldn\u2019t help thinking that it would have been pretty easy for Valve to add a switch that would let the Steam Controller communicate with any PC game. Maybe it&#8217;s a touch of oppositional defiant disorder, but I despise being coerced into behaviors that are designed to serve a corporation\u2019s market control over my own workflow, especially in my personal spaces.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1lh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2lh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Now more than ever, I value my ability to choose \u2014 which businesses I work with, where I store my software, how I play \u2014 and the Steam launcher requirement is another small expansion of Valve\u2019s incredible power in the PC games industry. It\u2019s too easy to say, <em>most of my games are already on Steam, no big deal<\/em>, and use the Controller as an excuse to consolidate them all on Valve\u2019s launcher. Suddenly, Steam is where you begin and end every gaming session, rather than just most. Obviously and especially with the coming rollout of the Steam Machine, this is the reality that Valve wants: a rich industry utterly reliant on its platform of DRM, shitty revenue splits and random opaque censorship. It\u2019s the situation that Microsoft, Apple or Epic also want for themselves, but the main difference is that this future is actually in reach for Valve, and the Steam Controller is a tiny part of the plan. If willing and unforced support of a monopoly makes you bristle as well, feel free to stick with 8BitDo.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/wKPgNLZgjoB50.PtLoK8pQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390c88b0-4247-11f1-9f4c-c90defde1ea4\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1oh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2oh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Truly though, I get it. The Steam Controller doesn\u2019t come with a PC switch because it\u2019s not a PC controller. It\u2019s for controlling Steam, a service that\u2019s become synonymous with PC and handheld gaming, and is now creeping onto the living-room scene. The Steam Controller is designed to follow you everywhere Steam is, for all your gaming needs across every screen forever and always \u2014 and there is something soothing about that idea in a <em>Brave New World<\/em> Soma kind of way. A PC controller? That\u2019s far too limited, from Valve\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Encroaching corporate dystopia aside, the Steam Controller is a sturdy and sleek gamepad that stands up to the competition. It\u2019s for Valve diehards, trackpad fanatics and anyone whose main gaming hub is Steam. Which, to be clear, is a massive market that\u2019s only poised to grow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"md:col-main grid grid-cols-article-mobile md:grid-cols-article lg:max-w-[750px]\">\n<div class=\"no-scrollbar col-body mx-4 mb-8 mt-2.5 overflow-x-scroll whitespace-nowrap md:mx-0 md:max-w-[750px] md:overflow-x-visible md:hidden\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto max-w-screen-sm\">\n<ul class=\"inline-flex text-xs md:text-sm\">\n<li class=\"mr-6\">About our ads<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-article-mobile md:grid-cols-article lg:max-w-[750px] drop-cap\" data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Don\u2019t mistake the Steam Controller for a PC controller. Even though its main function is to play PC games, Valve\u2019s new gamepad communicates with Steam, and only Steam. This is not a general controller for your PC, Android or iOS devices, and it\u2019s certainly not compatible with any console on the market today, unless you count the handheld Steam Deck. In order to play a game with the Steam Controller, you have to boot it up through Steam. (More on this later).<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Valve\u2019s end goal for the Steam Controller is compatibility with the Steam Machine, a console that doesn\u2019t yet have a public release date or price point. The Steam Machine will support 4K gaming at 60 fps with FSR, it\u2019ll come with 512GB or 2TB of SSD storage, and it\u2019ll work with the Steam Frame VR headset, as will the Controller. The new Steam Machine was supposed to drop early this year, fulfilling a long-promised dream of PC gaming by moving your entire Steam library to the couch in a compact but powerful box. Due to the memory shortages plaguing the tech industry, the Machine and Frame aren&#8217;t here yet, so the Steam Controller is the first step in Valve\u2019s hardware takeover of living room territory. It\u2019s due to come out on May 4, priced at $99.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller represents roughly 13 years of R&amp;D, from its first iteration announced in 2013 to the debut of the Steam Deck in 2022, and the refinement period clearly paid off.<\/p>\n<div class=\"commerce productModule [&amp;+.productModule]:mt-9 [&amp;+.productModule]:border-t [&amp;+.productModule]:border-dirty-seagull [&amp;+.productModule]:pt-2 [&amp;+:not(.productModule)]:mt-10 col-body\" id=\"e0edb565475d4c9cac945e392ee6bc78\">\n<div class=\"mt-6 text-batcave @container\/p dark:text-grey-hair\">\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"relative mb-4 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-grey-hair pb-[75%] @xl\/p:pb-[56.25%]\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image for the large product module\" class=\"mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white object-contain @xl\/p:transition-transform @xl\/p:duration-300 @xl\/p:ease-in-out @xl\/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl\/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/uu\/api\/res\/1.2\/j7.rKF.2buU2vqhk4Xg0VQ--~B\/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/fcbee970-4246-11f1-84bd-cc421d8fcc61\" loading=\"lazy\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"absolute -right-0.5 bottom-0 rounded-bl-none rounded-br-lg rounded-tl-lg rounded-tr-none bg-white\/90 px-3 py-2 text-[10px]\/3 text-battleship\">Valve<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mx-0 my-auto overflow-visible @xl\/p:grow\">\n<div class=\"commerce-score ml-4 mt-1 inline-block rounded-lg bg-white [box-shadow:0_4px_8px_0_rgb(0_0_0\/10%)] @xl\/p:ml-5 @xl\/p:mt-0 dark:bg-batcave float-right mb-3\">\n<div class=\"relative m-4 flex h-[77px] w-[62px] flex-col items-center justify-end gap-0.5 @xl\/p:h-[92px] @xl\/p:w-[72px] @xl\/p:gap-1\"><span class=\"commerce-score-val text-2xl\/7 @xl\/p:text-[32px]\/9\">90<\/span><span class=\"w-6 border-t border-solid border-t-battleship text-center text-xs\/5 text-battleship dark:border-t-bob dark:text-bob\">100<\/span><span class=\"whitespace-nowrap font-['Yahoo_Sans_Cond'] text-xs\/none font-medium text-battleship dark:text-bob\">Expert Score<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<h3 class=\"mb-1 text-xl\/[1.3] font-bold @xl\/p:text-2xl\/tight\">Steam Controller (2026)<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"commerce-desc mt-2 space-y-6 text-base\/relaxed md:text-lg\/8 [&amp;_li]:ml-4 [&amp;_ol&gt;li]:list-decimal [&amp;_ol]:space-y-6 [&amp;_ul&gt;li]:list-disc [&amp;_ul]:space-y-6\">\n<p>The Steam Controller is a sturdy and sleek gamepad that stands up to the competition. It\u2019s for Valve diehards, trackpad fanatics and anyone whose main gaming hub is Steam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-col rounded-lg bg-marshmallow p-5 @xl\/p:flex-row dark:bg-batcave clear-right mt-5\">\n<div class=\"flex-1 border-solid border-dirty-seagull dark:border-charcoal border-b @xl\/p:border-b-0 @xl\/p:border-r-2 mb-6 mr-0 pb-6 pr-0 @xl\/p:mb-0 @xl\/p:mr-4 @xl\/p:pb-0 @xl\/p:pr-4\"><span class=\"space-x-2 text-lg\/6 font-bold uppercase\"><span>Pros<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Well-balanced and solidly built<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Precise TMR thumbsticks<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Trackpads and Gyros add flexibility<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Long battery life<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex-1\"><span class=\"space-x-2 text-lg\/6 font-bold uppercase\"><span>Cons<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mt-2 pl-6 leading-relaxed @xl\/p:text-lg\/[30px]\">\n<li class=\"list-disc\">It\u2019s built for Steam, for better or worse<\/li>\n<li class=\"list-disc\">Some features won\u2019t be useful until the Steam Frame is out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt-5\">$99 at Valve<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller is a tidy chonker of a gamepad with a broad, Duke-like face holding two square trackpads beneath the standard analog sticks and face buttons. Despite its extra girth, the Steam Controller feels light, slim and balanced, even in my smaller-than-average hands. The grips are slender and have four circular rear buttons, two per side, that are super satisfying to click even when they don\u2019t do anything in-game. The bumpers, triggers, D-pad and face buttons are shiny black plastic, and all of the controller\u2019s edges are rounded, allowing for a smooth glide between the bumpers and triggers especially. The trackpads don\u2019t get in the way when you don\u2019t need them, but in-use, they\u2019re incredibly sensitive and kind of mesmerizing. They look and feel just like the trackpads on the Steam Deck, following the trails of your thumbs with miniature popping bubbles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_17h9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_27h9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller uses tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) joysticks, which are a leveled-up version of Hall effect sticks, offering ultimate precision and long-term stability with no chance of drift. After a few days of use across a range of game genres, including competitive first-person shooters, they\u2019ve proven to be reliable and accurate. In terms of stick precision and feel, I find the Steam Controller is comparable to the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, my PC gamepad of choice. I otherwise much prefer the swappability, rubberized microswitches and crisp clickiness of Razer\u2019s gamepad \u2014 but the Wolverine also costs about $100 more and doesn\u2019t come with trackpad capabilities, so we\u2019ll call it a wash.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/OgRlO5qJcQ2AJvBGviR7vw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390bec70-4247-11f1-bffa-100e34b56c25\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">One of the neatest aspects of the Steam Controller is its charging and connection puck, which plugs into your PC or Steam Deck through a USB cable and enables stable wireless play. The puck snaps onto the belly of the controller for charging, and when you hover the gamepad\u2019s connection point over it, it jumps up and latches on like a cute little sucker fish. I don\u2019t know if this behavior is an intentional selling point, but it certainly is for me. The Steam Controller also connects to devices via Bluetooth or with a cable, and in all configurations it\u2019s performed without issue for me. Of course, Bluetooth mode has the highest latency, so that\u2019s mainly for phones and Steam Link play. The puck can support two Steam Controllers at once. Swapping between Puck and Bluetooth mode is a simple matter of holding the right bumper and A or B, respectively, when you turn the controller on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Pressing the power button with the Steam logo wakes up the gamepad, and pressing it twice when you\u2019re connected to a PC launches Steam in Big Picture mode. The Steam Controller feels like a natural extension of Valve\u2019s storefront, and with its matte black finish and bubbled edges, it\u2019ll be familiar to anyone who\u2019s fallen in love with a Steam Deck these past few years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">I tested out the controller on my PC with Steam games and non-Steam games (added to my Steam library first, of course \u2014 seriously, more on that later), and in my living room with my Steam Deck acting as a makeshift, low-powered Steam Machine. On PC I played <em>The Seance of Blake Manor<\/em>, <em>Creature Kitchen<\/em> and <em>Overwatch<\/em>, and on Steam Deck I played <em>Blake Manor<\/em>, <em>Demonschool<\/em> and <em>Balatro<\/em>. Whether connected with Bluetooth, the puck or USB, the Steam Controller provided seamless play and no noticeable latency. The distance from my couch to the puck nestled behind my Steam Deck is about eight feet, and I didn\u2019t feel a frame drop while cosplaying as a Steam Machine owner. I also never ran into battery issues, but that\u2019s not shocking considering Valve\u2019s claim that the gamepad has more than 35 hours on a single charge. In my testing, the battery barely registered a drop after multiple hours of playtime, and I was happy to snap on the charging puck whenever I wanted to set the controller down.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/UjP2IjObuWgWq_5Pb4b8vQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390c3a90-4247-11f1-9dff-eeca50c08f2a\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Valve notes the battery life may be lower if playing with the Steam Frame. The Steam Controller has infrared LEDs for tracking, which will obviously drain the battery a little faster. Some VR games may have you waving your controller, as there are gyroscopic sensors in there as well. As the Steam Frame isn\u2019t out, I wasn\u2019t able to test some of the controller\u2019s more interesting features.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1fh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2fh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Even against players using a keyboard and mouse in competitive <em>Overwatch<\/em> matches, I won games and earned awards, passing my personal ultimate test of a controller\u2019s capabilities. When it comes to <em>Overwatch<\/em>, I\u2019m mostly comparing the Steam Controller to Sony\u2019s DualSense, and it feels surprisingly similar. I enjoy the Steam Controller\u2019s smooth slide between the bumpers and triggers, though its haptic feedback is more subtle than the DualSense\u2019s, lacking in the analog sticks particularly. Much like with the Steam Deck, I haven\u2019t found a consistent use case for the trackpads on the Steam Controller, but I appreciate their inclusion, the accessibility factor, and the fact that they aren\u2019t otherwise intrusive. Now, just add a Playdate crank and I\u2019m really sold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">The Steam Controller is a clear and unmistakable signal that Valve is joining the console wars, and perhaps by patient and diligent design, it\u2019s appearing at a vulnerable time. Xbox is fumbling the current generation and attempting to redefine its place in the console market amid a significant leadership shakeup, while Sony and Nintendo are carrying on with standard hardware upgrade cycles in a landscape that\u2019s based less on platform exclusivity every day. Right now there\u2019s room for a robust PC-based storefront to stake its claim on couch gaming, and <em>voila<\/em>, here\u2019s Valve with the Steam Machine and Steam Controller.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rGqKRAJ.Dr4o.EKOOfEMyw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/39022870-4247-11f1-84b1-0fd5a94e36fd\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Similarly to the way Valve used <em>Half-Life 2<\/em> to get people to download Steam in 2004, the Steam Controller pushes players to fully consolidate their PC libraries in its own ecosystem. You\u2019ll have to add games with their own launchers like <em>Overwatch<\/em>, <em>Valorant<\/em>, <em>Minecraft<\/em> and <em>Fortnite<\/em> to your Steam library before you can play them using Valve\u2019s controller. This is a small inconvenience, since it takes just a few clicks to add a non-Steam game to your profile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">(Welcome to later). However, I don\u2019t enjoy doing it. As I was browsing through files to add <em>Overwatch<\/em> to my Steam library, I couldn\u2019t help thinking that it would have been pretty easy for Valve to add a switch that would let the Steam Controller communicate with any PC game. Maybe it&#8217;s a touch of oppositional defiant disorder, but I despise being coerced into behaviors that are designed to serve a corporation\u2019s market control over my own workflow, especially in my personal spaces.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1lh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2lh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Now more than ever, I value my ability to choose \u2014 which businesses I work with, where I store my software, how I play \u2014 and the Steam launcher requirement is another small expansion of Valve\u2019s incredible power in the PC games industry. It\u2019s too easy to say, <em>most of my games are already on Steam, no big deal<\/em>, and use the Controller as an excuse to consolidate them all on Valve\u2019s launcher. Suddenly, Steam is where you begin and end every gaming session, rather than just most. Obviously and especially with the coming rollout of the Steam Machine, this is the reality that Valve wants: a rich industry utterly reliant on its platform of DRM, shitty revenue splits and random opaque censorship. It\u2019s the situation that Microsoft, Apple or Epic also want for themselves, but the main difference is that this future is actually in reach for Valve, and the Steam Controller is a tiny part of the plan. If willing and unforced support of a monopoly makes you bristle as well, feel free to stick with 8BitDo.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Steam Controller\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" class=\"fig-image-round\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/wKPgNLZgjoB50.PtLoK8pQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/390c88b0-4247-11f1-9f4c-c90defde1ea4\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 mt-2.5 md:mt-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div><span>Sam Rutherford for Engadget<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_1oh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-body mb-4 hidden pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:block\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-nowrap justify-center\">\n<div class=\"flex\" id=\"_R_2oh9nam95feiv5tilbH1_\">\n<div class=\"flex size-full items-center justify-center bg-marshmallow text-center leading-3\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Truly though, I get it. The Steam Controller doesn\u2019t come with a PC switch because it\u2019s not a PC controller. It\u2019s for controlling Steam, a service that\u2019s become synonymous with PC and handheld gaming, and is now creeping onto the living-room scene. The Steam Controller is designed to follow you everywhere Steam is, for all your gaming needs across every screen forever and always \u2014 and there is something soothing about that idea in a <em>Brave New World<\/em> Soma kind of way. A PC controller? That\u2019s far too limited, from Valve\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color\">Encroaching corporate dystopia aside, the Steam Controller is a sturdy and sleek gamepad that stands up to the competition. It\u2019s for Valve diehards, trackpad fanatics and anyone whose main gaming hub is Steam. Which, to be clear, is a massive market that\u2019s only poised to grow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/gaming\/valve-steam-controller-review-a-gamepad-in-search-of-a-console-170054068.html&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/nWA06oiXvrMA1MN.Un5qxw&#8211;\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzU-\/https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/os\/creatr-uploaded-images\/2026-04\/be39a9b0-4246-11f1-963d-9178f9b0a99f&#8221;] Gaming Why you can trust us Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products. Valve Steam Controller review: A gamepad in search of a console [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,63],"class_list":["post-1905583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-engadget-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1905583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1905583\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1905583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1905583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1905583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}