Take a look at the latest Steam Controller redesign

[Birdman]

They should change the button letters to WASD.

[Vitalius]

They should change the button letters to WASD.

+1.

No seriously. This is genius. Do this. Please Steam. Be unique.

[SirRoderick]

they should change the layout of the trackpads to be diagonal from each other like an Xbox controller. That's a much better design.

You know I completely disagree, if anything it's probably more to do with what you're used to. I like my PS4 controller a HELL of a lot better than an Xbox pad and that's one of the reasons.

 

My main concern with this is that it looks like the buttons layout might be a bit uncomfortable to use.

[DLM_012]

[Woolbeach]

I guess they realized that less is not always more. I'm liking the buttons, and did feel that something was missing before, just couldn't wrap my head around what was missing at the time. MOAR BUTTONS

[Humbug]

They should change the button letters to WASD.

Brilliant, it's even worth a shot emailing them with that idea...

[BadgersAreCool]

Brilliant, it's even worth a shot emailing them with that idea...

I was thinking that, but traditionally WASD is for movement, which will obviously be done with the touchpads.

 

Maybe 1234, but it's kinda lame

[Vitalius]

I was thinking that, but traditionally WASD is for movement, which will obviously be done with the touchpads.

 

Maybe 1234, but it's kinda lame

Very lame. We need emoticons. But for actions. And video games. 

Rock paper scissors spock anyone? 

Hmm, this is harder than I thought. What else could go there that would make the Steam controller both cool and unique? 

What about dots? Like die. 

Except in shapes. So 3 would be a triangle and 4 would be a diamond. 

... Still kinda lame, but less lame than just the numbers.

Geeky way to do it:

2⁰ 2¹ 2^X 2² (forgot how to get the power of a number in this situation. Fail) [This is a dumb, confusing, joke.]

Binary: 001 010 011 100

Wait Wait Wait. This'll never work. Valve doesn't know how to count to 3. D: I guess that means this is the last prototype of this controller (it's the second one IIRC).

I really got nothing. Ugh. What are somewhat generic symbols that can be attributed to Valve (or computers in general) that could be on these buttons? Ugh. Playstation and Xbox/Wii had it easy. Shapes and letters. 

Numbers are lame, so what else is there? I'm somewhat liking the dot idea for 1-4.

[BadgersAreCool]

Very lame. We need emoticons. But for actions. And video games. 

Rock paper scissors spock anyone? 

Hmm, this is harder than I thought. What else could go there that would make the Steam controller both cool and unique? 

What about dots? Like die. 

Except in shapes. So 3 would be a triangle and 4 would be a diamond. 

... Still kinda lame, but less lame than just the numbers.

Need more inspiration...

 

 

This made me realize that that's how the Dualshock controller is setup

 

o = 1 side

x = 2 sides

/\ = 3 sides

[ ] = 4 sides

 

I blew my own mind

[GeTecknics]

i like the original but this one looks more practical i like the touchpads on top since i have big hands

[Birdman]

Brilliant, it's even worth a shot emailing them with that idea...

everyone is free to. I am far too busy to do any of that. 

I was thinking that, but traditionally WASD is for movement, which will obviously be done with the touchpads.

 

Maybe 1234, but it's kinda lame

My first thoughts as well. and it would probably cause some confusion at first. However I think it's almost key to do something at least with that idea in mind to stay tied to their PC roots. 

[TheProfosist]

check out this youtube video on Tested's channel

. It goes a bit more into details and I quite like the upgrades. I have a feeling most people are just going to use the pads in analog stick mode for the majority of games.

they should change the layout of the trackpads to be diagonal from each other like an Xbox controller. That's a much better design.

I like that design actually thought it might be weird when i got my Wii U but the layout is actually quite nice as long as the placement is done well.

Get rid of the damn touchpads and add some freaking analog sticks and then it'll be perfect.

they are trying to do something new and unique which isnt going to happen with analog sticks.

I hope it stays as it is. Basically inverted Playstation controller. I'm sorry, but I've never understood why people like the Xbox layout over the Playstation layout. 

I've used both extensively, and personally, I prefer Playstation a loooooot more than Xbox's layout. Symmetry is best, among other things, for me.

 

I'm not sure. I kind of agree, but I think we'd have to hold it to know for sure.

This. It looks normal, but at the same time it doesn't. It's strange. I can't imagine how it'd feel to use it. 

 

True, but the touch pads would be even more difficult to reach. They are indents. Concaved. So they are even less elevated (need a better way to say that) than the buttons. Plus, they are touch pads. You would want to use the tips of your thumbs to control them. That'd make it even worse to use in that area.

 

Not enough utility. A touch pad, depending on who designs for it, can do a lot more than a thumbstick ever could. It can act as a thumb stick, as a d-pad, as action (X, Y, etc) buttons, as a momentum switch (my favorite concept personally), etc. A thumbstick is a thumb stick.

I never liked the thumb stick layout on playstation for any game that you were primarily using them. Which has been the case in many games from the PS2 on. That layout is really good for rpg's though, especically jrpg's. And think what is one of their biggest markets, hmmm...

I absolutely agree but I think that valve clearly thinks the touch pads were not enough on their own so they added the regular buttons.

Which tells me a significant majority will actually use this controller just like the traditional console controllers, i.e. the touchpads will not be used as much as the regular buttons.

The trackpads will be used just like and analog stick on a controller. What is does allow though is different things like say FPS shown off in the video above with 1 to 1 aiming that could be better as its closer to a mouse, I would have to try it though. There are a ton of game that just dont work with current controllers but all the different things yo ucan do with a trackpad should allow them to be able to be played.

[TheProfosist]

Clicky analog sticks are somewhat useful, at least you know it's a button. But being able to move the stick and know from feeling what you're doing makes a lot more sense in the brain. This will change as time passes and more people use this kind of design compared to older ones but for the time being I like to stick my fingers on some sticks...

you can click the trackpads and as for range of motion, thats what the circles are on there for.

Valve will use haptic feedback that arguably all but replaces tactile feel of analog sticks. I'm largely skeptical of the results of using touchpads haptic feedback or not, but for some of the games on Steam which are traditionally mice based like RTS games, it might end up being better than a stick (although still a lot worst than a mouse though)

Again I'm skeptical about this haptic feedback stuff, but it is what Valve is pushing.

I think lots of are are and will be until we get to test it ourselves on our own time.

Slide, lift, slide, lift......

 

 

Aesthetics over functionality = Doomed to fail.

huh? and look pretty comfy to me, especialy the neweer oe with the more rounded edges.

Ah, I have average hands I guess. One thing I dislike about the Xbox layout is that I can't press every button simultaneously.

Before you go, "Why the hell would you want to do that?", there are some games I get an advantage in because I can do that. Specifically hack and slash games like Kingdom Hearts (my preferred example) or when I need extra control in a racing game (pressing brake + emergency brake + acceleration + steering + changing view to watch surroundings + etc). And yes, I can do all that at once.

I often use my index finger to press the D-Pad while my thumbs use the thumb sticks and my other index finger presses the X, O, Square and Triangle buttons.

It's kinda crazy, I know, but I can't do that with an Xbox controller since I can't accurately control a thumb stick with my index finger and I'm not double jointed, so there's no way to use it like I do a Playstation layout controller.

There are other reasons, but that's the biggest one.

I bought a FFXIV controller that has the PS layout to use as my gamepad for my PC for that very reason.

In most cases games are setup to never need to do more than 4 things at one. Also your talking about playing jrpg's which is one of the playstation's main markets. Try playing a FPS on there an youll see the controller is far less suited for that.

Only thing I wonder about this controller is, in the heat of the game when my hands get all sweaty will I still be able to use the pads?

 

When will they invent a controller with cooling built into it...

those have been around since the PS2, Gamecube, and Xbox era...

[Vitalius]

In most cases games are setup to never need to do more than 4 things at one. Also your talking about playing jrpg's which is one of the playstation's main markets. Try playing a FPS on there an youll see the controller is far less suited for that.

<Played 200+ hours of Modern Warfare 2 on PS3. 

So yeah. I know  how it feels. I find it better than Xbox.

<Played 150+ hours of Halo (all of them) on Xbox consoles

I say they are equal for FPS. I never noticed a difference in terms of how the controller's layout affected my gameplay. Aside from me being able to do 5+ things at once which was still an advantage I had in MW2. 

[TheProfosist]

I'm talking about how you use it like a laptop touchpad.

 

Yes it has software that makes it perform a lot better but it's still a lot of unnecessary sliding and lifting of the fingers

to perform movements that a stick can do by simple pressing it in the direction you want to go.

 

It's designed to look cool, nothing more.

It can do that too even laptop touchpads have different ways you can use them. Have you even downloaded the synaptics driver directly and see how many option there are?

Thanks. I needed a new keyboard and mouse anyway. I'll see if I can find them for cheap.

lol just rig up a case fan or two on your desk.

both Those ways are possible with this controller. That's a software level decision so i suppose devs can decide What works best for their game.

yes from the new video I posted I see at least three different ways it could be setup.

We should just all just go back to the gamecube controller!

Agreed Wavebird for life and the afterlife as we know nintendonium will out last all of us.

[TheProfosist]

Yes, let's just piss all over innovation and have another copy of the same damn thing. 

True, but they are in a different location. I don't think I've ever seen a mainstream controller with the buttons there.

Wii U and its quite a nice controller. it is also bluetooth and someone was working on a driver, I wonder if that has happened yet?

People are always figuratively sucking the cocks of innovation but are swift to forget the quintessential thought that not everything that is new is good.

It's like people who praised the Wii on the wii-mote and motion controls, no, just no, bad, very bad, much bad...

Why kill it before you can try it and see if its really bad, especially for something promising.

It was actually and quite promising for certain gametypes as long as it was implemented properly. I liked it in shooters as aiming worked much like a mouse.

They should change the button letters to WASD.

wouldnt that just get confusing?

[TheProfosist]

This made me realize that that's how the Dualshock controller is setup

 

o = 1 side

x = 2 sides

/\ = 3 sides

[ ] = 4 sides

 

I blew my own mind

that more lines then sides but yes that is correct

its kinda like when I found out the pic below I was like "Why are they not advertising this!!!!!!!!!!!!"

<Played 200+ hours of Modern Warfare 2 on PS3. 

So yeah. I know  how it feels. I find it better than Xbox.

<Played 150+ hours of Halo (all of them) on Xbox consoles

I say they are equal for FPS. I never noticed a difference in terms of how the controller's layout affected my gameplay. Aside from me being able to do 5+ things at once which was still an advantage I had in MW2.

Well with how I hold my hand in the position of the controllers my thubs naturally end up where the joystick and ABXY are on the xbox controller, not the additional 45 degree turn to where the sticks are on the playstation controller. this is why games that primarily use the analog stick not the dpad are more comfortable. I actually prefer the Wii U Pro controller's layout to both though it too some getting used too.

Oh and in the Playstation vs Xbox controller ill go gamecube as its one of the best designs in my opinion. the X360 Controller just has great shape as well, probably better then the Wii U Pro's. I have not tried the PS4's but is been told its a bunch better than previous gen's as some needed changes have finally been done.

[malaki]

I still conisder the Xbox controller a gamecube ripoff

[TheProfosist]

I still conisder the Xbox controller a gamecube ripoff

Are you saying this just because of stick layout? If so that si not enough to justify that.

[malaki]

Are you saying this just because of stick layout? If so that si not enough to justify that.

 

I just find the overall layout of the xbox controller to be alot too similar to the gamecube controler

not just the sticks

Same basic shape

Similar trigger-like buttons

Turbo mode (On some aftermarket 360 controllers)

[TheProfosist]

I just find the overall layout of the xbox controller to be alot too similar to the gamecube controler

not just the sticks

Same basic shape

Similar trigger-like buttons

Turbo mode (On some aftermarket 360 controllers)

The general shape is completely different as is the button layout so really it is just the sticks and even they are different. the triggers are diffeent as well the gamecubes go in while the Xbox's and X360's are hinged. Also turbo mode is a 3rd party thing that I have seen as far back as SNES if not earlier.