[section_title title=”Software and Real World Performance”]
Software
The controller works using Steam Big Picture mode to modify its settings. However the controller will work in standard steam, but you will not be able to adjust your settings. From the Big Picture overlay you can select Configure Controller and from here you have access to a ludicrous amount of customizations. The two touch pads mainly function as mice or joysticks but they can also be used as extra buttons, d-pads, and scroll-wheels. The triggers can have separate bindings for soft presses or hard presses.
Another cool feature is mode switching which allows for controls to change when a certain button is pressed. In a few configurations I have seen this used to switch on gyro controls but it can be used to do anything you may need.
It’s worth mentioning that there have been a good number of firmware updates since the controller’s release which have greatly enhanced the controller experience including the ability to give your controller a name and to change its on and off sounds into any of a few short jingles and beeps.
Real World Performance
Since this is supposed to be the definitive controller for Valves new steam box I decided to test this controller across as many genres as possible trying games designed for controllers and designed for keyboards. Here is how I felt it performed in each.
FPS
To test the controller’s abilities in FPS games that were designed with a controller in mind, I tried out the controller in Bioshock Infinite. While there were many different control schemes to try and make this controller work, I ended up feeling most comfortable with the right pad being seen as a mouse and using the joystick for movement. While the mouse setting was as sensitive as I would have expected, I felt like I either couldn’t control it well enough (over sensitive) or my movements were too sluggish. I never was able to find a happy medium. To test a mouse and keyboard style fps, I played Dirty Bomb. Surprisingly I managed to get a few kills, and I felt that given time I could probably match my normal skill level while using the controller.
Action RPG (Hack and Slash)
For this section I did testing on both Dark Souls 1 and Dark Souls 2. On Dark Souls 1 the controller really felt clunky no matter what scheme I tried. Considering that Dark Souls 1‘s mouse and keyboard controls are considered poor (as well as the port normally running in conjunction with a mod to make it run smoothly) this may have messed up the bindings I tried. The joystick emulation the controller employs (for the camera stick) just feels off with a touchpad. However the binding I used for the second game (Dark Souls 2) felt rather good, and the scheme I found even used the grips in some clever ways to enhance your control.
Racing
For the racing test I used Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. For this game the control performed fine, I used the joystick to steer and didn’t really use the touchpads. I did get to try the gyro controls, which while they did work, definitely did not outperform the standard control method.
Assorted Indie
Since many indie titles I own do not have (or just have really bad) controller schemes, this was a genre where I expected the controller to shine, and for the most part it did. My first test was on The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth. Using the stick and the buttons as I would on a standard controller, it performed similarly to an Xbox 360 controller, maybe slightly looser. The next game I tried was Nuclear Throne, which has controller bindings, but I’ve always found mouse and keyboard to work better for this game. It’s a top down shooter using wasd to move and the mouse to aim. It controlled this game rather well, but it did not feel quite as precise. This is probably more because I am not used to using my thumbs that way though than the controller. Finally I tried the controller on Captain Forever Remix, a game which, at the time, did not have controller bindings. After doing the set up myself, I found that the controls were actually quite pleasant and enjoyed them more than the keyboard controls that were built into the game.
Fighting Games
I used Skullgirls to test the controller’s abilities on fighting games. After a little rebinding (my defaults are for my fightstick). I was still able to land my main combo and played decently well for how little practice I have had in recent history. So I would say that it is at least as good as a standard console controller for fighting games.
FPS games are always going to be the hardest nut to crack when it comes to competing against a mouse and keyboard, I do like the Steam Controller however when using standard buttons, its more cramping than a traditional Xbox360 controller for me.
Yeah, I 100% agree buddy!
Not as precise as a standard controller? are you serious??? This is way more precise, especially for FPS games, once you get the hang of it and a bit of practice under your belt.
Also, expensive? Really? this is not something I’ve heard before. The cost is comparable to other wireless controllers.
These are good points, for me though when I tried my normal Speed run route of Dark Souls 2 I couldn’t keep my camera in the spaces I needed. Plus as I mentioned the controls (buttons and stick) feel looser to me, its really noticeable in Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth. Price-wise, its about 15 more than a wireless Xbox 360 controller in the U.S. to me it seems expensive (for how I felt it performed) but its honestly a subjective call.