Valve has
revealed the final cog in its plan to expand the Steam Universe- a
brand-new controller designed for PC gaming that may just be the most
significant development for the future of PC gaming. Branded the ‘Steam
Controller’, the new input device appears similar to a console
controller but has a much different method of operation that involves
the use of two touchpads and a touchscreen.
According to Valve, the controller has been designed to replicate the precision and operation afforded by a keyboard+mouse combination, still the preferred choice of input for most PC gamers. However, keeping in mind its plan to expand Steam (and PC gaming) into the living room, Valve designed the new controller to serve as an alternative to those orthodox PC controllers while still trying to emulate the portability and comfort of the Xbox and Playstation controllers.
According to Valve, the controller has been designed to replicate the precision and operation afforded by a keyboard+mouse combination, still the preferred choice of input for most PC gamers. However, keeping in mind its plan to expand Steam (and PC gaming) into the living room, Valve designed the new controller to serve as an alternative to those orthodox PC controllers while still trying to emulate the portability and comfort of the Xbox and Playstation controllers.
The principal elements of the new
controller are two circular trackpads that a user controls with his/her
thumbs. The trackpads are also clickable and can therefore be used as a
button as well. Valve says that the fidelity offered by the trackpads
are higher than regular controllers and closer to the ultimate gaming
tool- the desktop mouse. Valve further says that in order to get around
the “non-physicality” of the trackpads, the controller employs
electro-magnets to deliver accurate haptic feedback rather than just the
vibration (or “rumble”) that controllers offer today.
Valve has also
added a squarish touchscreen at the centre of the controller, which
itself is also clickable and actually requires to be clicked in order to
perform an action. As a result, gamers can scroll through available
actions on the touchscreen before clicking on it to select one option.
Valve says that the Steam Controller
will support all games ever released on Steam (which could be translated
as almost all modern games released on the PC) and will do so by
‘tricking’ those games into believing that the player is using a
keyboard+mouse when, in fact, the controller is plugged in.
Valve expects the new hardware to hit stores in 2014 and we can’t wait to see how, if it does, change PC gaming for the future.
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