The Steam Controller is one of the most interesting contenders for the place of your favorite PC gamepad, so let's try to figure out what its pros and cons are compared to its competitors.

Valve took a long time to arrive at the final design of the device, and it is significantly different from the first prototypes. This allowed the Steam Controller to be more similar to the Xbox and PlayStation gamepads, while still adding some new features.

We are talking, first of all, of course, about two touch zones, which are easiest to imagine as two small touchpads.

Also immediately highlighted are two additional keys on the back of the controller. For simplicity's sake, we'll call them paddle shifters, by analogy with the similar controls on the steering wheel of Formula 1 cars (and some regular cars) that are used to change gears. Petals are also in the new Xbox One Elite Controller, but its cost is three times higher ($150) than the Steam Controller ($50).

The rest of the controls are almost identical to the layout of the Xbox and PlayStation controllers, although there are some peculiarities. The stick on the right was removed (rather, replaced with a largely functionally similar touchpad), and the location of other blocks on the front side was also swapped (top-bottom).

Steam Controller can work wirelessly, but for this it needs a native dongle (included). Initially, support for Bluetooth 4 was planned, but due to the desire to reduce delays, we settled on a proprietary adapter.

Comes with a fairly long one USB cable(1.5 m), which can be used to work in wired mode (without batteries and dongle), or to connect the dongle indirectly to USB port system unit, and to the wire. This is done so that the receiver can be placed in line of sight of the controller.

If you notice any lag in your controller's performance, line-of-sight should eliminate it. It is worth adding that during use, the controller worked perfectly with the dongle located directly in the system case, located under the table.

Game support

With game support, everything is simple. You need Steam, which will do everything for you in most cases. In order for a game to support a controller, you just need to add it to the library. It does not have to be purchased on Steam. Both unaffiliated games and games purchased from other stores, such as Origin, are supported.

In those rare rather than frequent cases (more than 1000 games from Steam already support Steam Controller), when the game does not specifically support the Steam gamepad, you can always choose one of four in the settings available options, including emulation of standard gamepads or emulation of keyboard and mouse input, which will support touchpads.

One of the main advantages of the Steam Controller is that in most cases, in its settings you can select ready-made presets from the gaming community, which, as a rule, are better than the factory ones and maximally optimize the gamepad for each specific game.

As a rule, there are several such settings for each game, and they are already sorted by popularity, so in most cases it is enough to select the top preset in the list to get the most optimal configuration.

For example, in Left 4 Dead 2, one of the community configurations activates paddles (left for crouch, right for reload), but more importantly adds touch zones on the left touchpad.

This means that all the main functions (selecting a first aid kit, grenades, switching to another weapon) are located in separate areas of the touchpad. They can be activated either immediately by clicking (click on the upper right corner - pistol), or only after raising your finger (you can move your finger on the touchpad, and the screen will display where it is and which shortcut key will be activated).

Perhaps we should dwell on active zones in more detail, since this feature in itself can be decisive when choosing a controller.

If active zones are fully supported, then when they are activated, action icons that these zones activate will be displayed directly in the game, which is very convenient. If there is no such support in the preset, then there will simply be the key symbols that they emulate (for example, spacebar, 1, 2, 3, Tab, etc.).

The beauty of the Steam Controller is that the active zones are customizable for absolutely any game. It's especially convenient to hang everything there. digital series keys, since in RPGs, shooters and other genres they are almost always used as shortcuts.

And this allows, in many genres, to replace the not-so-comfortable long hours of sitting at the keyboard with a more comfortable pastime with a gamepad in a chair or on the sofa.

Active zones also allow you to forget about periodically looking at the keyboard in search of the right key. Not everyone can blindly call up an inventory using the I key, a map using the M key, or a rare spell using the 7 key, and if you have a Steam Controller, such skills are not required. When configured zones are activated, all emulated keys (up to 16 zones on one touchpad) are temporarily displayed right in front of your eyes on the screen, along with your finger moving across the touchpad.

Touchpads

Let's talk separately about touchpads. At first glance, it seems that the touchpad is only on the right, and on the left is the D-pad (better known as the “arrow keys”). By default, in most cases the sensor only really works on the right circle control, however they both support this feature.

Touchpads have feedback that is unusual at the very beginning of use. The easiest way to describe it is as a slight vibration and “crackling”, perhaps similar to what occurs when using some scroll wheels on mice.

At first glance, this feedback seems unnecessary, but it is necessary in trackball emulation mode (used on touchpads by default). For simplicity, let's imagine that touch zones support only two modes: touchpad mode (as in laptops) and trackball. In classic touchpad mode, the mouse cursor (or camera) moves only as long as your finger moves across the sensor surface. In trackball mode, the cursor (camera) moves by inertia, even if your finger is removed from the sensor.

Therefore, in trackball mode, feedback can hardly be called superfluous; it allows you to feel the “crackling” while the inertia is working, and get used to how the camera will rotate depending on the speed at which your finger passes over the sensor. Feedback is especially helpful when playing with headphones, when constant weak vibration under your fingers allows you to feel a connection with the controller.

Petals

As mentioned, paddles are also a feature of the Steam Controller (if you don't count the Xbox One Elite Controller). Specific examples their use in games can be very different: up/down gearing in racing, switching to the previous/next character in strategies and RPGs, or use in any other convenient way.

These keys are located very well, in most cases even more convenient than bumpers (buttons on the top edge of the controller), and in some cases - standard XYAB buttons.

Gyroscope and vibration

Steam Controller touchpads have their own weak vibration, but the manufacturer did not forget to add to the controller and general vibration device that turns on, for example, when shots are fired.

In addition, the device also has a gyroscope that can be used to control the tilt of the gamepad - it can be useful in racing, although the convenience is questionable.

Fine settings

A full description of all the controller customization options would be very long and boring. Suffice it to say that each control is configured in the options, and the number of settings is much greater than one might expect. General overview You can get an idea of ​​the number of available options by looking at this screenshot, where only one of the touchpads is configured.

If desired, any key or active zone can be bound to any key on a virtual mouse, keyboard or standard gamepad.

Flaws

Subjectively, there were several things I didn’t like about the controller.

Design features are the reason why the XYAB buttons and stick are now located at the bottom instead of on the top, as on other controllers. Still, it’s more convenient to use them when they are located on top (that’s where the thumbs themselves rest) and this is exactly how, absolutely naturally, other controllers are designed.

This does not at all negate the other advantages of the Steam Controller. With a similar design, it now has touchpads conveniently located under the thumbs, which can be used in games as much as the controls mentioned above. In addition, place both touchpads and buttons/stick in a single ideal location on a gamepad is physically impossible, and the scheme selected in the Steam Controller looks more preferable compared to the opposite option.

Another drawback is the lack of “arrows” (D-Pad). They are even painted on the left touchpad, however, by default the sensor is not configured for this function in most games, and manual configuration showed that such a replacement is not equivalent. Although the touchpad has a click, it is quite stiff and it is inconvenient to press it often/quickly. Besides, big size The circle itself does not allow you to quickly move your fingers and press in opposite directions of the arrows.

Probably, the lack of a separate driver and application for setting up the Steam Controller could also be considered a disadvantage. For full use in games you will have to install Steam. However, Valve should be especially praised for not banning the use of its gamepad in games not tied to Steam.

Use in games

If we simplify the result as much as possible, we can say that the Steam Controller will be more convenient than its direct competitors in almost all genres. Fighting games raise doubts, where it seems the lack of a D-Pad may play a role, however, as not a fan of this genre, I could be wrong. Also, you shouldn’t expect particularly big winnings from shooters. Aiming with the touchpad/trackball has become more convenient, but it cannot yet replace the mouse.

Even racing is unlikely to get any easier on the Steam Controller. Sensors are practically not used in them, at least for car control (tested in Need For Speed: Most Wanted and American Truck Simulator), and additional keys are unlikely to be used in most games, except in the most advanced simulators.

Probably, strategies, at least step-by-step ones, will benefit more than others. I was surprised to find out that playing Civilization V on the Steam Controller is even more convenient than on a keyboard and mouse. Some frequently used functions are attached to active zones or regular buttons, and everything else is easily controlled using the touchpad and mouse cursor. At the same time, I didn’t even have to get used to controlling the controller; the game went as planned from the first move.

The same can be said about another turn-based strategy/tactics - XCOM 2. It had its rough edges compared to Civilization V, where everything bounced off your fingers, but this game can now be played with a controller. And again thanks to the new cursor control, as well as the ability to assign all actions of fighters (number keys 1-9) to the active zones of the left sensor. Now these actions are always under one finger, in contrast to keys 1-9, stretched across almost half the keyboard.

It became more convenient to go through adventures. They are traditionally controller-friendly, and the main actions, as well as response options in dialogues, are always tailored to XYAB buttons. However, presets from the community allow you to optimize controls even further. Sometimes such presets deviate from traditional layouts, but getting used to them is quite simple, and after this, playing games instead of an exam turns into pure pleasure. For example, in the most popular custom preset for The Walking Dead, quick events are reassigned to the top triggers, making them a much more intuitive and simpler process than pressing buttons from the XYAB block.

Minuses: Not fundamental, but inevitable compromises in design; need to use Steam

Conclusion: If you are not satisfied with the comfort of long-term gaming on the keyboard or have long wanted to purchase a gamepad exclusively for PC, be sure to take a closer look at the Steam Controller. Thanks to sensors and custom presets for games, this controller is much more convenient in most games, compared to regular gamepads, and sometimes better than a keyboard and mouse combination.

Do you have questions about Steam Controller? You can find the answers to them below. If you are unable to resolve your issue, please refer to our online help.

How to pair a wireless USB receiver

1. Insert the wireless USB receiver into the connector
2. "Controller Settings"
3. Select "Add Steam Controller"
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete pairing

Steam Controller is making strange or loud noises

To disable haptic feedback and vibration emulation, follow these instructions:

1. Launch Steam in Big Picture mode
2. Open Controller Settings
3. In the Settings menu for items Recoil Settings And Emulated vibration (in testing) set to OFF
4. Restart your computer and test the problem again

If there are no more sounds or tactile feedback:

1. Open Recoil Settings and set the value Emulated vibration
2. Go to Settings > Basic Controls > Big Picture Settings
3. Select the right trackpad, click the Play button located next to the Steam Controller button for Advanced settings
4. Change the haptic feedback level to Low

Steam button lights up but doesn't work

The Steam Controller may be connected to another device (computer or Steam Link). Connect the wireless USB receiver to the desired device and follow these steps to make the connection:

1. Turn off Steam Controller
2. Press and hold the A button and click on the Steam button

My controller is not functioning as intended in the game

Controller malfunctions or unintended input may occur if the Steam overlay is malfunctioning or the settings you select include input methods that are not supported by the game.

1. Make sure the Steam overlay is working

The Steam Overlay is required for the Steam Controller to function properly. Press the Steam button on your controller or Shift+Tab on your keyboard to open the overlay. If the overlay does not open, make sure it is enabled in your Steam settings.

1. Go to the settings menu in Steam client or in “Big Picture” mode
2. Open the "In Game" tab and make sure you check the box next to the option "Enable Steam overlay in game"
3. Save the changes by clicking "OK"

2. Launch the game on Steam

Problems with the functioning of the Steam overlay may occur in third-party or retail games. Try adding it to your Steam library: Once the game is added, launch it from your Steam library

3. Disable third-party game overlays

Some games use launchers that work separately from Steam (Uplay, Origin, Bethesda, Square-Enix, etc.). These games may have overlays that conflict with the Steam overlay. To disable these overlays, do the following:

1. Launch the game on Steam
2. Go to the game launch settings menu through a third-party program
3. Disable overlay

4. Change controller settings

To create your own layout:

1. Launch Steam in Big Picture mode
2. Launch the game from the library and select Settings
3. In Settings, select Controller Settings
4. Create your own layout for the game

You can use layout Keyboard (WASD) and mouse for the appropriate input and Gamepad specified in the templates to avoid hybrid input, which may not be supported in some games.

Please note: Rename the layout to make it easier to find. It will be in the list of templates. Make the necessary changes and export or save the settings.

5. Disable input emulators and broadcast programs

If you have a Xinput emulator (Joy2Key), input processing software (Razer Synapse, Logitech), screen recording software (NVIDIA ShadowPlay), frame rate software, or others, they may interfere with the operation of the Steam Controller. Try disabling these programs and retesting the problem.

How to Use the Steam Controller with Non-Steam Games

The game or program to run it will have to be added to the Steam library

1. Launch Steam and click on the Games menu
2. Click Add a third party game V my library...
3. Find the game and mark it with a checkmark
4. Click Add selected

Make sure that the Steam overlay is enabled for all applications in the Steam client settings:

1. Click Steam on the left top corner client, then select Settings
2. Open the In Game tab
3. Check the box Enable Steam overlay in games
4. Optionally, you can also display the Big Picture overlay when launched from the desktop.

If a third-party client has an overlay built-in, disable it so it doesn't conflict with the Steam overlay.

Problems using multiple controllers

XInput technology is used to send commands from the Steam Controller to your computer. If you use multiple controllers, some games may favor one controller over another depending on the input technology used - DirectInput or XInput. However, you can try isolating one of the input devices to determine if it is causing the interference.

To isolate an input device:

1. Launch the game
2. Disable all input devices
3. Connect your Steam Controller and make sure it works
4. Connect other input devices (keyboard, mouse or gamepad) one at a time
5. Make sure all connected devices are working
6. Continue this process until the Steam Controller fails.
7. Update or disable drivers for the device causing the problem

To make sure your devices are using different settings:

1. Check that both controllers are turned on, connected and registered
2. Right-click on the Library menu, then Edit Steam Controller Settings, then the button labeled Change controller, and finally Change control settings grouping
3. Choose unique control settings for each device

Note that you can also change the order of controllers in Big Picture mode > Library > Settings > Controller Settings.

Can't save settings

If you are using the Steam Controller as a Guest, you will not be able to save your settings. Register your Steam Controller to use the save feature.

To register your controller, follow these instructions:

1. Launch Steam in Big Picture mode
2. Click on the settings icon in the top right corner
3. In the "Controller" tab, select "Controller Settings"
4. Find your controller in the list detected controllers
5. Click "Register", and then - "Link to this account"
6. Change your personal settings and click "Accept"

Is it possible to recharge the batteries in the Steam Controller?

The Steam Controller can install both regular and rechargeable batteries (accumulators). USB cable Designed for wired connection and does not charge controller batteries.

Charge batteries using appropriate devices.

Mini-review-comparison based on your own feelings.
A minimum of photos, but the conclusions are unambiguous.
For lovers of dismemberment, do not open, purchased for your own to use and not disassemble)))

Let's go...

For understanding, here are a few photos.

a bit of biography:

All my adult life I have been tinkering with computers and therefore (due to habit) treated the “sonsols” with some contempt, classifying myself rather as a “PeKaboyar” caste.
However, everything flows, everything changes, and now, after a long break, a demon hit me in the ribs and I wanted to remember my youth a little and play with those toys that I haven’t finished playing with in the last few years.
Naturally, I didn’t want to kill myself at the computer desk; I wanted to lounge imposingly in a chair and lazily shoot frags. in short, solid casual.
After some thought, it was decided to assemble a computer and a joystick for it. Computer - because paying 500 euros for a set-top box or 200 for a computer... the difference is obvious. Plus, sometimes in my house I need to have a PC wheelbarrow for experiments, given that the rest of the devices have an apple on their back.
Well, in general, a PC is the most flexible platform - you can always “upgrade” something)))
As a result, the computer was assembled, and the question of choosing a joystick arose.
After devoting a couple of evenings to reading reviews, it became clear that among the consoles, according to the majority of positive reviews, the classic Xbox controller rules.
Without thinking twice, I ordered its wireless version, compatible with PC and Xbox.
After some time (having dug deeper into the issue), I realized that I needed a Steam controller; I ordered it and received it, and now I’m writing a review.

Let me argue in chronological order from new to old and from general to specific:

1 Ergonomics

An extremely subjective factor, but like Apple with its EarPods, it seems Valve was finally able to find One size that fits all. After purchasing the microsov controller, I spent about a week trying to get used to this new paradigm. One leprouser described it most accurately:
“The difference is in the aiming.
When you aim with the mouse, you simply control the direct aiming coordinate. That is, in other words, you simply indicate the point where you will shoot.
With a gamepad (touch or stick), the situation is different: you control the first derivative, that is, the speed at which the sight moves to the desired point. At the same time, the transfer formula (the ratio of speed to stick deflection) is complex and nonlinear. In general, all this is long and inconvenient for the brain.”

The gods see it so!
Naturally, after about a month of getting used to it and having completely completed GTA 5 using the controller, I felt that if I spent another 800 hours, I could use poetry more or less delicately... and I could also teach a hare to smoke... in about the same time.

The convenience is much higher:
- left stick movement fits under your finger much more conveniently than with Microsoft - on the microsoft controller there is a recess for the finger. Apparently it is assumed that the user will put his finger there and twist the stick different sides. In real life, it turned out that most of the time I rested on the edge of the stick with my thumb from below and pressed it upward. and if suddenly it was necessary to abruptly change the direction of running - you had to actually intercept the controller - valuable milliseconds in these dynamic scenes were lost. In the Steam controller, the left stick is convex, and it is much more convenient to push it in different directions without lifting your thumb at all.

- front buttons(RB\LB RT\LT) - those on which (according to the engineers) the index and middle fingers user. Well, you guessed nothing! on the Microsov controller (I swear, I tried) I couldn’t find a position in a month in which it would be convenient to reach all the buttons, so that the index and middle ones would not slide off the corresponding controls, and so that my hands wouldn’t just go numb in 5 minutes like hell. I couldn't. And today I finally understood why. (And I decided to write a review, although I didn’t intend to). The front controls on the Xbox joystick are located too, so to speak, “perpendicular” to the plane of the controller itself. As a result, it was extremely convenient for me to place my index (rather than middle) fingers on the hooks. but when the time came to press the buttons - oops... problem - I had to intercept the entire device again. Taking the Steam controller in my hands, the sensations were completely different - all the buttons fell under my fingers without any of my movements. To be fair, I have to say that my very first impression of the controller was that it was “too wide.” And it still seems so. It probably could have been a centimeter and a half narrower. But most likely this is muscle memory from the Xbox. And I personally have to reach for the HUVA buttons until I can hit them clearly without looking. I’m sure it will go away after a week of communication; I’m ready to forgive for the convenience of other functions.

- dead zones. On the Xbox controller, it always seemed to me that the sticks were a little wooden in the center and too responsive at the edges. It was very difficult to position - a little, a little - BANG! flew half the screen. And the worst thing is that this behavior was practically impossible to change. You can reassign the buttons, but calibrate the sticks....I still haven’t found how. The steam controller in this regard is one continuous orgasm! Stick - one, left. I wrote about him above. 2 touchpads with taptic feedback: swiping the right pad with your thumb actually creates the feeling that you are rotating a very light ratchet wheel. very cool and useful. It turns out that the cursor or the camera moves in principle in the same way as with the mouse. Of course, doing this with a mouse is easier and faster (due to habit). In short, if you want to understand how it feels approximately, run any shooter on your laptop and try to aim using the laptop touchpad with your thumb. At first it seems wildly inconvenient, but then I caught myself thinking that I was making exactly the same mistakes that I made at the very beginning of my acquaintance with a computer mouse: too fast, too slow, too sharp, too little micromotor control. However, due to the aforementioned mechanics, controlling camera movement with a head-mounted touchpad is more intuitive, straightforward, and obvious than using sticks.

2 Customization

Actually the alpha and omega of this device. EVERYTHING is configured in the simplest possible way. In fact, you can assign almost any option to any button. And there are even more of them.

For example: those same notorious touchpads not only have feedback, but you can also click on them. The edge of the touchpad can act as a pressed button (put your finger on the edge and the camera rotates around you). can act as a scroller (for example, an Internet browser). Like a cross button. In short, what do you want?
UPD: I completely forgot - the controller also has a gyroscope and it’s quite accurate - I’m not a fan of steering wheels, but I was able to drive a little in GTA by rotating the controller like a steering wheel - it was cool... then I went back to controlling the stick.....(now I’m wondering what toy to download to test this control option)

Comparing with the Microsoft controller, it’s necessary and ground. We must pay tribute to the Xbox controller that does this very well - it acts as a controller for games that were sharpened with the Xbox controller code. Playing games on it that are NOT designed for a controller... well, it’s kind of like having sex in a hammock in winter while standing in skis and a wetsuit. On a Steam controller you can play any game more or less comfortably (as far as the idea of ​​a controller itself can be comfortable for you).
And here we come to the third, in my opinion, the most important point:

3 Integration

The controller is very cool and seamlessly integrated into the Steam platform.
For example, if my previous session of playing GTA 5 ended in an error - the power dropped or the system hung or some other glitch, then when loading a warning window popped up - like “let's try to start in safe mode" And I had to pick up the mouse and click “next” with the mouse cursor. In short, constantly change the “fingering”.
When you try to launch a game that is not designed to use a controller, Steam offers to configure the controller settings for it. You can do this yourself by manually assigning each controller button to the corresponding keyboard or mouse button. Or, in 2 clicks, download the most popular community layout and customize it if necessary. Thus, the delay between pressing PLAY and actually starting to play the game, which was created for the keyboard mouse, passes no more than a couple of minutes (which I tested for half an hour after playing Modern Warfare). If suddenly, during the process of starting the game, some kind of side window pops up that requires user action - the controller switches to the “desktop” configuration - the right unit starts working as a touchpad and the right trigger as left button mouse, so you can agree, or close this window I don’t take my hands off the controller - it’s mega convenient!
I have nothing to say about the Xbox controller in this regard. For a month I played on the default layout settings in those games that were designed for the Xbox controller. For keyboard-mouse games I had to use Home Broadcast and my own laptop.

Conclusion

Based on the sum of the factors stated above, my personal subjective opinion is as follows:

The Steam controller is a filigree product with enormous potential that can greatly impact the gaming industry as a whole. (and by the way, there is also somewhere to finish it - for example, the vibration feedback on the Microsoft controller feels 2 times more powerful and more pleasant - a sort of bumblebee. The vibration on the Steam controller is a kind of flabby mosquito. Although it seems to work even a little more logically: driving the left wheel on the gravel I felt a vibration in left hand, with the right wheels on the sleepers - in the right. It seems that the Xbox controller just made a strong or weak vibration depending on the situation. I won’t say much here, vibration is not so important to me, but it “caught my eye.”

The Microsoft controller is a thing in itself. A compromise for the Bakers to lure them to the console. It works well in conjunction with games that were made for it, taking into account its inherent shortcomings. (for example, playing games without auto-aim on an Xbox controller was almost physically painful. On Steam it’s difficult, but quite normal.)

So if you (like me) want to casually shoot stupid bots in a corridor shooter a couple of times a week, or steal a couple of cars in GTA, or run around the worlds of orcs and elves without sharpening! myself! under the hardware from Microsoft - Steam Controller is your choice.

PS I apologize in advance for any mistakes, I tried to re-read it, but most likely I missed a lot, write me a private message and I’ll correct everything). I was in a hurry to write today while my impressions are still fresh. Tomorrow or in a week I would just give up, but it seems to me that there are a lot of people right now looking at this controller that Buka started selling and doubting whether to take it or not. My verdict is to take it, but with the condition that it is NOT a keyboard mouse. If you are a professional gamer and see the difference between 100 and 120 FPS - why did you open this post?

I don’t have a PPS cat, so alternatively, a small demo of how I play with an Xbox controller using a homemade Nvidia Shield based on a Raspberry Pi running Openelec.

At the end of the sixth generation of consoles, the gaming industry was in depression - it seemed to many that the era of consoles was ending, the PS4 and Xbox One would not take off, and living rooms would begin to empty. It was during that difficult time Valve came up with the grand idea of ​​connecting PC and console together, giving people the opportunity to sit on the couch playing their favorite PC games purchased on Steam.

The task of stopping the eternal confrontation between “console players” and “bakers” was truly enormous and required a completely new gamepad - one that would allow shooting without reducing accuracy and support even those games where a gamepad is not provided in principle. That is, he could pretend

And finally, an ambitious device called Steam Controller has reached Russian market- we are responsible for its distribution " Buka».

Hard start

The bottom cover of the device is very functional: it not only hides the battery compartment, but also features a pair of convenient additional buttons.

So, the treasured box arrived at the editorial office. Inside there is the controller itself, a pair of batteries, a USB-Micro USB cord, a signal receiving device and a hub for it - in case the signal from the system unit is bad. Nothing superfluous or complicated, it’s immediately clear what to plug in and you can start playing in just a minute.

The batteries are placed wisely - at the back there is a lid with a latch, which at the same time plays the role of a pair of additional control keys. The batteries are attached underneath, but not in the center of the controller, but in the thickened “sides”. When the battery is in place, a lock is pulled out from above - the battery cannot dangle. To remove the battery, you need to press the latch upward - then it falls out of its recess directly into your hand.

In the editorial office, the device caused approximately the same reaction from everyone. "Wow! The same controller from Steam? Oh, the plastic is kind of cheap. And it creaks. But this will get dirty. Well, yes, the designers are not from Apple". We have to admit that compared to some DualShock 4 appearance The controller is not impressive.

Everything looks cheap and unpretentious, as if this is not a finished serial product for $50, but a concept. The buttons move quite freely in the niches, causing involuntary associations with controllers from Sega, the stick is a bit harsh and does not give tactile delight, like, for example, sticks from Sony.

Front view: left trackpad, map and inventory button, Steam button, menu button, right trackpad, stick, letter buttons.

On the other hand, during the game these quibbles do not matter: the stick feels great, the buttons are pressed without effort. True, at first, due to the unusual location, I often lost the X key, but over time my hands remembered where it was located.

It seems that a thing of this size simply has to be bulky and uncomfortable - but no, Valve engineers made it so that the gamepad fits perfectly in the hands. After five-hour gaming sessions, my hands did not become numb, and there was not even any fatigue.

The only serious complaint about ergonomics is the bumpers. They are unforgivably tough: sometimes in the game you don’t even go into your inventory again just to avoid interacting with them. And in games where bumpers are used very actively (in our case - GTA 5), and you have to change your grip altogether: index fingers put on the bumpers, and the middle ones on the triggers. Not critical, but very unusual at first.

Specific features

You can buy a Steam Link along with the controller. Essentially a device wireless connection computer to the screen in the living room.

The essence of the Steam Controller, of course, is not in the bumpers, but in the trackpads. Let me say right away that I am a convinced hater of this type of input device. When working on laptops, I didn’t just connect the mouse, I covered the touchpads with cardboard if the hardware couldn’t turn them off.

So, the trackpads on the Steam Controller are great! Is it a matter of a little concave shape, or in feedback, but they do not cause either fatigue or discomfort and, moreover, understand quite well what exactly you want from them. And the more you communicate with them, the more convenient and accurate they become.

While the device is turned off, the trackpads are not active - they are difficult to press and do not respond. But after switching on, they become almost alive: they bend gently under your fingers, squeak pleasantly, and vibrate slightly. Even without markings, you always clearly understand which part of the right trackpad your thumb is currently located on.

This is what the device looks like in the box. Directly below it are batteries and a USB transmitter. But you need to look for the cord, instructions and hub under the shockproof cardboard.

Separately, I would like to note the same pair of lower keys formed by the lid. This is a huge help, especially for action films. Firstly, because these are two more buttons to which you can assign important commands. Secondly, you need to press these lower keys unoccupied by the middle and ring finger(with an alternative grip - with the little finger and the ring finger). Why is this necessary? Let me explain.

If by default you have sprint on the Y button (or any other one from the lower right group), then you have to press it with the same thumb that is responsible for the right trackpad (mouse). Therefore, it is impossible to run quickly and turn your head. But if you assign running and jumping to the lower keys, we can calmly sprint and jump without losing control of the cursor.

We can also shoot at the same time. We get the same degree of freedom as on the keyboard.

Tune in and play

My setup is under Diablo III . The default action names are confusing, but I was frankly too lazy to rename them on the gamepad.

Since the controller should allow you to defeat the enemy in shooters without missing a beat, the main tests were carried out in the new Deus Ex. Not in stealth, of course, but through an aggressive style - getting involved in every fight and completely clearing out hostile characters on the level.

The controller showed itself to be excellent - if at first I had to shoot mainly from cover and bursts into the body, then by the end of the playthrough I was already quite confidently distributing headshots from a pistol with single shots. It was possible to track moving targets quite well, but with scopes, especially sniper ones, everything turned out to be not so convenient: the target constantly slipped away, the trackpad could not keep up with it.

Here the main problem is noticeable: for all its technical perfection small area The trackpad still cannot compete on equal terms with a mouse and a spacious pad. Or fast, but not very accurate movements, or the ability to aim at a squirrel's eye - but not while running, but from around a corner.

If we compare it with regular gamepads, the Steam Controller has clearly higher accuracy. If we talk about single-player games, then after moving to the living room, after a couple of weeks you will not feel a lack of accuracy or freedom of movement. In online settings you will have to get used to it longer and you will probably need to go deeper into the jungle of settings, “tailoring” the controller to suit you.

The left trackpad can be turned into a menu with as many as sixteen buttons. I never needed more than nine.

With old games from the Steam catalog, things are interesting. Each of them already has preset settings, which will probably seem inconvenient to you and will require modification. And this is where the controller reveals its true capabilities - you can really customize everything in it! For example, the left trackpad can be “designed” as nine separate virtual buttons - and put numbers on them to change weapons in Duke Nukem 3D. Don't need a stick? Let's turn it into a radial menu! There is no mouse in the game? Let's just disable the right trackpad! In general, such freedom is enough to make your head spin.

True, there are some subtleties here: the controller itself switches settings only for games from Steam, so you have to load the desired layout yourself, delving for a long time into not the most logical menus. And you need to switch layouts - what is good and convenient for moving around the desktop is completely unsuitable for Diablo or Heroes 3.

A screenshot is taken using a combination of the Steam buttons + the right trigger. Always convenient, except when you want to take a screenshot while shooting.

Alternatively, you can try adding third-party games to your library; in theory, then Steam should remember the settings for them. However, this did not work for me - the settings did not switch to the default ones when exiting the game, I had to rearrange them myself. By the way, for many popular games There are already ready-made presets from the community not from Steam - but it’s not a fact that they will suit your taste. For example, their layout for Diablo III did not suit me at all.

To sum up

Only one function turned out to be untested - the gyroscope. In theory, this is a pretty cool solution for racing, but I’m not a fan of the genre, and there was nothing to test it on.

With intensive use, the supplied batteries lasted me three days - in my opinion, this is not enough, especially compared to the durability of the DualShock. I suspect that the charge is actively consumed by all sorts of controller vibrations. Then I connected the cord and played safely on it, but people who don’t like wires would probably install batteries.

One of the early prototypes of the controller looked like this.

Those same battery clips are under the back cover.

By the way, an interesting point - when connecting via a cord, turning off the controller by holding down the Steam button for five seconds will not work - only by removing the cord from the USB port.

The overall impressions, despite the cheap plastic and hard bumpers, are rather positive. The Steam Controller turned out to be surprisingly convenient and noticeably more accurate than controllers from Sony and Microsoft. Play modern games from the Steam library with support for gamepads is a pleasure, everything else is also possible, but by adjusting the settings to suit you. And yes, if we consider the Steam Controller not as a simple gamepad, but as an innovative gadget, then it is clearly worth the money. All its problems are typical for first-generation devices that have not yet been touched with a file and a grinder.

But will we wait for the second iteration?

* * *

The device still lacks a well-thought-out software shell - gamepad buyers usually like to turn it on and play, rather than spend half an hour calibrating control settings. If you are a convinced PC fan and have never dealt with gamepads before, then the Steam Controller is a very good option. You won’t be annoyed by design flaws or put off by settings, and the benefits of playing from your couch will very quickly outweigh the discomfort of getting used to something new.

This is also a great device for those who have friendly cats at home. A typical story - just sat down to play, when the cat comes and lies down in his arms for a nap. After half an hour you can no longer feel your fingers... So, the problem with the controller was solved - now I can calmly play with my hands on the cat. And everyone is happy.

As you know, bringing gameplay from a computer to a TV screen is a pretty old idea.

Nvidia was one of the first to join this process, offering its own software with which you could use the power of your personal computer.

This kit had quite a few disadvantages, one of which was the need for constant software updates.

Otherwise, it was impossible to achieve correct operation of the device. In addition, the computer used in this combination had to be kept on constantly.

Soon after, Valve entered the game, which had vast experience in licensing games and creating specialized software.

This is how they were born SteamLink andSteamController, which will be discussed in our article.

Steam Link Device Review

This device is designed to allow the user to enjoy games from their Steam library while sitting in a chair or on a sofa.

To do this, he will only need to connect the Steam Link to his TV and.

On a positive note is the absence of any cables, as well as the need to install your computer closer to the TV.

The device is sold in cardboard box blue-black color, which contains the necessary information.

The packaging even includes a diagram for connecting to the TV using.

Inside the package is the device itself, which, although it has small sizes, but quite heavy.

Paper documentation in which you can familiarize yourself with technical side connecting the device. Unfortunately, all the instructions are written in English, so you will have to tinker with it.

In the main box there is another one, which contains a whole collection of adapters for various sockets.

This is very convenient, since when you are in another country, you do not have to look for specific adapters to turn on the power supply.

The second part of this box contains external unit power supply cable, a flat power cord that can be conveniently placed along the wall, and an HDMI cable.

The underside of the Steam Link is coated with a special rubberized paint, preventing slipping on the table surface.

The top side contains only the Valve company logo.

On the side panel of the device there is a USB input, on the front there are two more USB input, LAN connector, HDMI and power supply socket.

Steam Link no longer has any elements.

According to the developers, this device supports various input device controllers, which include .

Steam Link Specifications

This device supports a resolution of 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 frames per second.

There is also support various types network connection - wired and wireless. The wired connection can be up to 100 Mbps, and the wireless connection is MIMO (802.11 ac 2×2).

There is built-in support for the Steam wireless controller.

It should also be noted that the device in question also supports controllers for all kinds of input devices.

These include the following:

• Steam;
• wireless Xbox 360 for Windows;
• wired Xbox 360 and Xbox One;
• wireless Logitech F710;
• computer keyboard;
• mouse.

If you think about it, there is nothing special about the characteristics of the device.. However, everything works very well and without any glitches.

The HDMI output with which the device is equipped belongs to version 1.4, which means that it will not be possible to obtain a resolution higher than 1920 by 1080 pixels. And the refresh rate of 60 Hz is the maximum.

This can be attributed to the disadvantages of the model, since its owner will not be able to use advanced ones.

One thing is reassuring that not everyone can afford to buy such a TV.

Connecting the device

On initial stage the user must determine for himself the most suitable type of connection - wireless or wired, and then proceed to implement it.

During the installation process, Streamer will automatically update the software and require a reboot.

After this, you need to proceed to more precise settings, which determine the display of the picture on the TV screen.

If you miss any of them, don't worry - they will always be available in the Steam Link settings menu.

In order to complete the connection process, the system will ask you to enter a PIN code.

After all settings are completed, a standard menu will appear on the screen, which contains the following elements:

• browser;
• shop;
• library;
• community;

If you select the library, you will see the games that your friends are playing, as well as the games that you are playing.

In addition, the system will advise what else you can play.

Selecting menu items and launching games is done using the mouse or game pad.

All actions are performed very quickly - without any delays, which indicates the high quality of both the device itself and its software.

There are no even minor slowdowns in games, and the picture displayed on the screen is simply of the highest quality.

After playing once using Steam Link, you realize that there is no need to purchase .

Advantages and Disadvantages of Steam Link

In addition, the availability of support various devices input, such as a keyboard with a mouse and all kinds of .

The advantages include the ability to work in both wired and wireless modes.

If you connect the network cable directly to the device, an ideal picture is broadcast on the TV screen.

The disadvantages include the fact that it does not always go into sleep mode on its own.

Frequent loss of connection with third-party gamepads (in particular with).

Steam Controller Review

This gamepad is also the brainchild of Valve.

During the development process, it changed its appearance several times, since the engineers and technicians faced challenges simple task- make a device with which it will be comfortable.

The result of the development was to be a device that combines technical capabilities computer keyboard and mouse.

Game controller contents

The Steam Controller has packaging identical in shape and color to the Steam Link.

Inside the black box there is the device itself, two AA batteries, a USB radio module, a USB extension cable, a special device for connecting the radio module and the wire, as well as paper documentation.

One of the available books contains information on a quick start, however, only in English, which absolutely does not interfere with figuring out how to connect the device on your own.

The existing batteries are enough for a couple of weeks of moderate work. If you want to use this device quite intensively, you will have to think about replacing the batteries with rechargeable batteries.

Appearance

The end result is a pretty impressive device that is wireless and powered by two AA batteries.

This device contains quite familiar components - buttons with letter designations like , a stick and start and return keys - Start and Back.

In addition, the device has a Home button that glows when the gamepad is turned on; however, the most unusual thing about the entire device is the two touch panels.

Button layout

The upper part of the case contains four operating keys (two on each side) and a micro-USB connector. It is used to connect the device to the computer.

In addition, there are a couple more buttons in the form of petals on the back.

This device has rather unusual ergonomics, and the controls are very different from the F710 or .

Therefore, you will have to spend some time to get comfortable and get used to the Steam Controller.

Due to the fact that this device has only one stick, the camera selection (from first or third person) in games is carried out using the right touch panel.

What can we say about the convenience of this control method - not very much.

The controls in adventure games are quite convenient, since all the main actions in most of them are performed with the YAXB buttons. For greater optimization, you can use community presets.

In most cases, custom presets have nothing in common with traditional layouts, but allow you to truly enjoy gameplay, and you get used to them quite quickly.

• The advantages, first of all, include the accuracy of this device, however, to achieve this, you need to get a little familiar with the technique of use. But with sufficient skills, you can very quickly aim at the enemy.
• One more positive quality is the ability to completely replace a computer mouse. This property puts the gamepad in a more advantageous position over other controllers.
• The presence of sensors with active zones, as well as the complete customizability of all elements of the device, cannot be ignored.
• The review of advantages can be completed with the presence of various custom presets for games, a catalog of which is available to every owner of a Valve controller.

• The disadvantages include the lack of auto-mapping, with the help of which the necessary drivers are automatically detected and installed - at the time of connection to the computer.
• Another drawback is the presence of a tactile pad located on the right side of the device. This site is similar. For normal fingers of an adult man this is too small and uncomfortable.
• This also includes the rather slippery plastic from which the case is made, as well as the fact that when interacting with the controller, the palms begin to become moist.

Conclusion

If you want to watch videos, listen to music and play games from the comfort of your chair or couch, Steam Link is exactly the device you need.

Using it, you don't have to purchase long length or install the computer near the TV itself.

During the tests, it was found that the device works great, so there should be no complaints from users.

However, the Big Picture mode requires some improvement, and if Valve corrects this flaw, Steam Link will become an ideal alternative to existing game consoles.

The only exceptions may be those games that require a mouse and keyboard. However, such projects are quite rare. therefore they do not count.

It’s quite nice that the device in question can support various gamepads and additional gaming devices (pedals, steering wheels, microphone, headphones, all kinds of joysticks, Bluetooth adapters and much more) that are not on the official list.

True, for this you will have to fork out a little and purchase an additional utility - Virtual Here, developed by VirtualHere Pty.Ltd.

If you decide to purchase a Steam Controller, then get ready for the fact that you will have to get used to its ergonomics. The presence of two trackpads on this device will allow you to achieve control in games designed for PC.