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Steam Controller Thread | Comfy Couch Sold Separately

Krejlooc

Banned
A note on the haptics - the "high" setting on the controller isn't the highest haptic setting you can shoot from the force reactor. In the API, when you use the haptics, you set a duration and a strength. These force reactors can actually go way higher than what can be mapped.

I like turning the haptics up on this thing way, way high.
 
A note on the haptics - the "high" setting on the controller isn't the highest haptic setting you can shoot from the force reactor. In the API, when you use the haptics, you set a duration and a strength. These force reactors can actually go way higher than what can be mapped.

I like turning the haptics up on this thing way, way high.

Is there a way to access this in BPM (or otherwise)?
 

Krejlooc

Banned
- I played with the IMU in Ziggurat. First of all, if not for Krej's posts I would have no idea where the config for it is. A blank box underneath the controller isn't very descriptive, and when you pull up the configuration options it looks almost identical to the pad config. I'm sure this will improve.

It's a work in progress. They just copied the pad configuration menu. When I first got the controller, lots of the config menu was like this - incomplete or half copied from other areas. For a while, you could see them making like bi-daily updates to the menu. The IMU wasn't even activated in the prototypes, so I'm guessing it's not a high priority for them. It will assuredly change.

- Is there a way to save your own templates?

Not yet. I want this feature because I want a template where the buttons on the pad send their corresponding keyboard presses. I.e. when I press the B button on the controller, I want it to send the B key. When I press the A button on the controller, I want it to send the A key.

I doubt something like this will come, unfortunately.

Is there a way to access this in BPM (or otherwise)?

No, this is for actually writing native code for the controller, in C++ or whatever.
 
I just got my Steam Controllers. One thing I noticed is the polling rate when wired in is only around 180-200hz, and around 160hz when wireless. It'd be nice if they increased the polling rate -- at least when wired.

Can anyone recommend me an FPS game with a really good profile to try out? I was messing around in CS:GO, but I didn't care for the touchpad portion of the profiles I tried. It felt like they were too sensitive for small movements and not sensitive enough for big movements.
 

Red

Member
A note on the haptics - the "high" setting on the controller isn't the highest haptic setting you can shoot from the force reactor. In the API, when you use the haptics, you set a duration and a strength. These force reactors can actually go way higher than what can be mapped.

I like turning the haptics up on this thing way, way high.
You think there might be a downside to this? Reduce the life of the motor maybe?
 

Krejlooc

Banned
I just got my Steam Controllers. One thing I noticed is the polling rate when wired in is only around 180-200hz, and around 160hz when wireless. It'd be nice if they increased the polling rate -- at least when wired.

Can anyone recommend me an FPS game with a really good profile to try out? I was messing around in CS:GO, but I didn't care for the touchpad portion of the profiles I tried. It felt like they were too sensitive for small movements and not sensitive enough for big movements.

Are you looking for something just sort of in between? The "gold standard" is valve's native portal 2 mappings, then, although that's not really an FPS.

You think there might be a downside to this? Reduce the life of the motor maybe?

Naw, I think it's just a comfort thing. Some people might not want it to feel like they're holding a vibrator for hours on end lol
 

Nzyme32

Member
I just got my Steam Controllers. One thing I noticed is the polling rate when wired in is only around 180-200hz, and around 160hz when wireless. It'd be nice if they increased the polling rate -- at least when wired.

Can anyone recommend me an FPS game with a really good profile to try out? I was messing around in CS:GO, but I didn't care for the touchpad portion of the profiles I tried. It felt like they were too sensitive for small movements and not sensitive enough for big movements.

Portal 2 is quite nice to get a feel for how fps aim works. However I have yet to try a proper fps. Gonna try FEAR now
 

hepburn3d

Member
stuck on left? Like, it keeps throwing 'a'? Which game specifically?

Be sure to fill out a bug report, and be detailed.

W got stuck down. I'll try to replicate it then submit a big report. Getting a sweet spot for games is so much fun.

If anyone is a casual coh2 player I have lovely configure almost working. Haptic feedback high is a must for the right pad. Need that feedback
 
So I have just noticed if my leg is in front of where the receiver is it just doesn't work... I don't recall such issues with any other wireless controller.
 

Wallach

Member
If I stick a pair of rechargeables in will it charge if I plug it in via usb?

It'd have to have a real solid and safe means of detecting whether the batteries inserted were rechargable or not. Can't imagine they'd risk bothering.
 

Nzyme32

Member
So I have just noticed if my leg is in front of where the receiver is it just doesn't work... I don't recall such issues with any other wireless controller.

Weird. Im using a laptop at the moment using the extender for no particular reason. I've just tried using it behind the door to the room, about 8ft away, so there is no line if sight, and it still works perfectly
 
Weird. Im using a laptop at the moment using the extender for no particular reason. I've just tried using it behind the door to the room, about 8ft away, so there is no line if sight, and it still works perfectly

I am uploading a video to showcase the problem, maybe it is just an issue with where it is but it really shouldn't be that bad.
 
Waiting to hear about this and the times they preordered. Would be nice to get mine today anyway, but I'm getting pessimistic.

Well for me I preordered this week and they told me I could pick it up Friday and then went to get it and they didn't have it and he looked for nearby stores and none of them did either
 

hepburn3d

Member
My CoH2 setup is perfect now. Took me about 4 hours to get used to it and set it up, I find myself getting better and better as I play.

Now going to try Elder Scrolls Online PTS now. I'm going to use the controller UI they've made but use mouse look instead and bind some controls to the rear paddles. Also going to try and make a dodge on the gyro and type in chat with BP UI. Excited :D
 

Eusis

Member
Well for me I preordered this week and they told me I could pick it up Friday and then went to get it and they didn't have it and he looked for nearby stores and none of them did either
I suspect that if it shows up it'll be in the afternoon, so I'll check then (busy with class until then anyway) and hopefully they don't just hold it until November if there.
 
Hmm, so I don't know why I expected different but you can't see community bindings for games you own on other platforms, even if you add them on Steam (for example Witcher 3 GOG)

I still don't get why Steam doesn't let you register it as a page and track hours and stuff, even just locally. It would be nice if you could designate a shortcut as a certain game on the platform and get things like this. Obviously not asking for achievements or anything.
 
You can see the connection issue here (YouTube is upping the brightness if you want see it, its just processing that) but from certain angles it just doesn't work. I apologise for the video quality, blame it on the phone and the lack of light. I guess I will have to break out the extender. Its not a big deal but I don't want cables all over the shop, I already have enough.

Also is there a way to turn off the controller without BPM showing up?
 

deleted

Member
Just played around with it for a little bit connected to the Link.

Haptic Feedback is gone after a few seconds. Steam Menu is only navigable through analog stick, which is really annoying.

My PC is set up through WLAN atm, Link is connected to router through cable. It's not 60FPS with gorgeous optics but highly playable so far.

Tried: MGS V - really intuitive with a community config.
Rocket League - could work really well, had everything but drift on the back buttons and drift on (y)
Ziggurat - That needs a little bit of tuning and I guess it really needs the haptic feedback.

No idea why I don't get the feedback. Maybe the controller isn't recognized properly?
 

Wallach

Member
Hey Krejlooc, do you know if there might be a way to set it up so that when in mouse emulation, you could set a binding that "locked" the action of a key? So like, instead of holding the back paddle to click RMB, pressing the back paddle would just keep RMB held down until it was pressed again?
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Steam Menu is only navigable through analog stick, which is really annoying.

This is so maddening. It used to be that you could use the steam controller like a mouse as well as a controller in the BPM menu. They removed that maybe 3 or 4 months ago. I wish I could use the d-pad, and the analog stick, AND the mouse in BPM.

Tried: MGS V - really intuitive with a community config.

Just curious - was it mine?
 

Roarer

Member
If you turn the feedback up to high, and hold in a cardinal direction (say, right), then rock your thumb down, you can actually feel when you "click" the down direction, resulting in diagonally down-right. Its so cool to do - you can rock back and forth and feel it clicking on and off. It really feels like you're actually depressing a second microswitch, even though it's all in your head. There is no second microswitch. The pad just fools you into feeling one.

That simple piece of tactile feedback dramatically changes the controller. This is what I've been talking about for years now when I said you can feel the pad shifting thanks to haptics. This is something that was missing in the old prototypes unless you actually played with the API.

Wish I could share your enthusiasm, but I'm just not feeling it at all. The haptics are not specific or forceful enough to matter during actual gameplay. Sure, slowly feeling around I can sense a click that corresponds to my movements, but moving around quickly it just feels like someone stuck a tiny purring cat inside the controller.

I was a believer from reading early previews and impressions, but having actually tried it I'm not so sure. Still liking the way I can play m+kb games on my couch, but everything else... well, time will tell.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Hey Krejlooc, do you know if there might be a way to set it up so that when in mouse emulation, you could set a binding that "locked" the action of a key? So like, instead of holding the back paddle to click RMB, pressing the back paddle would just keep RMB held down until it was pressed again?

That's a toggle and it's something I've asked for, but it's not possible at the moment. I'm sure eventually something like this will come, because it makes so much sense. They could even do something like make the steam controller icon pulse to let you know if you have a mode toggled or not.
 

vermadas

Member
This is so maddening. It used to be that you could use the steam controller like a mouse as well as a controller in the BPM menu. They removed that maybe 3 or 4 months ago. I wish I could use the d-pad, and the analog stick, AND the mouse in BPM.

Ugh. It pissed me off as well and thought there would be something in the config to change it... guess not.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Ugh. It pissed me off as well and thought there would be something in the config to change it... guess not.

It's frustrating because there are a few parts of BPM where doing things with a mouse is actually easier than digging through menus with the button prompts.

I expect, eventually, it'll come back. But it was baffling when they removed the mouse function.
 

hepburn3d

Member
So how are games going to work that don't go full screen? If it's not full screen I usually can't Open big picture overlay. Not a huge deal but an interesting one
 

Krejlooc

Banned
To be fair, BPM UI is still really unfinished. Another baffling omission at this point? Page up and page down don't work! There are mouse buttons to scroll by page, you can use the mouse wheel to scroll by page, you can type a single character and jump to that letter in your library... but no page up or page down function. I have a media remote that maps channel up and channel down to page up and page down. It works great in Kodi/XBMC, but those buttons are useless in steam BPM.

These are such obvious changes that I have to believe they'll eventually come. I think they've just been concentrating on other things ATM.

So how are games going to work that don't go full screen? If it's not full screen I usually can't Open big picture overlay. Not a huge deal but an interesting one

For me, if I play a game in a window, BPM just appears in that window. My first livestream had a bug where I couldn't get the webcam focused on my gamepad to appear over fullscreen games, so I ran them in a window and BPM worked just fine... sometimes.
 

hepburn3d

Member
That's the most exciting thing really. As buggy as things might be, with software updates it's only going to get better :) and I say bugs, it's more like potential features that we all want to do and valve probably do to but just haven't yet implemented.
 

jeffers

Member
So.. think I managed to deadlock the controller, had to take batteries out to get it to switch back on. Tis all very Beta.
 

MrNelson

Banned
Well for me I preordered this week and they told me I could pick it up Friday and then went to get it and they didn't have it and he looked for nearby stores and none of them did either
I just tried to get mine and I preordered this week as well. They told me I could pick it up today, but when I tried to get it they had a list of those that preordered before the cutoff date for early release, so you may be out of luck.
 
Just bought one at lunch. (Preorder, Montreal)

First moment impressions:

-whoahhhh that feedback. They weren't kidding that the right pad is a trackball.

-Feels totally comfortable to me. The only thing I'd say is by having effectively three back triggers per side I sorta forget L2/R2 is there.

-uh...Portal 2? Again...ok?

-not sure how to get it to work with non steam games. Tried adding a few and launching via Big Picture Mode, but no luck.

- BPM feels super beta; I'd expect things like moving around with the right pad. But the firmware update process was super easy.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Man, got home from an interview and saw both packages sitting out front.

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12063998_10153699215161465_895407141_n.jpg


12166556_10153699212476465_2103641652_n.jpg


Kinda excited and kinda bummed, had to get in a few beers before messing with them.
 
My left stick isn't working in any games. Help!

To expand on that - it doesn't seem like games are seeing it as a gamepad. Anything mapped to keyboard or mouse function is fine, but not pad stuff.

Actually something weirder is happening - it doesn't seem like changing the configuration has any effect! What a pain.
 
Waiting to hear about this and the times they preordered. Would be nice to get mine today anyway, but I'm getting pessimistic.

I pre-ordered one from Valve on June 4th and one from Gamestop in-store on Wednesday. Valve one came via Fedex today and I picked up the one at Gamestop no problem. Also got the Rocket League and Portal 2 codes on my receipt from Gamestop.
 
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