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[low-G]

So I came upon my Steam controller today and I'm thinking about selling it. I could never get a feel for the thing in any game, even checking out peoples' recommended control profiles. So now I'm just using the regular Xbox 1 controller, which I think may be my favorite gamepad of all time, although the PS4 controller is very good and I haven't tried the X1 elite controller.

I remember people used to talk a lot more about the Steam controller than they do these days. So what's the situation?

Did you ever use the Steam controller? Have you stopped using it? Are you still using it? Using it less or more?

 

[Sophia]

Using it right now to play Final Fantasy XIV with a setup that is essentially a mixture of a controller and a mouse.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

perfect for first person puzzle games imo. I can lay back, and I can aim.

 

[J@hranimo]

Still do actually. I plan on playing Tomb Raider with it soonish when I get the time.

 

[ThreePiMatt]

I used it to play Tales of Zestiria on PC, no complaints.

 

[dickroach]

I used it for a bit when I played Rocket League on the PC. I liked the little flipper things on the back for changing the camera. hated the haptic pad thingies when I tried to use them for any other game.

 

[AztecSoul]

Yes, because I'm a weird guy and I'm using it for all the fighting gamesI have on my PC

 

[Corpekata]

I use it for games I don't need to "aim" in. I can't get used to the track pad really. I use it for the additional features. For instances, there's some moves in Hyper Light Drifter I was having an issue with (X+A) input wise for some reason, so I just bound X+A to one of the bumpers on the bottom, and it played a lot better.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Pretty much same boat as you op.

Had one, sold it.

Prefer Xbox and DS4 controllers for PC.

DS4 touchpad actually functions as a mouse, which basically killed any utility for me for the steam controller.

Better at aiming with sticks than with the touchpad on steam controller.

Probably hardly worth selling though. Doubt you would get more than $10-20 these days.

 

[LaunchpadMcQ]

Like you, OP, I tried the thing - bought it twice, even. I just couldn't get a feel for it.

 

[Decado]

Yes. Got mine as soon as it was released and I've really enjoyed it. Completely replaced mouse and keyboard for me. Comfy couch for life. It is awesome for rts, tbs, fps, tps, RPGs, etc. I still use a regular controller for some games like rocket league or 2d games where you need a good d-pad.

Anyone using it for shooters needs to start using gyro motion control. Completely changed the experience.

 

[Sophia]

DS4 touchpad actually functions as a mouse, which basically killed any utility for me for the steam controller.

I know you said "for you" but there's a whole ton of functionality I can think of for me that has no way of being replicated on the DS4 Touchpad.

 

[AEREC]

Bought one on sale earlier this year...thought it was cool for a bit then I guess the novelty wore off.

I really only tried to play Fallout 4 with it and it failed miserably...other than that it was good for internet browsing on my TV.

 

[Jtrizzy]

I have one but never use it. Never really wrapped my head around what to do with it. Is there a killer app for this?

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I've been tempted to get one since they seem to go on sale pretty frequently, but I've just been sticking to my Xbox One controller for the few games that I don't use M+KB for.

 

[Kthulhu]

I bought one a few months ago. Was so satisfied with it I bought a second one. It certainly isn't for everyone, but IMO it's the best way to play PC games that were never designed with a controller in mind. Especially if you play PC games on your bed like I do.

If anyone else is considering buying one I recommend this video review by Woodsie. It's the most comprehensive and informed review I've found, albeit it is slightly outdated due to updates Valve has made to the Steam controller.

There's also a bit of a learning curve. Woodsie also made a video on this. IMO it was a great list of games to play to help you get used to it.

Also, if you hate tinkering with settings to get something satisfying, you may get frustrated when you cant find a configuration you like.

 

[345triangle]

wanted to like it but can't get into it at all. i've never once played a game with it that i didn't end up thinking either an xbox pad or mouse/keyboard would be better suited for.

now, if for some reason you want a single controller that can just about get away with doing an impression of both those types of jobs, this is it. but it always feels like a compromise — even in a living room situation i'd rather just use a lapboard.

 

[Lister]

That haptic pad is league's better than the abomination that is the right analog stick for anything requiring any sort or precision camera movement or cursor movement, obviously.

The customizability of the thing is staggering too. It's still my number one game pad. I basically only bring out my xbone pad for forza.

 

[sleepnaught]

Only controller I will use now. It has a hefty learning curve, takes time to create a profile that really takes advantage of it's features, and the software can be really spotty at times, but worth it to me.

 

[TheRed]

Best controller ever! I use it for almost everything yes.

 

[theRizzle]

Bought one off a friend who never used it for $20. I've never used it.

 

[Blizzard]

I've used it and I like it. I usually use mouse and keyboard for shooters, but for a couch situation or a fighter game I'd probably grab it.

 

[Werd]

Not since Steam enabled their controller customization for PS4/XBox/etc. controllers. I really like some of the chord, activator options and such and would use the SC on some games where the right stick wasn't critical. But now I can use those without it. I still prefer dual analog for FPS to the trackpad.

I like that it exists though and hope there is a revision in the works.

 

[jrcbandit]

I tried to use it, but it mostly collected dust since the controller first came out. Too much of a pain to set up properly for most games. The only game I really liked it in was the Atari collection where I could mimic a paddle with the controller.

 

[Sophia]

I have one but never use it. Never really wrapped my head around what to do with it. Is there a killer app for this?

Depends on what you like. I think the controller's true power is best demonstrated with a title that doesn't naively support gamepads and wouldn't work naturally with one. For example, here's my Path of Exile setup from the Steam Controller thread. Another game that's fantastic is Assault Android Cactus. There's an official binding for that game that makes fantastic use of both trackpads for shooting, moving, and aiming.

I also recommend checking out the aforementioned Woodsie video above. It has some very good suggestions, traditional and otherwise.

 

[Nabs]

I use it for almost everything. It gets a lot of use in first person shooters and 3rd person action games. I also love using it for racing games or games that have a ton of driving (gta v for instance). Gyro aiming and Gyro steering are next generation features.

It's also amazing with Wii Pointer Emulation. Games like Metroid Prime Trilogy, SMG, and Pandora's Tower play so much better.

 

[LukasTaves]

I wanted one to get back to more pc gaming, so I tried before buying. Found it absolutely terrible, but thank God steam started supporting the XB1 controller,even for emulating a mouse I found it much better than using the steam controller.

 

[HungOverOnATues]

I've used it on a near daily basis since release. It's my primary controller in most games and has replaced my wireless mouse for surfing the net from my couch.

 

[sleepnaught]

I have one but never use it. Never really wrapped my head around what to do with it. Is there a killer app for this?

Any fps game. Skyrim is fabulous for it,too. Having the left touchpad setup with an on-screen menu for your spells is awesome

 

[Finaika]

Got one for my birthday.

Never used it.

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

Every time I play a controller-friendly PC game. It's tits for ABUSE.

 

[Eblo]

It was my go-to controller for PC gaming since it seemed to work for anything. Then Steam added DualShock 4 support and I no longer had any reason to use my Steam Controller.

 

[Quasar]

I've not seen one in real life.

I rarely play controller based games on PC so I make do with an old 360 controller I have lying around for those rare occasions when I do need one.

 

[Mozendo]

Looks way too uncomfortable and inconvenient for me.

 

[pislit]

i love the steam controller and use it on all of my games that i dont like using my kb+m, but it's shit with nba 2k17 though. none of the configs can approximate the second stick. come on nerdies play sports games so that you can write steam controller configs for sports games. loljk

 

[Dr. Black Jack]

Looks way too uncomfortable and inconvenient for me.

I thought the same thing but decided to try it anyway...it's awesome. I say this as a lifelong console controller user.

 

[Vash63]

I use it all the time for games that I want to play from a couch or leaning back but still want mouse-like controls. Was just using it for Yooka Laylee recently, works great.

 

[YearoftheWooster]

Used it briefly. Works well with Borderlands games and some FPSs, but cumbersome for anything else. Customization is great, but whenever you want to kick back and relax with the game, it's cumbersome.

Great tech though. Loved playing FPSs with Splatoon like controls.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

I hated the Steam controller. I want a new model that isn't trash.

 

[soxinthebox]

I don't know if it's changed recently but when I got mine the Mac support was awful. Most configs just flat out didn't work.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Yeah. I Never used it like I thought.

I made a super complicated control scheme for Dragons Dogma and it was pretty cool. Things like holding the trigger down partway turns on aim and then clicking shoots, etc. But I Just never embraced it. The DS4 is just too perfect.

 

[KdylanR92]

I regret buying it so hard, i've used it a handful of times and ended up just plugging in an xbox controller instead.

 

[Ultimadrago]

I was open-minded to one at first and was considering purchasing it. But as time has gone forward, my desire to pick one up has lessened more and more.

Maybe I'll come around one day. I'm not necessarily sour against it, but don't feel I have a need for it compared to my XB1 controller.

 

[Diomedeskun]

It's amazing just how much you can customize everything. I love using it for the Trails in the Sky games, as it allows me to play like a regular controller but use the mouse on the right trackpad whenever I prefer. It takes some work on some games, and it just doesn't work at all with a few, but it's probably my favorite controller for anything that doesn't need a right stick. Even that works well most of the time, but it can be a bit fidgety on some games for camera control.

 

[Naite]

I bought it out of curiosity when it launched. It felt like too much effort to enjoy. Plus I was enjoying my xbox elite controller too much. Ended up selling it to my brother in law.

 

[FLAguy954]

I use it for everything except for platformers and emulation.

Literally the best/most versatile controller I've ever had.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

I use it from time to time. I'm quite fond of using it with The Evil Within on PC...I set it to use the gyro when aiming...since the triggers are pressure sensitive and click when fully press...I set it so that you aim normally (without gyro) with light press of the trigger, and gyro aiming with a pull press of the trigger (clicks when pully pressed).

My complaints of the controller are how the shoulder buttons are extremely stiff...too stiff for my tastes. To try to remedy this, I often remap anything on the shoulder buttons to the buttons underneath the controller...they're not as bad as the shoulder buttons imo...but are not positioned to my tastes...the placing feels awkward to me.

It's got it's flaws sure, but the overall weirdness of it and unique functionalities of the controller make it a standout controller for me (cmon, how cool it is it to be able to add gyro controls to virtually any game, even those that don't natively support it [which is most of them I think] and to be able to customize the button layout of virtually any game, even those that don't natively support the feature?)

 

[DJ_Lae]

I use it with my Steam link simply because I haven't been bothered to hook anything else up to it.

It's functional enough but sucks for games that play best with dual analog and its approximation of a mouse isn't great either, making it kind of a kludgy solution for most mouse driven games.

My daughter makes the most hilarious faces while using it, though. She hates the thing.

 

[Thebullfrog]

Use it all the time. Love the thing. Especially for stuff like X-Com or Civ. Can map the controls to be 100% one-handed, which is a godsend for my RSI.

 

[pantsattack]

I bought one a few months ago. Was so satisfied with it I bought a second one. It certainly isn't for everyone, but IMO it's the best way to play PC games that were never designed with a controller in mind. Especially if you play PC games on your bed like I do.

If anyone else is considering buying one I recommend this video review by Woodsie. It's the most comprehensive and informed review I've found, albeit it is slightly outdated due to updates Valve has made to the Steam controller.

There's also a bit of a learning curve. Woodsie also made a video on this. IMO it was a great list of games to play to help you get used to it.

Also, if you hate tinkering with settings to get something satisfying, you may get frustrated when you cant find a configuration you like.

That's a neat top ten video. I like the controller a lot, but never use the left pad, only the stick. Seems I should keep with it. I just started System Shock 2 as well.