The Steam Controller is Here

TL;DR

Valve's new Steam Controller offers refined haptic trackpads and TMR joysticks but its $100 price makes it hard to recommend over cheaper alternatives.

Key Points

• 1.The Steam Controller is a spiritual successor to the original, not officially called 'Steam Controller 2'. Valve avoided the '2' naming to prevent confusion, though reviewers repeatedly called it that anyway; it improves on the original in nearly every way.
• 2.Build quality feels cheaper than first-party controllers from Sony, Xbox, or Nintendo. Exposed screw holes on the bottom are a minor ergonomic oversight, though Valve frames repairability as intentional via their ongoing iFixit parts partnership.
• 3.The haptic trackpads are the standout feature, enabling RTS and non-controller-friendly games from the couch. Enlarged and flatter than the original's alien-eye design, they closely match the Steam Deck's pads and allow community-configured input schemes like complex gesture controls in Skate.
• 4.TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) joysticks are the best hidden feature, offering Hall-effect-level durability without the power draw penalty. Lab circularity tests show accuracy comparable to the Gamester Cyclone 2, with low dead zones and no drift risk.
• 5.Battery life hit over 37 hours of continuous gaming in lab testing with haptics active, which is outstanding. The wireless 2.4 GHz dongle doubles as a magnetic charging dock, supports four controllers per puck, and allows wireless firmware updates.
• 6.Triggers lack haptic rumble, adaptive resistance, and even the two-stage activation of the original Steam Controller. Overall haptic body feedback is strong — better than the Steam Deck — but the triggers are described as 'very unexciting' compared to the DualSense.
• 7.At $100, the Steam Controller is hard to justify as a pure traditional gamepad. One reviewer would buy at $60 immediately and at $80 within two weeks, but is 'out' at $100 when two quality third-party controllers like Flydigi options cost the same; Valve may have priced it to boost the upcoming Steam Machine's perceived bundle value.