I'm such a simp for any and all tidbits of info about Valve's long rumored Deckard VR machine. These Steam controller rumors are adjacent, and the verge tagged it under VR, so that's good enough...
I'm such a simp for any and all tidbits of info about Valve's long rumored Deckard VR machine. These Steam controller rumors are adjacent, and the verge tagged it under VR, so that's good enough for me!
I'm still taking full advantage of the OG Vive that we got ahold of, and having regular Beat Saber sessions, we got the Beat Saver set up and downloaded some fan made songs, it's really great, thanks to the Tildes folks who recommended that. Still, I'm looking forward to the new system, and holding out on alternatives... even though PSVR2 was tempting for a while, I haven't kept up with how well that works on PC
Another hopeful for Deckard here. I’ve been playing Beat Saber with a Quest 2 for 2-3 years now and it’s fine, but the PC link and the software required for it kinda suck. I have a friend who’s...
Another hopeful for Deckard here. I’ve been playing Beat Saber with a Quest 2 for 2-3 years now and it’s fine, but the PC link and the software required for it kinda suck. I have a friend who’s using an old original Rift that’s held together with bubblegum and duct tape who’s also ready for it to drop.
One aspect that’s nice about Valve headsets is that they don’t require Windows, unlike Quests. Once I’ve upgraded to Deckard (assuming it’s good) my tower will probably spend most of its time booted into Linux.
Man, the fact that there are so many Deckard holdouts here is both inspiring and discouraging. I sincerely believe that we haven't seen a Deckard yet because there's a strong lack of demand for VR...
Man, the fact that there are so many Deckard holdouts here is both inspiring and discouraging. I sincerely believe that we haven't seen a Deckard yet because there's a strong lack of demand for VR experiences, and frankly, that's because the software out there is super limited.
I think that there's still a back catalog that could keep many new adoptees entertained if there was a sudden surge in interest, but I just don't see that happening.
There are too many barriers to entry to make VR a household thing. Mid spec PCs that can run VR aren't as plentiful as they need to be, dedicated VR playspace is a commodity not always available in homes and the cost of doing all of it is terribly prohibitive.
It's unclear if you're talking about VR or PCVR. VR might not be a "household thing" in the way you mean it, but it's getting new users every day. Most users get by without dedicated playspaces....
It's unclear if you're talking about VR or PCVR. VR might not be a "household thing" in the way you mean it, but it's getting new users every day. Most users get by without dedicated playspaces. Headsets in recent years tend to be more self-contained and geared toward setups where the PC is unneeded or just an addon (to the setup's detriment, I might add), but a basic headset is cheaper than a living room videogame console of the same gen like the PS5, and the games are much cheaper, so I wouldn't call the cost prohibitive.
I'd love to have your glass half full approach to this thing but outside of Meta, there's still limited software holding back the headsets that do exist. Unless things have changed since I dug...
I'd love to have your glass half full approach to this thing but outside of Meta, there's still limited software holding back the headsets that do exist. Unless things have changed since I dug into VR (Yes, PCVR) a few years ago, it's seems to still be a pretty niche space.
I don't think the software is taking an undue amount of time. It makes no market sense for there to be a lot of third party investment in software while the market is small, so it takes a lot to...
I don't think the software is taking an undue amount of time. It makes no market sense for there to be a lot of third party investment in software while the market is small, so it takes a lot to get that ball rolling. Both massive scale videogame projects and a massively broad indie game market took many years to come to pass after videogames first became a thing. If the VR headset market is trickling larger, then the software becomes more likely to follow. First party headset developers have more of an incentive to create experiences early on, so the fact that new companies keep entering that space every year is also a positive sign!
Having used a meta quest extensively for games I do think we are past tech demo territory. These are fully fledged products in their own rights. I agree they are very much a niche, but within that...
Having used a meta quest extensively for games I do think we are past tech demo territory. These are fully fledged products in their own rights. I agree they are very much a niche, but within that niche they are already great and have developers and publishers get their main income from these titles.
It might be that it just isn't for the sort of games and applications you are interested in. Specifically puzzle games, escape room style specifically are very popular. Games like I Eexpect You To Die are incredibly fun, have multiple releases, are available on both VR Platforms (PCVR and MetaVR) and a dedicated following.
So yeah, certainly not mainstream, but also not really a tech demo anymore either.
I'd agree that the tech is right, but the software library barely escapes showing off what the thing can do. The games aren't full experiences - they're demos of the technology in action.
I'd agree that the tech is right, but the software library barely escapes showing off what the thing can do. The games aren't full experiences - they're demos of the technology in action.
Yeah, that's where I disagree, it is true for a lot of games for sure. But there are plenty of fully fledged games available, like the example I gave. Is it a massive library compared to other...
The games aren't full experiences - they're demos of the technology in action.
Yeah, that's where I disagree, it is true for a lot of games for sure. But there are plenty of fully fledged games available, like the example I gave. Is it a massive library compared to other platforms? Absolutely not. Are all the games just glorified tech demos, also not true.
To be clear, I am with you in that I had hoped the landscape would be in a different space right now. It certainly moved slower in many areas than I'd hoped.
Shrug, it is possible that this is just a silly semantics discussion. I just figured the perspective can be important.
It's totally a semantics discussion, but I'll stand by my point about software. Yes, we can point to high watermarks for story and innovation like Half Life Alyx and that Greek game Meta released...
It's totally a semantics discussion, but I'll stand by my point about software. Yes, we can point to high watermarks for story and innovation like Half Life Alyx and that Greek game Meta released a year or so ago, but the fact that Beat Sabre - a 5 year old game now - is the last title to break through means that the software hasn't inspired the popular consciousness like was hoped. I'd point to PSVR2 as an indication of that - low adoption rate and few quality games.
I personally love VR. Especially for 3D design, it's amazing. That said, the proof is in the virtual pudding right now.
I think half the problem is that a lot of the industry kind of expected to be able to sell games solely on the fact that they’re VR games, which didn’t work out. You need something that is made...
I think half the problem is that a lot of the industry kind of expected to be able to sell games solely on the fact that they’re VR games, which didn’t work out.
You need something that is made for VR and benefits thoroughly from it, like Beat Saber and Alyx, but few studios have the appetite for the risk involved with experimenting to figure out exactly what these games might look like. This is why the two most notable titles were made by Beat Games which prior to acquisition, was a tiny indie studio and Valve, neither of which are as fearful of one of their titles not being a money printer.
It reminds me of when the Wii and WiiU came out. One amazingly innovative system and whose control method was really only used by first party developers. I'm not surprised, but the lack of risk...
It reminds me of when the Wii and WiiU came out. One amazingly innovative system and whose control method was really only used by first party developers. I'm not surprised, but the lack of risk appetite among other studios is quite shocking to me.
It's not just the availability of pcvr hardware. Even if you have it, it is far from plug and play. I have a quest 2 and a capable pc but have never successfully got it to work. It seems like...
It's not just the availability of pcvr hardware. Even if you have it, it is far from plug and play. I have a quest 2 and a capable pc but have never successfully got it to work. It seems like steam vr fights with oculus software and then eventually locks up my PC to the point I have to remove power. I'm sure it can be fixed somehow, but I am well above average user aptitude on this stuff, and you can bet that if I gave up so would many others.
Yeah, I agree. I felt so dirty hooking an Oculus up to Steam and frankly. I get why Valve wanted to hold on, but not having an affordable cordless solution for PCVR really sucked
Yeah, I agree. I felt so dirty hooking an Oculus up to Steam and frankly. I get why Valve wanted to hold on, but not having an affordable cordless solution for PCVR really sucked
I'm also hopeful for this rumoured deckard. I also had an OG vive and loved it, then got a Pimax 5k which was great but mannnn its annoying to set up and it gets so uncomfortable after like an...
I'm also hopeful for this rumoured deckard. I also had an OG vive and loved it, then got a Pimax 5k which was great but mannnn its annoying to set up and it gets so uncomfortable after like an hour of playing.
If they can give me something thats not meta, easy to plug and play, not trash resolution... I'll pay for it!
I know there's some headsets out there that kinda fit the bill but they all have some caveat. Like man I'd like a Big screen Beyond but screw the 3d face scan.
We should play on beat together sometime, socially (I have zero competitiveness I'm afraid). I don't like public lobbies because some kid is bound to show up and trounce me with maps that are far...
We should play on beat together sometime, socially (I have zero competitiveness I'm afraid). I don't like public lobbies because some kid is bound to show up and trounce me with maps that are far too hard for me, but I'm happy to lower difficulty myself until we find something that works for everyone.
Plus anyone else from around here who might be interested!
Lol I'll have to get back to you on that... I appreciate the invitation for sure, but I'm going to have to get over my anxiety, and considering that is the one game I play with all the window...
Lol I'll have to get back to you on that... I appreciate the invitation for sure, but I'm going to have to get over my anxiety, and considering that is the one game I play with all the window shades drawn, and kicking everyone else out of the room... A beat saber party does honestly sound wild though, so funny, let me think about it!
Best news I've heard all week! With the advent of the Deck, it's been a mild pain dropping back to using the Steam Controller for games that I would play on both. The dual back grips and...
Best news I've heard all week! With the advent of the Deck, it's been a mild pain dropping back to using the Steam Controller for games that I would play on both. The dual back grips and better-quality joysticks in particular. Also it'll assuage my fears of the pending doom of my Steam Controller.
My biggest fear is that they'll fully relegate the right touch pad to secondary usage.
Same! I feel I've been coping since my steam controller died. After much research I ended up with an Elite XBOX controller which I'm still not happy with. I'll be very happy to ditch it as soon as...
Same! I feel I've been coping since my steam controller died. After much research I ended up with an Elite XBOX controller which I'm still not happy with. I'll be very happy to ditch it as soon as the new Steam controller comes out.
My Steam Controller is having joystick problems and I use it instead of a mouse, so I've been kinda worried. I really hope this is real and that its comparable to the preexisting one.
My Steam Controller is having joystick problems and I use it instead of a mouse, so I've been kinda worried. I really hope this is real and that its comparable to the preexisting one.
I have one I broke (and have the parts to repair it, but it requires surface mount soldering and while I have a space I can use to do it, I'm still nervous to give it a shot) and one thats...
I have one I broke (and have the parts to repair it, but it requires surface mount soldering and while I have a space I can use to do it, I'm still nervous to give it a shot) and one thats functional. I regularly check to see if anyone has designed a controller with touchpads because once you get over the learning curve, you really miss it going back to just joysticks. It doesn't have to be a steam controller clone, but a controller with a touchpad at all would be really cool to see on the market. I know it's a hard sell for companies since a big market isn't there, but dang if I don't want some options to play with.
I wanted to get a Steam Controller before, but held off until they suddenly stopped production and it was too late to get one for anything less than $200. So assuming their new controllers won't...
I wanted to get a Steam Controller before, but held off until they suddenly stopped production and it was too late to get one for anything less than $200. So assuming their new controllers won't cost some $300 like their current VR controller set, I won't make the same mistake again and try to get one as soon as I can. Even if I can't use it for VR.
Well, maybe... I recall Nintendo got a patent on controller joysticks that track the joystick position using magnets instead of moving parts. That should (theoretically) completely eliminate drift while still having an actual joystick. So if we get more information on that first, I'll might just hold off until Steam adds functionality for that controller instead. But then again, the triggers on my Switch controller not being analog feels awful at times...
It seems to me that the author of that IGN article did not understand the patent. It's not a patent for Hall effect joysticks, lots of people already make Hall effect joysticks. It's a patent for...
It seems to me that the author of that IGN article did not understand the patent. It's not a patent for Hall effect joysticks, lots of people already make Hall effect joysticks. It's a patent for a joystick which includes magnetorheological fluid for haptic feedback. If you want a controller which uses Hall effect joysticks, you can buy one today.
I've enjoyed the 8bitdo ultimate for my pc. It's a nice controller with a hall effects stick that is holding up well and looks good sitting in the little cradle under the monitor. I've been...
I've enjoyed the 8bitdo ultimate for my pc. It's a nice controller with a hall effects stick that is holding up well and looks good sitting in the little cradle under the monitor.
I've been through a lot of controllers and post Xbox 360 they all have had issues. My son finally killed my old 360 controller just last year, they lasted a looooong time. I replaced it with another 8bitdo that is holding up well. I've smashed through two shoulder buttons on both xbox1 and an Xbox elite controllers, and I'm pretty light in the pressure so just made cheap now a days. Don't get me started on how bad the elite was, huge waste of money. And the switch joycons and elite controllers wrestling with stick drift.
I don't know how my old controllers held up so well through the years when it all just turned on a dime and the new stuff from the console makers has not been worth it at all like they forgot how to make good hardware.
wikipedia link, the introduction gives a pretty strong indication why it might be used for haptic feedback Basically, it seems to allow for very granular resistance to movement. Further down the...
wikipedia link, the introduction gives a pretty strong indication why it might be used for haptic feedback
A magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid, or MRF) is a type of smart fluid in a carrier fluid, usually a type of oil. When subjected to a magnetic field, the fluid greatly increases its apparent viscosity, to the point of becoming a viscoelastic solid.[1] Importantly, the yield stress of the fluid when in its active ("on") state can be controlled very accurately by varying the magnetic field intensity. The upshot is that the fluid's ability to transmit force can be controlled with an electromagnet, which gives rise to its many possible control-based applications.
From that description I wonder if they'll use it to vary the resistance on the joystick. So like in a game if you're trying to push something they can increase how you have to push the joystick to...
From that description I wonder if they'll use it to vary the resistance on the joystick. So like in a game if you're trying to push something they can increase how you have to push the joystick to reinforce that your character is feeling resistance moving. Or another case might be swimming where turning might be met with more resistance on the stick giving you some of that fatigue and resistance feedback. Sounds like a very cool idea!
I have one but barely use it. There are a few games where I really liked the specifics of the controller, the touchpad specifically. But, for the most part, I realized I was grabbing it for...
I have one but barely use it. There are a few games where I really liked the specifics of the controller, the touchpad specifically. But, for the most part, I realized I was grabbing it for controller first games. And as an actual controller it isn't all that great, as the touchpad is a poor stick replacement. So I just bought an xbox controller one day and since then the steam controller has been gathering dust mostly.
To be fair, I am also the sort of person who has trouble to remember more than a few key combos in games. So having a completely different setup per game I had to learn was just no fun for me either :)
I got a Steam controller for like 15 dollars a few years back when they went on clearance, I really wanted to like it but it just feels so wonky that I never got the hang of using it. I appreciate...
I got a Steam controller for like 15 dollars a few years back when they went on clearance, I really wanted to like it but it just feels so wonky that I never got the hang of using it. I appreciate the usefulness of the touch pads but I'll never be able to use them like joysticks. Mine is sitting on my coffee table gathering dust :(
I'd give you $15 and pay for shipping too if you're in the US and the controller still works! I've found it great for playing turn based style games on the TV to not have to use mouse+keyboard and...
I'd give you $15 and pay for shipping too if you're in the US and the controller still works!
I've found it great for playing turn based style games on the TV to not have to use mouse+keyboard and would love to have a backup.
Wow, I gave my Steam controller away (paid something like $15 on sale) to someone I had a very, very bad falling out with. Unfortunate... I really wanted to like the controller! Unfortunately I...
Wow, I gave my Steam controller away (paid something like $15 on sale) to someone I had a very, very bad falling out with. Unfortunate...
I really wanted to like the controller! Unfortunately I just can't look forward to most "handheld" releases that aren't Nintendo - my hands are extremely small (I've had ten year olds with bigger hands than me) and even the modern PS5 controller is really pushing my level of comfort. I realize it's because the western gaming market consists of bigger hands on average... but it would be nice to get something that fits.
I owned a Steam Controller, but eventually I gave it away. Unfortunately, the innovation that made it great for PC gaming -- the touchpads -- made it terrible for normal controller use, as the...
I owned a Steam Controller, but eventually I gave it away. Unfortunately, the innovation that made it great for PC gaming -- the touchpads -- made it terrible for normal controller use, as the addition of those trackpads came at the expense of having a left d-pad and a right joystick.
If Valve could make a controller with touchpads without removing the joystick/d-pad, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Fortunately, they have -- it's the Steam Deck! Now Valve just needs to strip out the processing components and make it a bit more ergonomic.
Also, since people are looking for a replacement to the OG Steam Controller: when I researched this question a while back, the closest thing I could find to the Steam Controller (other than the Steam Deck) was the DarkWalker ShotPad. However, the controller is truly weird: it lacks symmetry, having more buttons on one side than the other; the button labels correspond to PC keys, not controller keys; and the behavior of the left and right triggers are swapped, with the Shotpad taking inspiration from the left-click of a mouse instead of the right-trigger of a controller. In short, like the Steam Controller, the ShotPad leans heavily into PC gaming at the expense on functioning like a regular controller.
I'm laughing at some of the hallucinations in the article's comments. Someone is calling SteamOS proprietary Valve lock-in while also praising Meta somehow, and seems to have missed the existence...
I'm laughing at some of the hallucinations in the article's comments. Someone is calling SteamOS proprietary Valve lock-in while also praising Meta somehow, and seems to have missed the existence of the Index entirely?
It's a bit off-topic (feel free to label), but I realized the other day that there is a whole generation of people in tech who have grown up in the time that I have been an adult. For a lot of...
It's a bit off-topic (feel free to label), but I realized the other day that there is a whole generation of people in tech who have grown up in the time that I have been an adult. For a lot of them, a lot of the terminology used isn't as obvious or straightforward. Sure, I also had to learn, but I grew up in a time when a lot of terminology was also still under heavy debate. For example, the term “open source” would often be used in news articles back then with a bit of context added.
I mention open source specifically as I have noticed on comment sections on tech news websites that there are a lot of people who have no clue about the specific of the terminology.
Of course, there are also plenty of dense idiots out there who shout before thinking. That part hasn't changed at all over the years :D
I'm such a simp for any and all tidbits of info about Valve's long rumored Deckard VR machine. These Steam controller rumors are adjacent, and the verge tagged it under VR, so that's good enough for me!
I'm still taking full advantage of the OG Vive that we got ahold of, and having regular Beat Saber sessions, we got the Beat Saver set up and downloaded some fan made songs, it's really great, thanks to the Tildes folks who recommended that. Still, I'm looking forward to the new system, and holding out on alternatives... even though PSVR2 was tempting for a while, I haven't kept up with how well that works on PC
Another hopeful for Deckard here. I’ve been playing Beat Saber with a Quest 2 for 2-3 years now and it’s fine, but the PC link and the software required for it kinda suck. I have a friend who’s using an old original Rift that’s held together with bubblegum and duct tape who’s also ready for it to drop.
One aspect that’s nice about Valve headsets is that they don’t require Windows, unlike Quests. Once I’ve upgraded to Deckard (assuming it’s good) my tower will probably spend most of its time booted into Linux.
Man, the fact that there are so many Deckard holdouts here is both inspiring and discouraging. I sincerely believe that we haven't seen a Deckard yet because there's a strong lack of demand for VR experiences, and frankly, that's because the software out there is super limited.
I think that there's still a back catalog that could keep many new adoptees entertained if there was a sudden surge in interest, but I just don't see that happening.
There are too many barriers to entry to make VR a household thing. Mid spec PCs that can run VR aren't as plentiful as they need to be, dedicated VR playspace is a commodity not always available in homes and the cost of doing all of it is terribly prohibitive.
It's unclear if you're talking about VR or PCVR. VR might not be a "household thing" in the way you mean it, but it's getting new users every day. Most users get by without dedicated playspaces. Headsets in recent years tend to be more self-contained and geared toward setups where the PC is unneeded or just an addon (to the setup's detriment, I might add), but a basic headset is cheaper than a living room videogame console of the same gen like the PS5, and the games are much cheaper, so I wouldn't call the cost prohibitive.
I'd love to have your glass half full approach to this thing but outside of Meta, there's still limited software holding back the headsets that do exist. Unless things have changed since I dug into VR (Yes, PCVR) a few years ago, it's seems to still be a pretty niche space.
I don't think the software is taking an undue amount of time. It makes no market sense for there to be a lot of third party investment in software while the market is small, so it takes a lot to get that ball rolling. Both massive scale videogame projects and a massively broad indie game market took many years to come to pass after videogames first became a thing. If the VR headset market is trickling larger, then the software becomes more likely to follow. First party headset developers have more of an incentive to create experiences early on, so the fact that new companies keep entering that space every year is also a positive sign!
Here's hoping. It's been almost 10 years and we're still in tech demo territory
Having used a meta quest extensively for games I do think we are past tech demo territory. These are fully fledged products in their own rights. I agree they are very much a niche, but within that niche they are already great and have developers and publishers get their main income from these titles.
It might be that it just isn't for the sort of games and applications you are interested in. Specifically puzzle games, escape room style specifically are very popular. Games like I Eexpect You To Die are incredibly fun, have multiple releases, are available on both VR Platforms (PCVR and MetaVR) and a dedicated following.
So yeah, certainly not mainstream, but also not really a tech demo anymore either.
I'd agree that the tech is right, but the software library barely escapes showing off what the thing can do. The games aren't full experiences - they're demos of the technology in action.
Yeah, that's where I disagree, it is true for a lot of games for sure. But there are plenty of fully fledged games available, like the example I gave. Is it a massive library compared to other platforms? Absolutely not. Are all the games just glorified tech demos, also not true.
To be clear, I am with you in that I had hoped the landscape would be in a different space right now. It certainly moved slower in many areas than I'd hoped.
Shrug, it is possible that this is just a silly semantics discussion. I just figured the perspective can be important.
It's totally a semantics discussion, but I'll stand by my point about software. Yes, we can point to high watermarks for story and innovation like Half Life Alyx and that Greek game Meta released a year or so ago, but the fact that Beat Sabre - a 5 year old game now - is the last title to break through means that the software hasn't inspired the popular consciousness like was hoped. I'd point to PSVR2 as an indication of that - low adoption rate and few quality games.
I personally love VR. Especially for 3D design, it's amazing. That said, the proof is in the virtual pudding right now.
I think half the problem is that a lot of the industry kind of expected to be able to sell games solely on the fact that they’re VR games, which didn’t work out.
You need something that is made for VR and benefits thoroughly from it, like Beat Saber and Alyx, but few studios have the appetite for the risk involved with experimenting to figure out exactly what these games might look like. This is why the two most notable titles were made by Beat Games which prior to acquisition, was a tiny indie studio and Valve, neither of which are as fearful of one of their titles not being a money printer.
It reminds me of when the Wii and WiiU came out. One amazingly innovative system and whose control method was really only used by first party developers. I'm not surprised, but the lack of risk appetite among other studios is quite shocking to me.
It's not just the availability of pcvr hardware. Even if you have it, it is far from plug and play. I have a quest 2 and a capable pc but have never successfully got it to work. It seems like steam vr fights with oculus software and then eventually locks up my PC to the point I have to remove power. I'm sure it can be fixed somehow, but I am well above average user aptitude on this stuff, and you can bet that if I gave up so would many others.
Yeah, I agree. I felt so dirty hooking an Oculus up to Steam and frankly. I get why Valve wanted to hold on, but not having an affordable cordless solution for PCVR really sucked
I'm also hopeful for this rumoured deckard. I also had an OG vive and loved it, then got a Pimax 5k which was great but mannnn its annoying to set up and it gets so uncomfortable after like an hour of playing.
If they can give me something thats not meta, easy to plug and play, not trash resolution... I'll pay for it!
I know there's some headsets out there that kinda fit the bill but they all have some caveat. Like man I'd like a Big screen Beyond but screw the 3d face scan.
We should play on beat together sometime, socially (I have zero competitiveness I'm afraid). I don't like public lobbies because some kid is bound to show up and trounce me with maps that are far too hard for me, but I'm happy to lower difficulty myself until we find something that works for everyone.
Plus anyone else from around here who might be interested!
Lol I'll have to get back to you on that... I appreciate the invitation for sure, but I'm going to have to get over my anxiety, and considering that is the one game I play with all the window shades drawn, and kicking everyone else out of the room... A beat saber party does honestly sound wild though, so funny, let me think about it!
Best news I've heard all week! With the advent of the Deck, it's been a mild pain dropping back to using the Steam Controller for games that I would play on both. The dual back grips and better-quality joysticks in particular. Also it'll assuage my fears of the pending doom of my Steam Controller.
My biggest fear is that they'll fully relegate the right touch pad to secondary usage.
Same! I feel I've been coping since my steam controller died. After much research I ended up with an Elite XBOX controller which I'm still not happy with. I'll be very happy to ditch it as soon as the new Steam controller comes out.
My Steam Controller is having joystick problems and I use it instead of a mouse, so I've been kinda worried. I really hope this is real and that its comparable to the preexisting one.
I have one I broke (and have the parts to repair it, but it requires surface mount soldering and while I have a space I can use to do it, I'm still nervous to give it a shot) and one thats functional. I regularly check to see if anyone has designed a controller with touchpads because once you get over the learning curve, you really miss it going back to just joysticks. It doesn't have to be a steam controller clone, but a controller with a touchpad at all would be really cool to see on the market. I know it's a hard sell for companies since a big market isn't there, but dang if I don't want some options to play with.
I wanted to get a Steam Controller before, but held off until they suddenly stopped production and it was too late to get one for anything less than $200. So assuming their new controllers won't cost some $300 like their current VR controller set, I won't make the same mistake again and try to get one as soon as I can. Even if I can't use it for VR.
Well, maybe... I recall Nintendo got a patent on controller joysticks that track the joystick position using magnets instead of moving parts. That should (theoretically) completely eliminate drift while still having an actual joystick. So if we get more information on that first, I'll might just hold off until Steam adds functionality for that controller instead. But then again, the triggers on my Switch controller not being analog feels awful at times...
It seems to me that the author of that IGN article did not understand the patent. It's not a patent for Hall effect joysticks, lots of people already make Hall effect joysticks. It's a patent for a joystick which includes magnetorheological fluid for haptic feedback. If you want a controller which uses Hall effect joysticks, you can buy one today.
Thanks for reassuring us that Nintendo did not in fact patent fundamental physics.
Oh. Thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll have to look into some things. Maybe I'll be getting a new controller sooner than I had expected.
I've enjoyed the 8bitdo ultimate for my pc. It's a nice controller with a hall effects stick that is holding up well and looks good sitting in the little cradle under the monitor.
I've been through a lot of controllers and post Xbox 360 they all have had issues. My son finally killed my old 360 controller just last year, they lasted a looooong time. I replaced it with another 8bitdo that is holding up well. I've smashed through two shoulder buttons on both xbox1 and an Xbox elite controllers, and I'm pretty light in the pressure so just made cheap now a days. Don't get me started on how bad the elite was, huge waste of money. And the switch joycons and elite controllers wrestling with stick drift.
I don't know how my old controllers held up so well through the years when it all just turned on a dime and the new stuff from the console makers has not been worth it at all like they forgot how to make good hardware.
What does that even mean.
wikipedia link, the introduction gives a pretty strong indication why it might be used for haptic feedback
Basically, it seems to allow for very granular resistance to movement. Further down the page is an actual example.
From that description I wonder if they'll use it to vary the resistance on the joystick. So like in a game if you're trying to push something they can increase how you have to push the joystick to reinforce that your character is feeling resistance moving. Or another case might be swimming where turning might be met with more resistance on the stick giving you some of that fatigue and resistance feedback. Sounds like a very cool idea!
I have one but barely use it. There are a few games where I really liked the specifics of the controller, the touchpad specifically. But, for the most part, I realized I was grabbing it for controller first games. And as an actual controller it isn't all that great, as the touchpad is a poor stick replacement. So I just bought an xbox controller one day and since then the steam controller has been gathering dust mostly.
To be fair, I am also the sort of person who has trouble to remember more than a few key combos in games. So having a completely different setup per game I had to learn was just no fun for me either :)
I got a Steam controller for like 15 dollars a few years back when they went on clearance, I really wanted to like it but it just feels so wonky that I never got the hang of using it. I appreciate the usefulness of the touch pads but I'll never be able to use them like joysticks. Mine is sitting on my coffee table gathering dust :(
I'd give you $15 and pay for shipping too if you're in the US and the controller still works!
I've found it great for playing turn based style games on the TV to not have to use mouse+keyboard and would love to have a backup.
Haha sorry its kinda a hassle to bother shipping things to people since I work nights, or I would. I'm hardly ever awake before the UPS store closes
Wait what....that sounds like they patented the hall effect, which would be like patenting electromagnetic fields.
Wow, I gave my Steam controller away (paid something like $15 on sale) to someone I had a very, very bad falling out with. Unfortunate...
I really wanted to like the controller! Unfortunately I just can't look forward to most "handheld" releases that aren't Nintendo - my hands are extremely small (I've had ten year olds with bigger hands than me) and even the modern PS5 controller is really pushing my level of comfort. I realize it's because the western gaming market consists of bigger hands on average... but it would be nice to get something that fits.
I owned a Steam Controller, but eventually I gave it away. Unfortunately, the innovation that made it great for PC gaming -- the touchpads -- made it terrible for normal controller use, as the addition of those trackpads came at the expense of having a left d-pad and a right joystick.
If Valve could make a controller with touchpads without removing the joystick/d-pad, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Fortunately, they have -- it's the Steam Deck! Now Valve just needs to strip out the processing components and make it a bit more ergonomic.
Also, since people are looking for a replacement to the OG Steam Controller: when I researched this question a while back, the closest thing I could find to the Steam Controller (other than the Steam Deck) was the DarkWalker ShotPad. However, the controller is truly weird: it lacks symmetry, having more buttons on one side than the other; the button labels correspond to PC keys, not controller keys; and the behavior of the left and right triggers are swapped, with the Shotpad taking inspiration from the left-click of a mouse instead of the right-trigger of a controller. In short, like the Steam Controller, the ShotPad leans heavily into PC gaming at the expense on functioning like a regular controller.
I hope they can manage to have a d-pad in it this time.
I'm laughing at some of the hallucinations in the article's comments. Someone is calling SteamOS proprietary Valve lock-in while also praising Meta somehow, and seems to have missed the existence of the Index entirely?
It's a bit off-topic (feel free to label), but I realized the other day that there is a whole generation of people in tech who have grown up in the time that I have been an adult. For a lot of them, a lot of the terminology used isn't as obvious or straightforward. Sure, I also had to learn, but I grew up in a time when a lot of terminology was also still under heavy debate. For example, the term “open source” would often be used in news articles back then with a bit of context added.
I mention open source specifically as I have noticed on comment sections on tech news websites that there are a lot of people who have no clue about the specific of the terminology.
Of course, there are also plenty of dense idiots out there who shout before thinking. That part hasn't changed at all over the years :D