I was one of those people who snatched up a cheap one. It made me feel less guilty about not using it because, as a lot of people predicted, the lack of joysticks did indeed suck.
The premise was cool.
Playing a game where you need a dpad? Spend twenty minutes hacking up config files and the haptic pad of your choice acts and feels almost kinda sorta like a dpad!
Well okay, maybe not that cool.
I did the same with a steam link! Still don’t know what to use it for. My tv uses my deck and I got a cool, if not slightly chaotic, monitor setup that enables a janky ultra wide or a separate screen for socials while playing.
Ironburg Inventions is the IP holder for SCUF, a controller manufacturer. According to the plagiarism lawsuit against Valve, SCUF patented a controller with rear-facing side buttons in 2014. Then, the prototype for Valve’s Steam Controller was unveiled with the same rear-facing side buttons the following January, even though the company had warned Valve about the patent. The lawsuit alleged that Ironburg continued warning Valve about the patent and even wrote a letter detailing the infringement to the company - which Valve simply ignored.
Patents are so fucking stupid. This is the second most obvious one I know of (the first being random encounter via nintendo)
Huh, I knew that was the patent in question (though I thought it was Sony that held the patent), I just didn’t think the original Steam Controller had rear buttons.
They discontinued the original one years ago. And it’s pretty common for things to evolve and keep the same name. Especially now in the time of remakes and reboots.
Like, literally every new version of a product does this. The 2026 Honda Civic is a complete different car from the 2019 Honda Civic. Is it weird that it has the same name?
You could do it like a movie: I was a big fan of Steam Controller (2015) and saw it twice, but I’m not going to see Steam Controller (2026), at least not for a while.
Yes I think it’s weird, and I’m not aware of many industries that use the same system as many car manufacturers do.
For instance Peugeot change the number when they make a new model, so a Peugeot 205 (1997) was followed by the 206 (2006) then 207 (2011) and 208 (2026).
That’s the right way to do it.
With Honda civic bought in 2011 and Honda civic bought in 2015, you don’t know if they can use the same spare parts. Even when you know the exact time the car was bought, the model year may change at any time during the year.
So you need to have the exact model, as Honda Civic from 2015, doesn’t tell you for sure what spare part to get, if a new model came out that year.
The way the car industry does it is moronic, and should quite frankly be illegal. There should be easy model identification for when spare parts are needed.
They made a huge sale of Steam Link and Steam Controllers back in the day to sell out their stock. Got a bundle for like 35 euro. Both devices still rocking hard.
True. 😋
It may be obvious that I don’t use controllers, I use keyboard and mouse.
But the original controller was highly praised, so I was surprised to see they didn’t have it anymore, and I find it weird it’s not called Steam Controller II or something.
Did they discontinue the original Steam controller?
Weird to have 2 products with the same name, even if they are not sold at the same time?
They discontinued it many years ago after they were hit with a patent lawsuit and sold off their remaining stock for 5 € a piece.
I was one of those people who snatched up a cheap one. It made me feel less guilty about not using it because, as a lot of people predicted, the lack of joysticks did indeed suck.
I got one on ebay a couple of years ago. For me the missing d-pad is even shittier.
The premise was cool.
Playing a game where you need a dpad? Spend twenty minutes hacking up config files and the haptic pad of your choice acts and feels almost kinda sorta like a dpad!
Well okay, maybe not that cool.
It works fine, and didn’t take 20 minutes… It’s a basic part of the software. Still, if they can include one that’s a better option.
It doesn’t have a missing dpad, the whole point is the pads can be used for everything including sticks, buttons, dpads and more.
I did the same with a steam link! Still don’t know what to use it for. My tv uses my deck and I got a cool, if not slightly chaotic, monitor setup that enables a janky ultra wide or a separate screen for socials while playing.
The old one looked cooler IMO.
When was that? And why did I miss it? 🥲
Wasn’t the patent lawsuit over the Steam Deck? I thought the original controller was discontinued over lack of demand or something.
https://screenrant.com/valve-steam-controller-lawsuit-controversy-patent-ironburg-inventions/
Patents are so fucking stupid. This is the second most obvious one I know of (the first being random encounter via nintendo)
Wow I wasn’t aware of the history, patent law is nebulous bullshit.
Huh, I knew that was the patent in question (though I thought it was Sony that held the patent), I just didn’t think the original Steam Controller had rear buttons.
Yes they’re very nice.
Insane that “button” can be a patent
They discontinued the original one years ago. And it’s pretty common for things to evolve and keep the same name. Especially now in the time of remakes and reboots.
Can’t wait for Half Life (20XX)
The original steam controller was discontinued like 6 years ago.
Still it’s weird to make a new product with the exact same name.
Is it?
Like, literally every new version of a product does this. The 2026 Honda Civic is a complete different car from the 2019 Honda Civic. Is it weird that it has the same name?
At least there it’s pretty standard to include the model year, and if you really need to get into it, trim levels.
You’re welcome to call it the 2026 Steam Controller.
You could do it like a movie: I was a big fan of Steam Controller (2015) and saw it twice, but I’m not going to see Steam Controller (2026), at least not for a while.
Yes I think it’s weird, and I’m not aware of many industries that use the same system as many car manufacturers do.
For instance Peugeot change the number when they make a new model, so a Peugeot 205 (1997) was followed by the 206 (2006) then 207 (2011) and 208 (2026).
That’s the right way to do it.
With Honda civic bought in 2011 and Honda civic bought in 2015, you don’t know if they can use the same spare parts. Even when you know the exact time the car was bought, the model year may change at any time during the year.
So you need to have the exact model, as Honda Civic from 2015, doesn’t tell you for sure what spare part to get, if a new model came out that year.
The way the car industry does it is moronic, and should quite frankly be illegal. There should be easy model identification for when spare parts are needed.
Yes!
They made a huge sale of Steam Link and Steam Controllers back in the day to sell out their stock. Got a bundle for like 35 euro. Both devices still rocking hard.
Good catch. 😀👍
Had I seen them available at that price, I would definitely have bought a couple.
Well, if you can’t buy neither then there’s no problem. 🤣
True. 😋
It may be obvious that I don’t use controllers, I use keyboard and mouse.
But the original controller was highly praised, so I was surprised to see they didn’t have it anymore, and I find it weird it’s not called Steam Controller II or something.
Valve must be thinking that only a small fraction of their target audience is aware of the original.
They might be right, we’ll see.
Yeah shoulda called it the Game Reamer 9000
IDK if it’s some kind of joke, I had to look up what a reamer is.
But that’s actually a cool name.