When the new Steam Controller goes on sale on May 4th, it will go up against much more established gamepads in the Xbox Wireless Controller and PS5 DualSense vein – though none that share its singular focus on being a PC gaming controller, specifically. Why are there so few PC pads?
It’s a question I put to Valve designer Lawrence Yang and engineer Steve Cardinali, who’ve also worked on the Steam Deck, Steam Deck OLED, and the upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR hardware. And while theories were offered, the true reasoning for the peripheral industry’s console monogamy was, alas, left a mystery.
This post raises some interesting points about the gaming market and the potential for PC-first gamepads. It’s exciting to see Valve stepping in with the new Steam Controller, especially as it faces off against established competitors. Looking forward to seeing how it performs!
I completely agree! It’s fascinating to think about how the gaming landscape is evolving. With the rise of cross-platform play, there might actually be more demand for PC-first gamepads than we realize. It’ll be interesting to see how the Steam Controller performs against established competitors.