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This blog post seems to confirm my suspected fears for this controller (mentioned briefly in the end of this HN reply): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=64

This blog post seems to confirm my suspected fears for this controller (mentioned briefly in the end of this HN reply): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6458430 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6458430 I knew Valve wouldn't produce something that was just garbage so I figured it probably worked reasonably well, but I also suspected at the end of the day it was a compromise solution that didn't really work as well as the existing one (though to be fair it is trying to solve two problems, the traditional console controller issue and the mouse/keyboard issue). I'm not convinced such a compromise needs to be made as wireless 360 controllers exist, and wireless mouse/keyboards exist (in many form factors). I'll still try the Steam controller myself (when/if it is available to demo without buying), they still have time to make it even better since it is now in alpha. But given his leadup about controls being very important to him matching my own game playing, I suspect when I have a SteamMachine I will be using the wireless 360 controller or a wireless mouse/keyboard on my coffee table (depending upon game being played) and not these compromise controllers.

phamilton 13y ago
My question is not so much "Is it an acceptable substitute for current controllers?" Rather, I'm curious about whether it enables developers to do things that traditional controllers cannot do. This review is really about backward compatibility. It seems to be backward compatible enough to be worth buying for a niche game that requires it since I can still use it for traditional games. That's what separates this from say, a guitarhero guitar. The backwards compatibility will make it more likely to succeed, while opening doors for innovation.
- Mikeb85 13y ago
  +1 There's so many possibilities for this controller. Between software 'buttons' on the touchpads, swipe gestures, the pointing ability, and also the touchscreen, alot of innovation in control schemes is possible.

phamilton 13y ago

My question is not so much "Is it an acceptable substitute for current controllers?" Rather, I'm curious about whether it enables developers to do things that traditional controllers cannot do. This review is really about backward compatibility. It seems to be backward compatible enough to be worth buying for a niche game that requires it since I can still use it for traditional games. That's what separates this from say, a guitarhero guitar. The backwards compatibility will make it more likely to succeed, while opening doors for innovation.

Mikeb85 13y ago
+1 There's so many possibilities for this controller. Between software 'buttons' on the touchpads, swipe gestures, the pointing ability, and also the touchscreen, alot of innovation in control schemes is possible.