But back to my assertion at the top. It made SC gamers literally unfairly better. Gryo aiming, effectively programmable macros, mode shifts, radial wheels, action layers, targeted mouse clicks, button toggles, sliders, regions, I can’t even remember it all from back before it got heavily neutered. It got out of control to the point where you could bypass “cheating” standards and macros in big online games, etc. You could simulate inputs.

I don’t remember SC being singled out for that. Steam Input actually started providing third party support fast introducing it for the Sony DS4 in 2016 with all the same configurations possible, and expanding support to other controllers over the years. Now it supports 8bitdo too letting the extra buttons have unique keys mapped to it and supporting analog triggers with gyro, which until then Sony was one of the few non-discontinued controllers to have that support in Steam Input. https://www.pcgamer.com/steams-dualshock-4-support-is-now-in-beta/ Don’t remember this period of the Steam Controller being a " deadly-unfair device for competitive gaming", since if it was it would have been more popular and caught on like Cronus and Xim as opposed to from its release to discontinuation being a niche device among enthusiasts while many complained because they expected it to be like a regular dual joystick controller. This thread itself and others on other sites seems to support that with people saying they tried it and didn’t care for it, don’t get the touchpads, and some not even knowing of gyro. I even had a conversation in this thread with someone who believes people who say the Steam Controller must be good are being contrarian, since they can’t imagine how people could possibly consider it good over regular controllers.

What I remember is that aim assist got cranked up over the years to the point some mouse users started dropping it for gamepad, which led to complaints about rollers growing. And then more complaints happened about rollers as regular controller users in games like Apex used Steam Input to set up movement exploits in Apex through macros and moving while going through their inventory like mouse and keyboard users. Then rewasd with it offering recoil script. And that took a while to happen with Apex releasing in 2019, which by then SC was discontinued the same year. Rewasd was especially notorious because of not only the recoil script, but being able to map controller inputs to keyboard and mouse for people wanting to XIM on PC.

It failed because it offered too much customization. Really.

I also disagree on that too much customization was why it failed. Steam Deck has the same “too much customization.” Difference is it has dual joysticks. Many people who picked up a Steam Controller just approached it like a dual joystick controller so were disappointed, and they didn’t want a controller that needed setup. I’ve been using Steam Input many years and aside from UI changes people disagreed with, Steam Input has become much more advanced and feature rich as opposed to “neutered” as you say. Introduction of things like chords, being able to set up multiple gyro activator inputs, touchpad gestures like in Sony first party games, and mouse delta to name a few over the years.

I was happy with the Steam Controller because I didn’t pick one up expecting it to offer an experience like my Xbox controller I was using on the PC at the time. I got one because I wanted the touchpad functions the Xbox didn’t have and picked it up intending to map mouse to gyro and the touchpad. But, most people don’t want that. They want a pick up and play controller, no setup, and just be like the dual joystick controllers they used and they didn’t need Valve for a dual joystick controller either with xbox offering plug and play support with no setup with no need for Steam. And if they wanted accuracy they’d just pick up a mouse.

Even gyro is niche among all controllers, which speaks to how much people just want a Xbox experience of plugging in a controller, getting controller icons, and just playing and don’t care for aiming without aim assist. They don’t want to set up anything, and that is what having dual joysticks lets people do.

I like touchpads because I like being able to turn the camera as fast as I can swipe like a mouse while retaining X and Y axis control unlike stuff like the flick stick approach. And I like that I can also click up, down, left, right, center and also hold the left grip to set up chords for an additional 5 inputs for a total of 10 I can quickly change to without having to reach down to the facebuttons.

And that’s where the Deck fell short for me because I didn’t find it good for that type of functionality I want to use the trackpads for compared to users who primarily use the sticks.

I’m a controller player so it might be why I warmed up to it when it first came out, since I went from using Xbox controller on the PC to being blown away by touchpads moving as fast as a mouse without joystick speed limitation while being able to aim precisely with gyro without having to use aim assist.

So maybe an outlier as a PC gamer who preferred gamepads to mouse and keyboard, but wanted to find an improved method of using controller without reliance on aim assist.

One tip that could make twin stick experience better on the touchpads is to bring down the range where the joystick does max output. That makes it much more responsive over default where twin joysticks do not need small granular movement. Ramblecan has video covering it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXC2f_dD0g0

I’ve picked up spares over the years on ebay. Used the key words “steam controller 1001” and sorted by price low to high. Once I’ve picked up have been in good condition, since most people just used them once and put them away.

Sad thing is for me I don’t find the touchpads on the Deck useful, since unlike most users of the Deck I want to use them for movement and camera and quick input switching. And I haven’t found the Deck touchpads good for primary use in place of joysticks, so I end up ignoring the touchpads on the Deck for the joysticks despite using my Steam Controller for most games on the desktop.

between the buttons being too small and clustered together

For my configs I set up a dpad modeshift with an inverted outer ring on the right touchpad so that clicking up, down, left, right, center is different inputs. So I use that over using the facebuttons and gives me the added benefit of not losing camera or gyro control, since I use the touch activated gyro.

Comes in nice for swapping between weapons in Doom Eternal to bypass reloading without reliance on the weapon wheel, and other games like The Finals for gadget swapping without losing camera or movement control.

I love the left trackpad. I love it for movement, since I like setting stuff like dash, crouch, slide to it on a click which doesn’t feel good doing the same with a joystick click. And I like setting a sprint activator on the very edge which is easier to avoid not accidentally triggering, because of the trackpad size.

I’m actually opposite where I wish the left joystick on the Steam Controller was a dpad.

I put some generic switch/ps4/xbox joystick covers on my Steam Controller joystick long ago so I’m still using the one I picked up back like half a decade ago. I put joystick cap covers on all my joystick from my Sony to Xbox to Deck joysticks.

Same for touchpads on my Steam Deck and Steam Controller, since use can make the surface start getting shiny. So joystick cover might be worth doing to protect the physical joystick top.

Joystick can be popped out and replaced with the 8bitdo joystick replacement.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/353370/discussions/0/601909079151044660/#c601909079151050603

https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-to-pay-dollar4-million-in-steam-controller-patent-infringement-case/

It could but I prefer it over joystick because large touchpad makes it so its easier to not accidentally activate sprint on the outer edge.

But, the biggest part is being able to use the touchpad clicks for added move sets like dash, slide, crouch. Which lot of people wouldn’t even enjoy doing with joystick click.

I personally love the left touchpad for movement. When the game lets you set a sprint hold over a sprint toggle I love to set an outer ring bind for it at the edge to go in and other of sprint without clicking. And I like setting up stuff like dash, crouch, slide on a touchpad click. Frees up buttons for me to be able to bind other stuff to.

It didn’t fail because of a lack of a dpad but because of lack of two joysticks, but I’m glad the controller exists because I came to absolutely love the dual touchpads. And I wouldn’t trade the left touchpad a dpad, since I like using it for movement.

I wouldn’t trade the right touchpad for a joystick either, since I like using it to do quick 180s, quick swap between 5-10 inputs to bypass reloading in games like Doom Eternal by setting a dpad modeshift on a click, and touch activate gyro all on one touchpad.

Will probably be the last controller of its kind but I’m glad at least one did get made, since otherwise I’d still just be using a xbox or playstation controller like I did before getting Steam Controller.

It’s absolutely fantastic for FPS. I use it for games like Doom Eternal and The Finals.

Unfortunately for steam controller users the touchpads were an downgrade in size, shape, and location for those who liked using them as their main inputs. So even people like me who use dual touchpads on the Steam Controller opted for joysticks on the Deck, since they weren’t satisfied with the touchpad experience.

Which was unfortunate, since there’s lot of options for dual joystick controllers but I’m still searching for a Steam Controller upgrade.

If the Steam Controller was designed the way lot of people wanted it than it wouldn’t have been a Steam Controller and just another Xbox or Playstation controller and added nothing new. Would have been more successful but in the end another generic twin joystick controller. So even if it didn’t succeed it brought new things to the table like touch activated gyro and touch pads that could be considered for other controllers in the future.

I got the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless controller with the latest firmware update, and can confirm dinput mode lets me map the back buttons and extra bumpers to different inputs through Steam Input. Analog triggers and gyro work too.

Probably have to use Windows to update it. Once the proper firmware is applied then going into dinput mode on the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless controller allowed me to map the back buttons and extra bumper buttons through Steam Input. Was also able to set up gyro too.