Steam is getting an official controller, but Valve isn’t making it

Nearly 5 years aft Valve discontinued its experimental Steam Controller, a caller officially licensed gamepad for Steam is connected the way. The caller controller is made by Hori, and it’s lone coming to Japan (at slightest for now).

Dubbed the Wireless Horipad for Steam, the PC-centric controller matches the Steam Deck’s paper buttons and has akin interaction sensors atop its sticks to activate gyro controls. It besides supports Bluetooth wireless and USB-C wired connections arsenic good arsenic a full clump of customized programmability utilizing Hori’s software. But portion it shares a batch with the Steam Deck, it’s not a Steam Controller 2 — it lacks rumble, a matching acceptable of 4 backmost buttons, and the handheld’s signature trackpads.

The caller controller is acceptable to motorboat successful Japan connected October 31st successful 4 colors (black, white, neon yellow, and violet), selling for 7,890 yen (about $50).

There’s nary connection yet if this caller Steam controller is coming to the US oregon elsewhere, but the Wireless Horipad bears a striking resemblance to the wired Horipad Pro that’s presently disposable for Xbox consoles. I tested the Horipad Pro for our Xbox controller buying guide and recovered it to beryllium serviceable with good ergonomics and a large D-pad — though it was somewhat outclassed by different options that tally cheaper.

However, the Wireless Horipad seems to person a full batch much going on. For starters, it’s really wireless, albeit constricted to Bluetooth, which is usually little reliable than a USB wireless dongle. The Steam mentation besides has 4 programmable buttons, although, dissimilar the Steam Deck, determination are lone 2 connected the rear — the different 2 are connected the beforehand straight beneath the D-pad and connected the close thumbstick.

While it seems agelong overdue for Valve to erstwhile again person a branded go-to gamepad for Steam and docked Steam Deck use, we’ll person to hold to spot if oregon erstwhile it becomes much wide available. Hori’s determination to commencement income successful its location state makes sense, but it whitethorn besides talk to the emergence of PC gaming successful Japan, with handhelds being specified a fashionable prime determination that Valve spun up a concern with an wholly antithetic institution for Steam Deck distribution (including in-store availability).

In general, gamepad usage successful Steam is connected the emergence — arsenic Valve’s just-released statistics show. Those numbers besides travel with a summary of new controller optimizations Valve has precocious implemented successful Steam. Perhaps this is mounting the array for a wide swath of licensed Steam controllers from a assortment of manufacturers similar we spot connected Xbox consoles — with much wireless options, I hope. One happening I cognize is I’m present dying to effort this Wireless Horipad.