Steam Controller: watch it in action

Valve has released a new video which showcases its new touch-pad controller in action with a number of different games.

The Steam Controller is shown working on Portal 2, Civilization 5, Counter-Strike: GO, and Papers Please – a mouse-driven PC game.

The demo shows the dynamic possibilities of the controller, and how it can be adaptable for different genres and game types.

The controller is designed to work with nearly every single game on the Steam client. Valve says that its testing revealed that most games can be tricked into thinking they are played with a mouse and keyboard and that there is no performance loss moving from a keyboard and mouse to the Steam controller.

Altogether, the controller packs in a total of sixteen buttons placed symmetrically, including two buttons pressable by your fingers underneath the controller. The controller’s software will revert to a default setup to mimic most of the functions of a keyboard and mouse in-game and this is a customisable setting. The trackpads can even accommodate for players used to the mouse in their left or right hands, making the switch easier.

In addition, the controller is also easily “hackable”, according to Valve, being as easy to take apart as Nvidia’s Shield. The company believes that, through the beta testing (limited to the people who also get the Steam Machine prototype), there will be enough user interaction and feedback to help shape the controller for any gamer before the final design and specification is settled on – although, personally, I want one already.

Valve says that the controllers should be available at the same time as its Steam Machines (expected for a 2014 launch) and they will play nicely with Steam clients on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.