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[riko]

$99 seems fair given the feature set and how well it'll work with SteamInput out of the box. Touch sensitive TMR sticks and the touchpads? sign me the fuck up.

I hope when the SteamMachine comes out you can order it w/o the controller because I'll surely already have them...

 

[Gambit2483]

no, this is a insane price for a controller

for everything the deck offers $99 is a way fair price.

Except with the Joy-cons you are getting

- 2 Functional controllers (for many multiplayer game)
- IR sensors/Mouse controls in both controllers
- HD Rumble
- Gyro/motion sensing in both controllers

Even if it's slightly overpriced the functionality and tech at least covers the majority of its costs. Hardly "insane" as you put it.

 

[Shogmaster]

$99 for the features are perfectly reasonable.

BUT

I think this indicates to me a minimum $999 base Steam Machine if the usual 10:1~ish console to controller price ratio applies.

Actually, the ratio is more like 8:1 With packed in controller going by past consoles, and Im betting SM does not pack in the controller...

$1200 2TB Steam Machine?!?

 

[LyricalShrike]

What type of sticks does it have?
Edit: TMR. Nice, then yeah it might be worth that.

Sticks being expensive is a lame marketing gimmick. TMR/hall replacement sticks are $3 - $5 each for retail buyers which would likely make them around $1-$1.5 at wholesale for a console manufacturer. The cost of regular sticks at scale is around $0.50 to $0.75. The market should have pushed back harder against drift since we had hall effect sticks in the Dreamcast 25 years ago.

 

[Aenima]

Lol, no thanks. I'll keep using my 70$ Dualsense, that you can buy for 50-60 during promos, that outside the 4 backbuttons is more feauture complete.
Right now thers games on Steam, like Kingdom Come 2, making use of adaptive triggers that the Steam Controller dosent even have. While its a gimmik, when well implemented it ads up to the game imersion. KD2 has a great implementation for the smithing gameplay.

 

[Mr Moose]

Sticks being expensive is a lame marketing gimmick. TMR/hall replacement sticks are $3 - $5 each for retail buyers which would likely make them around $1-$1.5 at wholesale for a console manufacturer. The cost of regular sticks at scale is around $0.50 to $0.75. The market should have pushed back harder against drift since we had hall effect sticks in the Dreamcast 25 years ago.

Yeah, but people are comparing it to the DualSense. That shit is like £60+ (I got a TMR replacement thing for like £80 or something so I don't have to worry anymore). Having 3 DualSense controllers that drifted I would rather pay £89 once than £60 multiple times.

I have two 8BitDo controllers for PC (one HE and the other TMR), no track pad but yeah. I don't know if I would get this controller but it seems OK for the price.

 

[LyricalShrike]

Yeah, but people are comparing it to the DualSense. That shit is like £60+ (I got a TMR replacement thing for like £80 or something so I don't have to worry anymore). Having 3 DualSense controllers that drifted I would rather pay £89 once than £60 multiple times.

I have two 8BitDo controllers for PC (one HE and the other TMR), no track pad but yeah. I don't know if I would get this controller but it seems OK for the price.

Your experience is why companies overcharge. They know they are losing a customer who would buy a faulty product three times rather than repair it once for $10. Nintendo fans are the wildest since the switch controllers require nothing beyond a screwdriver for repairs. I've made bank reviving "broken' joycons with a $0.5 ribbon cable or $1 drop in joystick.

 

[hinch7]

A bit expensive but day one. The functionality of the Steam Deck controller is pretty much endgame for me and this looks to be the extension of that.

 

[bitbydeath]

I see they're going for that Fisher Price vibe.

 

[Iced Arcade]

while worth it to some, it's overpriced for a lot for what it is for the mainstream. but I think valve knows that and is ok with it.

 

[PixelatedBeast]

The one I bought 2 years ago to replace the one that came with my launch PS5 and developed stick drift is also now stick drifting bad.

At least Nintendo will replace my joycons free if they drift with basically no questions asked even after the warranty is up, but Sony and Microsoft don't give a fuck. They're knowingly and willingly using old, outdated, and flawed technology and refuse to take responsibility when it stops working. It's ridiculous.

This is revisionist history. Nintendo was the only company that refused to repair your controller even if it was under warranty, which is why they faced a class action lawsuit and Sony and Microsoft didnt. Thats why they are forced to do it for free. Their controllers get stick drift more often due to smaller components which are more fragile.

 

[Topher]

while worth it to some, it's overpriced for a lot for what it is for the mainstream. but I think valve knows that and is ok with it.

Catering to the HTPC market I think

 

[RavageX]

Nah. I get my controllers on sale for one thing. Two, it's an ugly thing.

 

[Dr Bass]

Price is totally fine.

 

[amigastar]

Price is totally fine.

Yeah, it costs a little bit more but on the other hand they didn't have to strip it down on quality or features.

 

[uncreativename]

The features are nice, and all controllers are expensive these days unfortunately, but that thing looks huge and awkward. I'll wait to hear people's impressions.

The more I think about it, though, the more I want to look into buying some sort of third party controller that's wired only, no battery. I never understood the point of wireless controllers anyway, except as a great way to make customers have to buy a new one sooner.

 

[Killer8]

Okay so after a little digging I finally found this link from IGN which is like a guide to the GameCube launch in the US.

GameCube Launch: Ready Your Budget - IGN

You never thought you'd see the day, but Nintendo's next-generation console is finally a reality. The GameCube will enjoy a September 14 launch in Japan and a November 5 one in the US, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Below we've compiled a list of the games that are absolutely...

www.ign.com

Also found this which is from a Nintendo Power I guess



Another IGN article for the PlayStation 2 stating the same $35 MSRP for DualShock 2

E3 2000: PS2 US Launch Details Revealed - IGN

At its pre-E3 press conference in Los Angeles, Sony Computer Entertainment today announced the exact pricing and release details for PlayStation 2 -- including hard drive and new peripheral information for the North American market.

www.ign.com

Did you also know that 100 years ago a $1 would be worth $18.45 today?

 

[Ovek]

 

[Lionel Richie]

I absolutely love the design and will probably pick one up. 3.6 Roentgen price, not great, but not bad.

 

[hinch7]

I see they're going for that Fisher Price vibe.

Function > form. You can say that to any controller not using TMR or hall effect in 2026. Just throwaway toys and planned obsolescence at this point for not including those.

while worth it to some, it's overpriced for a lot for what it is for the mainstream. but I think valve knows that and is ok with it.

Its a premium controller with the latest tech and supported by Valve. $100 isn't bad for a western and branded controller with these specs.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

It looks like a block with tacked on touchpads and grips.

This thing better be loaded with tech for that price, i.e. haptics, gyro, hall effect sticks...the works

It has TMR. Day fucking 1. I want test it out so bad. Another controller with TMR sticks doesn't hurt, either.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

TMR sticks?

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Did you also know that 100 years ago a $1 would be worth $18.45 today?

And even that is using their phony inflations statistics to distort the real devaluation of currency. In reality we had a precious metal standard at that time and the truth is much worse.

If you had available to you a "Peace" dollar which was in wide circulation and use at that time, it would consist of .77 troy ounces which would equate to about 60 US dollars today in purchasing power for the metal value. Even if you had paper dollars, they were likely silver certificates and were redeemable for silver on demand so whether you had paper or coinage, silver was backing and maintaining the strength of your purchasing power.

Spoiler: real money

/derail

 

[Holammer]

Just hit me there's a lot of Half-Life 3 rumors going around. What if HL3 is a showcase title for the Steam Controller's features.
Haptics, gyro, grip sense, capacitive thumbsticks.

 

[nemiroff]

 

[Buggy Loop]

Just hit me there's a lot of Half-Life 3 rumors going around. What if HL3 is a showcase title for the Steam Controller's features.
Haptics, gyro, grip sense, capacitive thumbsticks.

It has thumbstick/trackpad/buttons capacitive sensors too

From Valve's patent

one or more physical biofeedback sensors, in operation, the at least one processor: provides game play to a video game player via a user interface that provides functionality for a video game, the game play comprising a plurality of individual components; receives, from the one or more physical biofeedback sensors, biofeedback measures for the video game player while the video game player is playing the video game; processes the biofeedback measures to determine responses of the video game player to the plurality of individual components during the game play of the video game; and modifies or augments the game play of the video game based at least in part on the determined responses of the video game player.

Now a ton of stuffs have been datamined from HL:X

• Mood Systems: Non-player characters (NPCs) will likely have a mood system that influences their facial expressions, gestures, and movement. For example, sad characters might walk with their heads low, or injured characters may struggle to walk.
• Advanced AI and Procedural Animation: The game is reported to use advanced AI that allows NPCs to react more realistically to the player's actions, with procedural animations enhancing the realism of character interactions and speech.
• Adaptive Difficulty and Enemy Tactics: Beyond character emotion, the game's AI is rumored to adapt to the player's gameplay style in real-time. If a player repeatedly uses a specific strategy, enemies may learn to counter it, creating a unique experience for every playthrough.
• Physically Based Reactions: There are indications of extensive use of systems that result in detailed, physics-based reactions to damage, such as enemies stumbling realistically when shot in the legs.

HL3 is rumoured to have procedural open world design, what if the game changes as you go depending on how you react to it? Maybe you're in panic, your character is low on ammo and low on health, what if the game throws you a bone like a crate around the corner to have some relief / dopamine hit? What if the game balances this fine line of being difficult but still rewarding? Or if it sees you are enjoying the difficulty, it starves the map of help more than usual?

Though I don't know how that would play out with mouse and keyboard, I guess there would be a default "no sensor" mode, controller would be level 1, and VR Frame would be level 2.

 

[LordCBH]

This is revisionist history. Nintendo was the only company that refused to repair your controller even if it was under warranty, which is why they faced a class action lawsuit and Sony and Microsoft didnt. Thats why they are forced to do it for free. Their controllers get stick drift more often due to smaller components which are more fragile.

The point is they do it free now while the others just tell you to fuck off.

 

[MrCunningham]

Remember when controllers were like $20

Even though I thumbed up your post, I will say that there still are $20+ dollar game pads out there... These are Canadian prices. There are some passable game pads by 8bitdo and gamesir.. official Dual Sense, the current Xbox controller, and the Switch II Pro Controller cost anywhere between $85-$110 CND. Or closer to $65 - $90 USD. But then again the Steam Controller is US price. So I expect it to be more like $129.99CND.

 

[Avid Reading Horse]

Just hit me there's a lot of Half-Life 3 rumors going around. What if HL3 is a showcase title for the Steam Controller's features.
Haptics, gyro, grip sense, capacitive thumbsticks.

Well, Gaben isn't completely retarded, ergo he won't make a Half-Life 3 designed around a fucking gamepad

 

[GloveSlap]

It's a decent price and i will probably get it. I'm curious how good the right touch pad is for aiming in shooters. Anyone ever use the old one?

 

[dolabla]

Even though I thumbed up your post, I will say that there still are $20+ dollar game pads out there... These are Canadian prices. There are some passable game pads by 8bitdo and gamesir.. official Dual Sense, the current Xbox controller, and the Switch II Pro Controller cost anywhere between $85-$110 CND. Or closer to $65 - $90 USD. But then again the Steam Controller is US price. So I expect it to be more like $129.99CND.

I'm currently using that Logitech F310 wired controller on my Windows 98 gaming rig, lol. Works great. Crazy they still sell it after all these years. And you can use old Logitech software to map keyboard controls to the controller on Windows 98.

 

[RafterXL]

I see they're going for that Fisher Price vibe.

Well, the original Steam controller felt like a cheap piece of plastic junk, and people rave about it, so who knows if this one is actually good or will be more of the same. This one still looks terrible, but maybe the build is better.

 

[Hudo]

$99 = $33 * 3.

Half Life 3 confirmed.

 

[IAmRei]

ps5 controller here is almost $100, if steam are $99, could be $120 - $130, and it's bulky, can be used to throw at someone and resulting Critical Damage to anyone got hit by

 

[bitbydeath]

Function > form. You can say that to any controller not using TMR or hall effect in 2026. Just throwaway toys and planned obsolescence at this point for not including those.

 

[ahtlas7]

If it has good word-of-mouth this will be a holiday sale price gift idea.

 

[ahtlas7]

$99 = $33 * 3.

Half Life 3 confirmed.

Releasing 3033. Long development cycle.

 

[Iced Arcade]

Its a premium controller with the latest tech and supported by Valve. $100 isn't bad for a western and branded controller with these specs.

Read fully before replying. I said while worth it for some (premium) it won't be for the mainstream (casual gamers). There was no knock on the device.

 

[Hudo]

Fuck it. I'm buying this shit, provided they are actually releasing it at some point. Hopefully the D-Pad isn't crap.

 

[Seomel]

I think trackpads are really underrated and also people who dont have steam deck wouldnt get it. With steam inputs customization, trackpads give extra hundreds of options for shortcuts, menus, settings navigation, quick selects etc with per game profiles. Or just allows jou to have extra smooth mouse control for rts games etc

 

[Thebonehead]

What a scam!

I must order one

 

[Luipadre]

Looks like the embargo is today with may 4th release

 

[keefged4]

Yeah day 1. I think it's a reasonable price for what you are getting tbh.

 

[TrebleShot]

Looks like the embargo is today with may 4th release

Fuck Yes
Looks Awesome

 

[KungFucius]

I have a controller buying problem. Either this thing will fix that, or I'll be out 100 bucks and have another one.

I am kind of hoping 8bitdo copies this thing if the pads and gyro really add anything. I like them, but they need to put out a multi-controller compatible dongle.

I mean at bare minimum there's a correlation in that the controller is included with the Steam Machine and the higher the price of the controller the higher the price of the Steam Machine.

Also, I think it's reasonable that he is assuming that since Valve isn't trying to price the controller low that they won't with the Steam Machine either (though I think this has been a given for awhile now).

That's not how these things work. Pricing the controllers high is a way to subsidize the price of the machine. Look at what Nintendo did when the tariffs were announced. It also is a way to show value. They can bundle the controller and sell it for 75 more than one without the controller and pull better margins than the unit without the controller.

 

[KungFucius]

Fuck Yes
Looks Awesome

Fuck, now I want one.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

99 of them

 

[rm082e]

Looks like the embargo is today with may 4th release

Nice. I'm setting an outlook reminder to check the site that afternoon.

 

[rebellio]

guys you should wait 1 month reviews,save your bucks

 

[sigrad]

Looks like a big piece of shit