So you took a chance on a new device and ordered yourself a Steam Controller.
Maybe you heard some of the praise regarding its revolutionary design or maybe you just
want to see if it is as bad as the press is making it out to be.
It finally arrives and you tear open the box.
Holding the Steam Controller in your hands you realize "uh, not much here feels familiar."
The traditional input methods are pushed out of the way, the triggers feel weird, and these
two flat pads can't possibly be better than joysticks.
A bit uneasy, you boot up Steam hoping to find some information about using this arcane
device and instead are met with obtuse option screens and practically nothing in the way
of a tutorial.
"This is quickly looking to be a wasted purchase," you think to yourself as you
feel the urge to grab your trusty Xbox controller or place your hands in those comfortable positions
caressing your keyboard and mouse.
This scenario isn't uncommon.
The Steam Controller is very much a new kind of controller that uses many different aspects
from the past in new ways or combinations.
For that reason alone it can be intimidating, but especially so given the sparse amount
of information out there that is aimed at novice users.
With that in mind, I will be going over some of the most basic aspects of using the Steam
Controller assuming the users knows absolutely nothing about the device.
The information will be broken up into two parts -- hardware and software -- and timestamps
have been provided in the description for those wanting advice on a specific topic.
Getting familiar with the hardware is the most important step for new users.
While most of this information might seem like common knowledge for those familiar with
gamepads it is still a fundamental foundation that is worth going over.
The most traditional aspects of the Steam Controller are the joystick, face buttons,
and auxiliary buttons -- Start, Select, and Home.
The joystick and face buttons are a bit smaller than other console gamepads but otherwise
these three areas all function identically to what many video game players are used to.
At the top we have the bumpers and the triggers.
While the bumpers act much like any other shoulder buttons the triggers are broken up
into two stages.
There is a physical and auditory click when the trigger is fully pressed -- this is the
full pull -- and all of the space between this and fully released is the soft pull.
These types of buttons are commonly referred to as a dual stage trigger.
On the back of the Steam Controller is where the grip buttons and battery compartment are
located.
These grips provide two additional buttons, one on either side.
When the back cover is popped off you can see how the grips actually work.
There are two plastic stands that sit right against the actual buttons.
The battery compartments can be found on either side of the controller and house one battery
each.
Going back to the front of the controller we find the most interesting aspect: the touchpads.
For those that have used laptop mousepads before, these work very similarly.
They can detect where your thumb is, how far it has moved, and also click in for a physical
button press.
Finally, on the inside is a gyrometer that detects the controller's orientation across
three axes.
The battery compartments are a bit unorthodox in their implementation but end up working
pretty well despite some shortcomings.
To insert a battery you simply angle one in -- positive side first -- and then slide the
negative side in.
You will know that the battery is secured when the release mechanism pops out: both
visually and with an auditory pop/snap/click type of sound.
As for releasing a battery, push the release mechanism up and that will push the negative
end of the battery out far enough for you to pull the rest out.
The only negative aspect to this is that the battery compartment is pretty snug and there
have been incidents of stuck batteries.
However, I will suggest the best battery choice to be Eneloops -- both for size and performance.
I've tried many batteries with the Steam Controller and I always end up using Eneloops.
They have a bit of a snug fit but still go in and come out with ease.
Even better is that you will get many days out of a single charge.
I haven't done any extensive testing but I only have to charge batteries once every
1-2 months with daily usage and I've used the Steam Controller for over a year.
A common complaint against the Steam Controller is that it is uncomfortable to hold and that
it causes soreness and fatigue.
There is definitely some truth to this, though it varies between users, as the device is
weighted and shaped differently to traditional controllers and works better with a different
type of grip than one that is commonly used.
I find that the best way to hold the controller is to cradle it in my palms and rest the trigger
lip on my middle fingers.
Due to the batteries sitting directly in the user's hand the controller practically balances
itself.
For this reason alone I highly recommend keeping batteries in the device, even if you are using
it wired.
The extra weight that is applied directly into your hands will keep the controller from
feeling top heavy and/or too light.
Just a note, none of this should be seen as the de facto way to hold the Steam Controller.
This is just what works best for me.
Alright, now that you have an understanding of everything that is happening hardware-wise,
let's take a look at the software.
The software component to the Steam Controller is extensive and there isn't any way to
include it all in this video so instead I will be touching on everything briefly and
will have future videos thoroughly covering specific aspects.
The very first interaction any new user will have with the Steam Controller is Lizard Mode.
This is the default configuration that is included in the controller firmware and is
activated whenever the Steam software is not running.
This config includes some basic mouse and keyboard functionality -- arrow keys, mouse
movement, mouse clicks, enter, escape, and tab -- and is designed to enable the user
to get Steam running without the need for a keyboard and mouse.
Unlike the rest of the software, there currently isn't any method to customize this config
as it is stored in the controller firmware.
Since this is the "Steam" Controller it shouldn't come as any surprise that the
Steam Software is required to get the most out of the controller.
The Steam Controller was originally intertwined with Big Picture Mode but as of June 2, 2017
it is fully configurable from the desktop interface.
While not a requirement, I suggest The first step to setting up the Steam Controller is
to register the device with Steam, which is accomplished in the Controller Settings menu.
This is found in Steam, Settings, Controller Tab for the desktop interface and is found
in the Settings area of Big Picture Mode.
Once inside of the Controller Settings, press "Add a Steam Controller," then hold the
'X' button as you power on the controller.
You might have to input a string of buttons as well but it's been so long since I registered
a controller that it might be different now.
With your device registered to your Steam Account you can customize its name, change
the power on and power off jingles, default vibration settings, and adjust the brightness
of the Steam Button icon.
Now that your Steam Controller is setup you can start playing games with it.
Well….kind of.
Each game still needs to be configured, though it is easier and quicker than it sounds.
The Steam Input Configurator is the next place we need to explore.
This is where controller configs are created on a per-game basis.
In the Desktop interface, the Configurator can be accessed via the Links menu or a game's
right click menu.
For Big Picture Mode it is found in a game's Manage Game menu.
If this option isn't present then make sure your controller is powered on as Steam hides
these options when controllers aren't present.
If a game has controller support already there is a good chance that it will be preconfigured
as an Xbox controller, just like here for Bioshock.
I won't be going into much detail -- that would make this video several hours long -- but
I will say that a lot of the basic stuff is self explanatory.
These buttons here are the back grips, this symbol is for configuring the gyrometer, and
this glyph is for clicking in the joystick or touchpad.
There are a few ways to help speed up the configuration process.
Pressing 'X' will bring up the configuration browser allowing us to find other configurations.
The first config you'll see is the one that the developer recommends for the game, that
is if they have recommended one.
This can range from a simple config that imitates an Xbox controller to something handcrafted,
designed solely for that one game.
Currently you're more likely to find the former but hopefully as the device becomes
more popular that will change.
Next, Valve has included some generic setups that work with many popular games.
These can be found in the Templates section.
To break this down a bit, there is one template for keyboard and mouse and four nearly identical
templates for gamepads.
The keyboard input places WASD, E, R, and other common buttons for action games across
the controller in a fashion that makes it feel like an Xbox controller (i.e. movement
on the joystick, aiming on the right pad, shooting and iron sights on the triggers,
etc).
The gamepad templates are all identical except for how they handle aiming on the right pad.
For simplicity sake, if aiming on one doesn't feel right then try one of the others and
see if you like it better.
The other two templates shown are custom templates that I have made, something that I will touch
on in another episode.
Finally, Community Configs is where you will go to find configs that other users have made
and uploaded to Valve's cloud server.
These can be sorted by either votes or playtime and are a great starting point for newcomers
since you can see how more experienced users manipulate the controller to better work for
them.
If you want to jump right in and make your own then it is as simple as selecting a button
on the controller and then telling it what you want to do.
You can select from keyboard, mouse, and Xinput (aka Xbox 360) commands.
There is a lot more depth to the configurator but this should be enough to get you started
with making a simple first config.
And that's it, now you can start playing.
Just remember that you will need to set a config for every game you want to play.
This could be as quick as picking the top community config or as lengthy as making your
own using every single tool that Valve offers.
Some users enjoy spending their first 30 minutes of a game perfecting the config while others
like the plug and play idea of using other's configs.
Each are valid ways to use the Steam Controller.
That isn't the end though.
There are three more configs that can be altered should you wish.
They are the Desktop, Big Picture, and Steam Chords configs.
These can be found in the Controller Tab of the desktop UI Settings window and the Base
Configurations menu item in the Big Picture Mode Settings.
The first two are self explanatory.
The Desktop config is the one used when in the Operating System environment and the Big
Picture config is the one used when inside of Big Picture Mode.
Steam Chords (soon to be renamed to Guide Chords) are a global config that are usable
whenever the Steam Button is held.
Stuff like "Hold Steam and press Right Trigger to take a screenshot" or "Hold Steam and
press X to go to next track in Spotify."
And if you are thinking that this is amazing and a super powerful tool then you would be
correct.
So that covers the basics of the Steam Controller.
Before I end this though, a couple of tips and tricks that will help the first few hours
go by a little smoother.
I explained how to make a config before actually loading the game but a config can be modifying
while in game as well.
The configuration menu can be accessed from within in a game simply by hitting the Steam
button and selecting Controller Configuration.
This will take you to the same screen as usual.
This only works for the Big Picture Mode Overlay however.
The desktop overlay lacks all of the controller configuration options.
To remedy this, Valve implemented an option to launch the Big Picture Mode Overlay from
the Desktop UI whenever the Steam Controller is present.
This option can be found in Steam's settings under the "In-Game" tab.
This will grant the desktop overlay when using keyboard and mouse and the Big Picture overlay
when using your Steam Controller.
And finally, just remember that the Steam Controller is a brand new device with it's
own strengths and quirks.
Most people will not pick it up immediately and begin playing with the same proficiency
as their preferred device -- whether that be the mouse and keyboard combination or a
traditional dual stick gamepad.
Not only are there several new motions for your thumbs and fingers to learn and commit
to muscle memory but the gryometer uses muscles that mostly likely have never been used for
gaming before.
So just think back to the first time you played with mouse look, a modern controller, or even
a niche peripheral like a Rock Band guitar and remember that it took perseverance and
practice to master that input device.
The Steam Controller is no different.
So just get the right expectations going in and you'll find yourself enjoying it much
more.
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