The long awaited Steam controller is designed to work with Valve's Steam OS, with the company unveiling a launch line-up of 14 Steam machines from various manufacturers at CES. The controller will be bundled with all of the new machines, though the brands will all have the option of designing their own controller as well.
Valve Steam controller: Size and build
The first thing we noticed about the light grey unit was how light it was - certainly lighter than the Xbox One and Sony PS4 controllers, although it does have a similar shape to the two next-gen controllers.
We were told that the final units will probably be very slightly heavier once the wireless unit is in place, plus the battery (the demo unit was charged via micro USB) but the build will still be relatively light and comfy to hold.
Valve Steam controller: Controls
There are a staggering 16 buttons in total - you'll find the usual A, B, X, Y lineup - though they're not together, as you'd expect. Instead, they're placed around four central buttons. These sit in place of the touchscreen that was originally announced.
You'll also get three pairs of triggers - one pair on the underside of the controller - plus two circular trackpads which are designed to produce the same movements as a PC mouse.
All of the controls can be configured to different functions depending on your preference. One thing's for sure - it's going to take a while to get used with so many buttons and triggers on board.
Valve Steam controller: Verdict
We can't help but think that the controller we saw will change considerably before the final product arrives, but it sat comfortably in the hand and was very light.
It'll certainly take some getting used to for PC gamers who are used to a keyboard and mouse, but we look forward to giving it a proper test when we can get our mitts on the finished article. Keep your eyes peeled for a full review.
Valve Steam controller release date: 2014
Valve Steam controller price: TBC
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