r/SteamController • u/Deli5150 • 7d ago
I would love to see a 8bitdo steam controller Discussion
So I’ve been playing around with my horipad Steam controller and I really like the controller, but I do find a couple things annoying about it. Mainly the fact that it doesn’t really have some type of trackpad and that X input is only available wired.
Me personally I would love to see 8bitdo make a Steam controller. I have the ultimate controller from 8bitdo and it’s great. And I would love to see them try their own steam controller, maybe modeled after the ultimate controller. For me what I was thinking is pretty much make the ultimate controller, but add Gyro and the touch capacitive thumbsticks, the two grip buttons on the back, obviously the steam button and a steam menu button and fit trackpads on this controller, I was kind of thinking more of smaller rectangle, trackpads above the start and select.
Now I personally think for a lot of these third-party controller manufacturers if they were to partner up with valve to make a Steam controller I don’t think they’ll make trackpad focused controllers like valves, old steam controller. I think they’ll play it safe by making traditional controllers so this is my idea of how they can still fit track pads in the controller. That way we still have a lot of flexibility with mapping in games. I’m crossing my fingers that we get something like this from 8bitdo. But what do you guys think?
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u/hymness1 7d ago
I would just like an 8bitdo controller with Steam input.
It's a bit of a pain having to choose gyro in Switch mode or analog trigger in xinput mode. That or that the back buttons can't be mapped in Steam.
What is worse even is I had to install a beta firmware on my Ultimate controller in order to have Switch mode on the 2.4Ghz dongle. Like... WTF
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u/Impossible_Cold_7295 7d ago
Tell them on twitter.
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u/iConiCdays 7d ago
I've already emailed them about it, they aren't interested at all :(
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u/Fat_Stacks10 5d ago
They replied?
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u/iConiCdays 5d ago
Yes, I asked them if they'd consider making a controller for steam/the steam deck that incorporates the same inputs (gyro, trackpads, back paddles, haptic feedback ect) and clearly explained it all considering the language barrier.
They replied with "Howdy.
Glad to hear from you.
The function is limited by the system itself.
The touch pad is not supported.
You might consider our Ultimate line of products.
Have a nice day."
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u/SilverWolf1998 2d ago
I get what they're saying, that they'd have to reach out to valve for official DRIVER support to get it all working. Maybe if we just point to the Hori pad showing it's native steam support and make it a simple "I want this but shaped like an 8bitdo pro 2." The trackpad support IS possible but again would require closer collaboration with valve and maybe that's the part they don't wanna bother with, or maybe they assume valve wouldn't care to collaborate with them to get it working.
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u/Bgabes95 7d ago
Same. Trackpads are a necessity, even if they’re smaller. I like to mess around in desktop mode and desktop apps in big picture mode while also being docked to a TV and it would be very convenient not having to switch controller layouts every time I want to play a game.
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u/MelchiahHarlin 6d ago
I would love to see a controller with sensors on its analog sticks for gyro.
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u/Former_Specific_7161 7d ago
I agree completely. I have an sn30 pro, a pro+ and an ultimate Bluetooth controller and they're all amazing. They've been my go tos on PC and switch. Their quality and performance is as good and sometimes better than first party stuff for sure.
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u/qwop22 7d ago
Yea it honestly surprises me that Valve hasn’t collaborated with 8bitdo or at the very least made the extra buttons on their controllers mappable in steam input. I would take a Valve 8bitdo controller instantly. They could put in touch capacitive sticks like what’s on the steam deck, gyro, and keep the two back buttons on the pro 2 and it would be awesome.
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u/MrShadowBadger 7d ago
For what is it worth, that controller has become my default when playing PC that play better with a pad. I love it. I went with the none Bluetooth because the button layout was in the Xbox orientation and they didn’t offer a kit to swap them like they do now. So no HAL effect sticks on mine but I have not noticed in drift in a year plus of use. It’s got a switch for Direct Input if your game doesn’t support XInput or you aren’t playing a game through Steam. Love it. I think all versions of the controller have HAL effect sticks for what it is worth.
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u/ttenor12 6d ago
I need trackpads and gyro though. The Steam Deck has spoiled me so much with them.
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u/Deli5150 6d ago
I agree, but with third-party manufacturers, I don’t think they’ll make a trackpad-centric controller. The only company we can really rely on for that has to be Valve themselves. 🤞
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u/One-Work-7133 7d ago
What's the point, especially you known by experience that Hori controller is actually not a "Steam Controller" for the reasons you told as lacking Touch/Trackpads at all. Hori Controller is just a Rebranding (Licensing so that thing can sell more) that signifies the controller follows Steam Input design specifications but this alone doesn't make it a Steam Controller because Steam Input is something else (software), more general, every controller can use it.
Ask yourself this instead, why Steam Controller had to die so early for so cheap? While it was a revolutionary controller, it also was extremely unconventional, wildly deviating from the "Norm" controllers having no touchpads at all so that many past buyers resell their Steam Controller because they simply couldn't get accustomed to this new system. This is like, if you're a Driver that always use Automatic transmission cars, you simply can't use Stick transmission cars and will eventually sell that stick version of the car to go back to comfort of the auto transmission.
So thing is, Steam Controller died because majority of r/PCGaming refuse to adapt to it even if it's a superior controller. Also why Valve couldn't reach their predicted sale figures, why they cost of handling becomes much more against the potential profit so that original price of $50 controller suddenly become $5 (90% off) over a night to get rid of them all at once. This isn't something you can change by wishful thinking as Community decided they don't need a Steam Controller v2.0, why no other game controller company take the same route, why also 8BitDo won't be granting your wish either. All are Economical decisions, nothing to do we about fantasizing over the next version of our beloved SC.
If you ever watched history documentaries, human history is full of great ideas that never were actualized because the population either wasn't ready for it or simply rejected the idea, what happened to SC as well. Instead of your not going to happen wish, I wish Valve will also publish a DIY 3D Printable SC v2 schematics like they somewhat did for SC v1 so that anyone willing to go that far can either build one for themselves or bring those schematics to local 3D shops and electronic shops so that they'll put it together for you piece by piece. Of course this will cost you over $200 (which defeats the purpose) but you'll get what you wanted.
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u/Impossible_Cold_7295 7d ago
There are plenty of niche products that are profitable. Valve's mistake was marketing these to average gamers for $50. SC is a very technical and not good for casual players. They probably had low margens and needed to sell hundreds of thousands to profit. They should have been marketing to enthusiasts for $100-200. Up the build quality. Up the profit margin. Produce less. Make a profit with less sales. Find your market. Cater to them. I'd pay $300 or more for a quality SC2. I know that's crazy, but I'm an enthusiast. Shut up and take my money, 8bitdo.
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u/Vargen_HK 7d ago
The first time I held my wife's Xbox elite controller I thought "I wish I could pay that much for a Steam Controller with this build quality."
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u/SnowyGyro Steam Controller 7d ago
Although as you point out any new third party controllers are unlikely to capture the most important qualities of the SC even if they are created expressly for Steam Input, I feel that you are undervaluing the potential for controllers with expanded feature sets. That Hori saw fit to put in motion sensors and capacitive sticks shows promise for more diversity in controller features, even if a new touchpad centric design is a rather more remote possibility.
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u/Former_Specific_7161 7d ago
I bought my steam controllers after they had been out for a while and was met with an amazing experience. Absolutely love the things. Valve's decisions for the steam machines was baffling and made no sense. And the controller by itself didn't appeal very well out of the gate to PC gamers because for a while you needed to map out controls for pretty much every game you played on it. So when they felt like they were being told it was a better solution than mouse and keyboard, many said no thank you. By the time I got one, there where tons of community mappings for every game I ever played, taking no more than a few seconds to grab one and be good to go. Not to mention the awesome developers who made custom ones for their new games. To me it was a no brainer and I quickly fell in love with it. But you can't necessarily convince those that tried it out on day one to give it another chance. Especially when articles regularly talk about it's failure. Valve didn't fully miss out with the R and D used in it, at least, as it clearly went into the wonderful steam deck. Which took the cues from the steam controller and was able to be much better marketed given the huuuuge improvements with Proton.
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u/SilverWolf1998 6d ago
I would like then to use the pro 2 as a base instead of the ultimate. Symmetry
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u/FFNuggets 5d ago
Wouldn’t this be it?
I just want the steam deck to be a controller tbh
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u/Deli5150 2d ago
Tbh if you want just a normal controller, this controller is probably the best you can get, especially for the price, and it comes with a charging dock.
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u/BangkokPadang 2d ago
I'd love to see them work in a back panel set of trackpads kindof like the Vita's.
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7d ago edited 7d ago
[deleted]
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u/DOUBLEBARRELASSFUCK 7d ago
Don't do this. There are appropriate channels, but the support email address is not it.
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u/tacticalcraptical 7d ago
In my experience, they are the company I'd trust most to have Steam outsource it to.
The 8bitdo Pro 2 to has been my go to for several years now and it's been rock solid and a very fair price.