News Steam Blog: Controller gaming on PC

Mor

Me llamo Willy y no hice la mili, pero vendo Chili
Sep 7, 2018
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Valve has just posted a new blog about the use of controllers on the Steam platform with interesting data (numbers, stats, etc...) let's take a look.



Controller compatibility in PC games used to be managed only by the individual game developers, meaning a game supported a predetermined set of hardware and players selected from these prescribed input options. In 2015 we began an experiment to find out what happens when the community is less constrained. We shipped tools that allow Steam users to map controls from various devices (e.g. Steam Controller, PlayStation controllers, Xbox controllers) to any combination of inputs that the title understands (e.g. keyboard keys, mouse movement, controller presses). Additionally, we created a system to share and modify these controller configurations so the best input schemes boil up to the top, allowing the cumulative efforts of the community to benefit us all. These two features, remapping and sharing, served as the foundation of what we now call Steam Input.

Three years later, the Steam Input experiment is starting to bear interesting results. By supporting so many controller types we've learned about which controllers are being used on the platform and by accommodating customization we've learned how players prefer to interact with different genres. Today we'll share figures on which controllers have been connected to Steam, how controllers are being used, and what happens when a new controller is released on the platform. We'll also discuss the Steam Controller and how hardware choices set it apart from other controller types.


Xbox controllers are the most common PC controller:
Xbox controllers are essentially the default controller for PC games, and this fact is apparent in the controllers stats. Nearly 40 million Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers have been connected to Steam, representing 64% of all controllers.
PS4 controllers are surprisingly abundant
PlayStation 4 is an extremely popular console with a great controller. The reason we're surprised by 12 million is, historically, the PS4 controller has not been treated like a PC gaming controller.
The Switch Pro controller is pretty popular for a new device
The Switch Pro controller arrived in 2017 and players immediately began attaching them to their PCs.


What's Next?
Steam has a large and diverse collection of controllers on the platform, a fact that is at odds with the approach of built-in, static controller support. Sure, supporting Xbox controllers will capture 64% of Steam users, but what about the other 22 million devices? What’s more, future controller types may include input modalities that didn’t exist, or weren’t popular, at the time of the game’s release. For example, motion controls are relatively new, but Steam Input has allowed the community to experiment with it in older titles. In several cases they’ve found motion control configurations that they believe are superior to the ones we’ve all been using for years.

By supporting over 200 controller models, full Steam Input integration has the additional benefit of creating a uniform experience across devices. And, because it is a part of Steam, future Steam Client updates will extend support to new controllers without any effort from the developer. In a follow-up post we will discuss these features of Steam Input, and others, to demonstrate how they serve the wide-ranging population of controller users on Steam.
Steam Blog: Controller gaming on PC
 

Alcoholikaust

The Drunk Cat
Sep 20, 2018
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I think it’s offensive that 1.5m people hate thier hands and use a Steam Controller

edit: I was one of the early adopters of the Switch Pro controller and first used it plugged in on steam for a few games-But still prefer my XB1 pads
 
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lashman

Dead & Forgotten
Sep 5, 2018
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I think it’s offensive that 1.5m people hate thier hands and use a Steam Controller

edit: I was one of the early adopters of the Switch Pro controller and first used it plugged in on steam for a few games-But still prefer my XB1 pads
Elite is the ultimate controller and whoever thinks otherwise is wrong! #fiteme
 
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RionaaM

Vogon Poetry Appreciator
Sep 6, 2018
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That's very interesting, thanks for sharing! I like that Valve shows this kind of info, it's nice to know this stuff.

The Steam Controller is fantastic for shooters. I played Doom 2016 and am currently going through The Darkness 2 using it exclusively, and it feels great. Gyro + trackpad aiming is an amazing combination.
 
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Mor

Mor

Me llamo Willy y no hice la mili, pero vendo Chili
Sep 7, 2018
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That's very interesting, thanks for sharing! I like that Valve shows this kind of info, it's nice to know this stuff.
Indeed, I really appreciate this kind of blogs as they don't really have any new information about new features or things coming but performance of the platform and specific data of how users interact with it, it's really cool.
 
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