In terms of inputs, it takes almost every control method from the Steam Deck, short of the touchscreen, and crams it into an 11 x 16 x 6 cm design. Valve tries to have it both ways when it comes to the more familiar controls, using Xbox’s ABXY face buttons and broad design aesthetic but PlayStation’s symmetrical thumbstick layout, plus the twin shoulder buttons and pair of analog triggers. Players accustomed to either will soon adapt to this hybrid approach.

The Steam Controller goes beyond either of its console cousins, though, with a whole fleet of inputs that neither Sony nor Microsoft has on their default pads. A quadrant of extra buttons sits on the underside of the grip, and the thumbsticks are clickable, feature capacitive touch sensors, and are built on tunnel magnetoresistance sensors (TMR), which offer even greater precision and durability than Hall effect systems.

Photograph: Matt Kamen

There is also an accelerometer and a gyroscope for motion controls, and advanced rumble engines for nuanced haptics—it can pull off the same audio tricks that the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2s do, vibrating at such high frequencies that the pad itself becomes an ersatz speaker, allowing for fun Easter eggs like a hidden Wilhelm Scream. Most striking are the same trackpads from the Steam Deck on the bottom half of the controller, allowing for mouse-like controls.

Despite cramming all this in, it weighs a mere 292 grams. It rarely feels burdensome, even after longer play sessions. However, I did have to adjust my grip slightly to comfortably reach the thumbsticks, as so much real estate is given over to accommodating the trackpads, which live where my thumbs naturally want to sit. The D-pad isn’t anything to write home about either—entirely adequate, but lacking clean edges and suffering from a glossy finish that robs it of grip. Aside from that cheap-feeling D-pad, the Steam Controller’s build quality is exceptional.