Just grabbed an Xbox controller for my pc last month so damn it. Maybe I’ll sell it and get this
£85 does not feel too bad. I do feel the trackpads feel a bit awkward in that spot. I do like them in the Steam Deck, but prefer to just dock.
I think the trackpads are crucial for complex control schemes because you can throw virtual menus on them.
Then, if someone prefers the trackpad they can just flip the virtual menu to the joystick.
I CANNOT stress enough how crucial this is for complex control schemes.
Many games I regularly play on my Steam Deck would not be possible to play without this functionality.
What’s a virtual menu
It is a menu that you can pick and choose commands to add to that can be assigned to a trackpad or a joystick.
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/steam_controller
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/steam_controller/touch_menus
Whoa, I didn’t know about this. I thought they were just about having a trackpad for the deck.
It is huge, I built a control scheme to use Vim/evil Emacs without a keyboard with them lol, it is very powerful and simple to use.
Take a game like Cold Waters Dot Mod, Gunner Heat PC, Nebulous Fleet Command or Helicopter Gunship Dex, you NEED those virtual menus to make a sensible controller scheme.
I couldnt play so many games without the trackpads. Is it that you don’t like the trackpads or you don’t like the specific positioning? Because I have the deck and its literally a dream. City skylines is like, an actual blast to play with the right controller config.
On that controller I feel like it puts the joysticks just out of reach. Maybe it feels good once you are holding it; I’ve had no issues with that on the deck. I do feel that games where I could use them there is a lot of clicking. For example, in civ5, the pads are needed, but with so much clicking i feel its just easier to dock. Maybe I need to give it another try.
Hmm… concerning. I was genuinely planning on purchasing one. I hadn’t used a controller regularly for decades before I got the steam deck. Now I’m in love with it. I was thinking the controller could pair with my tablet and that the controller would be a perfect way to stay consistent.
I have to say, I liked the round trackpads on v1 better. But I’ve never met another person that did, so I see why Valve changed it. Plus yes, the square ones are tried and true on the Deck now.
