I haven’t played with one. Among people I know who have, it’s about an 80/20 split of “Went back to standard controller” and “Fierce Steam controller devotee”.
I find the response to it very split, but it has sold a fair bit for something as outlandish as it is (I think last sales number where over 1.5 million, IIRC).
Definitely pick up the Link, even if not the controller, it’s super handy for streaming PC games to your PC. The newer Samsung smart TV’s also feature the same functionality built int though, so make sure you don’t already have one of those. It’s getting a firmware update at some point too, allowing for 4K output.
As for the gamepad, it’s basically the only way you can play mouse and keyboard centric games on the couch (when they don’t support gamepads) or the only way to do so without wanting to tear you hair out (the few times they do support gamepads).
It’s my go to now a days, with very few exceptions. I seldom want to/get to play games on my TV (It’s hard to beat a high refresh rate ultra wide 3440x1440p monitor), but when I do, or when playing games where I like to kick back in my chair and use a gamepad for I pick it 9 times out fo ten.
For precision movement the right haptic pad is light year better than an analog joystick and the customizability is out fo this world, allowing you to do all manner of things, like putting up a touch menu on screen (complete with icons) or completely changing the functionality of any input with the press of a button.
That being said, I do sometimes pick my Xbone gamepad over it, but this happens very seldomly. For example Forza, only because of it’s special trigger rumble and currently for Xcom 2, whenever I play from the couch, because the right haptic pad doesn’t really bring much to the game, and the custom Gamepad GUI feels nicer than the custom Steam Controller one.
Thanks, folks. A buddy at work also heartily recommended the Steam Link - especially at this price point. I picked up both items since the only computer games I really see myself wanting to veg out during are 4X-style games.
I got both in the last year or so.
The Link is used daily ever since I got it. So handy. Lately I even favor using it to watch Netflix/Amazon (on living room TV, from office computer) because the interface is so much better in a browser than Roku/TV app/whatever. I have had my Link set up on wifi the whole time, although the instructions say “wired highly recommended”. In the first months, it would sometimes drop out and need a reset, but it hasn’t for a long time now that I think about it. It resets very fast. My issue is as likely my wifi as the Link. I’m sure wifi makes a performance difference, but not one I notice apart from the occasional drop out.
The controller was purchased because I finally needed a second one, and owned a Xbox360 already. It is very different. It can mimic a console controller, but it is actually a new and different medium(?). Sometimes as different from a console controller as a TV remote or a mouse/KB is. It does things none of the others do (the touch menus and more). The possibilities for customization are amazing and fun to tool with. It has a very long learning curve. I’m like 15% into that curve:confused:. I don’t use it every day, but only because of game selection lately. I’ve used it enough that I can play Overwatch* with it, and kill every opponent every time ever (I suck so bad at OW). I like it a lot and am determined to get better with it. However, we have always had a nice wireless mouse around for the Link, and often enough, I will game with that rather than forcing the controller. The bonus On-button-for-the-Link is also nice.
(*setting up Overwatch (a non-Steam game) for it is an extra off-ramp from the long learning curve. Still not completely successful.)
Huh. Just checked that out. Apparently it’s only 2016 and 2017 models, and mine, despite me getting it in 2016, is actually a 2015 model, so nothing for me, yet. Dang.
I was an early adopter for both the link and the controller, but the link is the better purchase of the 2. I tried really hard for about 6 months to master the steep learning curve but the controller just requires too much tweaking of esoteric settings for it to really click with me. For FPS games the track pad doesn’t have the fine control of a mouse and the tricks just seem to make it more and more complicated to use. I figured it might have more usefulness for games like Civ and city building games but it takes so long to set up every option and link all the buttons and in the end I usually have to make an index card reminding me how to do everything.
For as long as I messed with it, I never found much help in the community profiles and as I’ve spent more of the last year playing Overwatch and Diablo 3 than anything else, I’ve been happiest on my couch with a razor nostromo and a wireless mouse more than anything. I haven’t used it for more than turning on the link this year, has it become any more user friendly or easily set up for new games? I remember my final parting thought was that steam should have created a settings wizard so you can get the controller to feel right for various styles of games and then have a guide or patch for the games so you know how the adjust the settings for them to maintain that feel. I could never get a consistent feel from borderlands to doom or Watch Dogs to Witcher or CitiesXL to Civ… Each game feels like a whole new animal.