PC game controllers, Steam vs. XBox 360

The Game Room
1

I’m just curious about others opinions because I’ve seen a few people post recently that they were getting steam controllers…

I happened to pop into a Gamestop about a month ago needing a replacement controller for the 360 one that died, and they had a steam controller on sale for $25, so I grabbed it.
The one thing I disliked most about it is the lack of a second stick. I have a lot of twin stick shooters and other games that use both sticks on steam. The 2nd d-pad surface was kind of cool, all smooth and easy to press, but it’s in a weird position on the upper part of the controller and just doesn’t feel right for my twin stick games. On other games it’s a pretty decent controller and seemed to work fairly well.

But the XBox 360 controller is made by Microsoft, so it works automatically with Windows, no installation or drivers needed (I’ve used it on Win 7 and Win 10). The regular price is $20 at the local walmart for Rock Candy 360 controllers. It works elsewhere from Steam. And most importantly, it has 2 sticks, and all the buttons seem to be a natural fit to my hands and fingers, and are well positioned. The only advantage the Steam controller has is it’s wireless, whereas the Rock Candy isn’t. Not a big deal for me, I could find a 360 wireless controller, but I don’t really need or want one.

So, does anyone with Steam controllers like them better? Mind sharing your thoughts on 360 vs Steam controllers?

2

I haven’t used the Steam controller, but if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. :stuck_out_tongue: It also sounds like wirelessness isn’t a big priority for you. So the case seems clearcut. Except:

Screw the 360 controller. Get an Xbox 1 controller. It’s like the 360 controller, only better. Like, the D-pad isn’t awful. :stuck_out_tongue: It just generally feels more precise and responsive to me, but is otherwise basically the same design as the 360 controller. I just got one a couple of months ago, and I am a fan. Also, no driver nonsense required even on my Windows 7 box.

3

I have both a Steam controller and an XBox One controller. They’re good for different things, and there’s a significant learning curve for the Steam controller. I love the Steam controller for Dark Souls, which is the only console controller game I’ve used it on much. The touch pad on the right is perfect for the game, and I can imagine it’s great for similar third person action games (e.g. Uncharted, Tomb Raider) but can’t speak to that personally. I haven’t played with it for a twitchy first person shooter, only my DS3 archer, and it’s fairly good for that. I can’t imagine it beating out a mouse/keyboard combo for FPS, but it beats out the XBox controller.

Stick with it a bit. There’s a definite learning curve. I played DS1 with the XBox controller. Then I started DS2 with the Steam controller. I was awful. I went from beating the last boss of DS1 to being embarrassed by trash mobs initially, but now that I have the hang of it, I’m much better. I reprogrammed a couple buttons (the back buttons) for more useful commands (roll, parry). Aiming my bow is much easier with the touch pad than the stick.

If you go with the XB1 controller, look into what you need for wireless functionality. I have a USB dongle that I use. I think there’s a version of the controller out now that doesn’t require the additional hardware, but I’m far from certain about it.

4

I was at the store today and looked at them. The cheapest XBox one controller was $10 more than the 360 one. I think my stepson might have an XBox one system, so if he does I’m going to ask him to bring the controller over sometime, check it out on some of my Steam games, and see if it’s worth the extra cost. Thanks for the tip!

5

I have both, and I generally prefer the 360 controller. My wife got a free wireless one when she bought her latest laptop. It has a relatively large dongle on a 2" cable, but the wireless works great on PC with basically no setup (can’t say the same for my PS3 controllers).

For games that are meant to be played with a gamepad, I think the 360 is far superior to the Steam controller. For games that are targeted to KB/Mouse, the Steam controller can sometimes be a good compromise. E.g. when I want to play a Telltale adventure game on my TV, I use the Steam Controller. FTL is doable, but more trouble than it’s worth. When I try to play a standard controller game or an FPS with the Steam controller, I get severe cramps in my wrists that no other controller has ever given me. I think it has something to do with the way the controller body is shaped.

The Steam controller is customizable in nearly every imaginable aspect, with new functions being periodically enabled with firmware updates. But I don’t have the time or inclination to work out the perfect profile for every game, and many of the community profiles don’t do it for me. I mostly use my 360 controller.

IMO, the Steam controller is a novelty with a few niche applications, while the XBox controller is a great general-use gamepad.

6

Couldn’t disagree more with Oft Wears Hats.

I loved my Xbox 360, and then my Xbox One gamepad, but ever since I’ve had the Steam controller, it’s been collecting dust.

Any game that benefits from precision and speed in terms of camera control or, of course, when dealing with a cursor, or lots of swappable action sets, is SIGNIFICANTLY better on the Steam controller.

That right analog stick is the worst thing humanity has ever devised!! :wink:

The Steam controller holds the potential to be the perfect game pad for almost any particular game and in particular for YOU. But yeah it’s not that, well it can’t possibly be that, without some tweaking.

Now a days, and for most games, I find that the developer or community profiles get me 95% of the way there, and I’m willing to put in the few minutes it takes to go the rest of the way. It’s just worth it, every time. Profiles are saved on a game to game basis, so once set, your profile will be there for you always.

I find that a combination of mode shifting for activating gyros and especially touch menus for short cuts + the dual stage triggers and the back buttons mean I can accommodate so much functionality over a standard gamepad that I can make the flow of the game super attuned to my style.

From little things like placing repetitive functions, like the search ping in Dragon Age inquisition, where it’s not stupid as hell to have (the left stick button) to where it makes sense (the rear left button), to having a comprehensive touch menu for all my actions in xcom so that I can pick actions faster than even with my mouse and keyboard, and hella faster than ona standard game pad.

There’s only one thing that sucks about it: It really needs the Steam overlay to shine, and some games outside of steam have been having issues with it - right now this is the case for me with an Ubisoft store version of Watchdogs 2. The Steam overlay just won’t work with that game for some reason. I’ve been using my xbox one gamepad for it, but eveyrtime I sit down to play it I can’ help but think how much better it would be to play with my Steam controller.

7

I don’t think you’re disagreeing with him as much as you think.

Seriously. Watch Dogs? Dragon Age? These are not games that were designed for a controller. (One goes so far as to wonder why you are using a controller for these at all?) Let’s talk about how it works with, oh, Geometry Wars 3, or Helldivers, or some sort of platformer.

8

Of course they were. Both Watch Dogs and DA:I were designed for consoles and ported to PC.

Now, if you were saying Dragon Age: Origins then, sure. But Inquisition? That’s a controller-designed game.

9

Hmmm, I guess you’re right in a way. Although I’d argue both Watch Dogs and Dragon Age Inquisition were definitely made with a gamepad in mind. DA:I especially 'cause they shit the bed in terms of PC controls.

This argument would then boil down to twin stick shooters and possibly 2d platformers ('cause 3D ones would again, be better with the precision of the Steam Controller). I don’t play many of these types of games though, so I couldn’t say, but I’d recommend watching (recommending to the OP here really) some stuff from this youtube channel about those games and the Steam Controller for another opinion on them:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ExistentialEgg

This video has some tips and tricks for these types of games:

You tube has been invaluable for me in giving me ideas on how to set up all sorts of games in really interesting ways. The community is growing steadily. Valve announced a million sales of the controller back in October.