▲ 12 r/Controller
Steam Controller first batch review | a controller of possibilities?
DISCLAIMERS:
- I bough my unit with my own money from Steam.
- I am not officially associated with any controller company and all opinions are based on my personal experience and I try not to have bias towards any company.
Hello controller addicts! After a long wait the eagerly awaited Steam Controller (mark II) is finally here! I think almost everyone has heard about how fast it sold out but fortunately managed to order one. On paper Steam Controller seems like a controller of possibilities because of all the input methods it offers, despite that I have heard a lot of complaints about $100 price tag. Is the controller worth the price? Does it live up to the hype? Let's find out!
MAIN FEATURES:
- TMR joysticks,
- 4 extra back buttons,
- Capactive stick caps and grips,
- Haptic touchpads,
- Gyroscope,
- HD haptics,
- Charging station with dongle functionality (puck).
What's inside the box?
- Steam Controller,
- Puck,
- USB C to USB A cable,
- User manual.
everything included in the box
Steam Controller comes in a very minimalistic cardboard box. Tbh I preferred the old style of steam hardware packaging but we shouldn't judge the book by its cover. The box content is just as simple, only the essentials. The included USB cable although pretty long unfortunately isn't braided. Overall I find the included stuff a bit disappointing.
Features break down:
Ergonomics:
surprisingly comfy
Probably a huge portion of you were skeptical about the ergonomics due to Steam Controller's unique shape. Despite the uniqueness, its shape with long grips is very comfortable to hold. The controller weights 292 which most likely will be too much for a some but from my perspective the weight doesn't bother me and heavy controllers feel more premium.
Steam Controller doesn't have any specific grip texture on the back, instead the entire controller is covered in rougher than usual plastic. If I had to compare it to something, it would be vader 5 s and direwolf 4 grip textures. I definitely prefer a proper laser engraved rough texture, the proposition of valve is fine at best. The worst part about ergonomics are trigger, bumper and dpad textures. For whatever reason Valve thought sticky shiny plastic will be a great thing (its not). After using the controller more it doesn't bother as much but its still odd, at first I could even consider calling it gross.
Stick caps use good concave design with honeycomb texture on the edges, Everything would be great if not the fact the inside part of stick caps has a slippery texture. It doesn't bother me as much as triggers but still is a weird design choice. Unfortunately Steam Controller doesn't have modular stick caps like the most pro controllers nowadays. I don't really want to blame Valve for that because I am pretty sure its related to capacitive sensors inside of them but I believe moders will find a way.
Overall Steam Controller is a comfortable controller, definitely way more comfortable than the first one. There's a plenty of room for improvement but I don't find any of the issues to be bad enough to ruin my experience. All my problems could be fixed with a simple third party reshell that I am pretty sure will come soon.
Sticks:
high tier but leashed
Steam Controller is the first first party controller to utilize TMR sticks. Instead of some cheap TMRs, Valve decided to spoil us with top tier JS13Pro+ which are one of the best modules currently on the market. (for those who don't know JS13Pro+ are essentially the same sticks as JS13Pro so you can apply the same knowledge). The sticks feel highly accurate and precise.
A worrying thing is the lack of proper replaceable friction rings around the sticks. Lack of them or metal rings around the stick caps means there's plastic against plastic friction which will cause the rings to wear down quickly. I am pretty sure after a month the sticks will become grindy and unsatisfying. Once again that problem can be fixed with a reshell but would be better if the problem didn't exist at all.
Performance is mostly neat with only one exception. Wired latency is around 4ms which is an excellent score that I am pretty sure noone will have any problems with. Stick resolution reaches a neat score as well, around 1250 and 11 bits by default. The controller uses raw mode for stick circularity. The circularity seems mostly fine, without any serious problems. The only not so great thing is poor 250hz polling rate. Polling rate doesn't matter as much while the latency is good but some people speculate that Steam Controller is capable of 1khz but its locked for some reason. Are the rumors true? Well I am not the one who can answer that question.
!DISCLAIMER! latency and circularity tests weren't performed by me due to lack of proper hardware required, source.
Face buttons:
a fine classic
Steam Controller uses classic membrane face buttons. Just like most of them, they have pretty high pre-travel. As of the overall feel, they feel pretty tactile and lack several wobbliness. Overall pretty solid membrane face buttons.
D-pad:
mid at best
As a fan of 2D platformers I am pretty picky about dpads. Steam Controller contains a high pre-travel membrane dpad which is my preferred type. It is a bit hard to press down but overall feels pretty good and tactile. Unfortunately the dpad suffers from poor diagonals not passing contra test. Couldn't get any consistent diagonals in Caleste making Steam Controller not too pleasant to use. For games without heavy diagonals usage it is mostly fine but if you expect good performance in all rapid directions then definitely not here.
Triggers and Bumpers:
can't find any severe problems
Just like most buttons, bumpers are membrane with high pre-travel. Pretty tactile feel with only one problem that I could mention, they could be easier to press. I feel like they take too much force to use making spamming much slower and tiring. I don't find it as a severe problem but its still worth mentioning.
Surprisingly triggers use TMR sensors instead of cheaper hall sensors like almost any other third party controller. Does it make the experience any noticeable better? To put it in simple words, no. Unlike the first steam controller, the new one instead of unusual dual stage triggers has classic analog triggers. There are little deadzones on both sides outside of box which can be removed.
Valve has made one decision that will cause a lot of people not even consider the purchase. Despite great performance the controller won't do best in FPS or any other shooter as there are no standarized among third party controllers trigger locks. It's such an unfortunate thing that could only be solved by third party kits. Let's hope (for example) Extremerate will create a kit with proper trigger locks.
Extra buttons:
a good set
Steam Controller is equipped with 4 remappable back buttons. The back buttons are slightly clicky with shorter pre-travel. The thing bothering me about them is the force required in order to press them. It's not severe but while using the back buttons constantly it's getting tiring. The positive side of that problem is them being hard to accidentally press. The layout is comfortable and allows for using each back button with separate finger. All 4 back buttons software side are seen as separated buttons allowing independent mapping. The amount of possible inputs is wide including Steam Controller inputs (obviously), keyboard and mouse.
Touchpads:
first time covering such category
Just like the first Steam Controller, the new one includes 2 touchpads which this time don't replace any other standard buttons. Surprisingly Valve managed to make using the roller with both standard buttons and touchpads comfortable. I wasn't a big fan of them on the 2016 model as they had to compete with stick but when they are optional I gotta say I fell in love.
They utilize very precise haptic motors which compared the the previous one feel even better. I am not necessarily a fan of using them in games but for managing desktop they are enjoyable. Sometimes when I am too lazy to reach my keyboard when preparing to open my game I just use touchpads as a neat alternative. Steam Controller kinda proves that controllers can even replace mouse to some degree. Additional methods of inputs such as touchpads are also good for emulation, for example wii cursor.
Something completely different from first Steam Controller are touchpads clicks. When controller is turned off it seems like they don't exist at all, thats because the feedback of clicking them is made completely with haptics. The illusion is so good that if I didn't try clicking them before turning on the controller I wouldn't notice that at all and believe they just click like normal buttons.
Overall touchpads are a great addition that I am happy Valve hasn't abandoned after previous failure. The OG Steam Controller lovers don't have to be worried.
Capacitive buttons:
something unique
If back buttons and touchpads weren't enough of extra inputs, Steam Controller also offers capacitive buttons which are basically touch sensors. there are 4 of them in total, 2 sensors on joystick which detect whether you have your thumbs on sticks or not and 2 sensors on the back grips. I have seen capacitive sensors on thumbsticks only on VR controllers (where they are very functional) and horipad. Grip sensors are something absolutely new and unique for Steam Controller so far. Honestly I couldn't really find any use for these but I believe community and people with time to mess around will find some. Overall a gimmick with some potential.
Rumble and Gyro:
First of all I am not really a gyro expert so all I can say is that its there and feels fine. Rumble is an interesting topic as Steam Controller is capable of producing HD vibrations similar to Dualsense or Switch Pro Controller. The total amount of rumble motors is 4 from which 2 are in the grips and 2 in touchpads. We already covered touchpad rumble so let's focus on the grips.
The haptic vibrations feel nice and precise, glad to see standard rotor vibration motors slowly dying among first party producers meaning they can become the standard in future. Will Steam Controller make game publishers on PC actually add support for that kind of rumble outside of Dualsense? I don't think so as Steam Deck already had these haptic vibrations and nothing changed. All we can do is hope the good sales of Steam Controller and maybe Valve's involvement will motivate game developers to do so.
A really fun thing about haptics is their capability of playing music. Steam Controller plays a sound on start up and funnily enough does classic Wilhelm scream when dropped from certain height. Playing sound is also used to ping the controller when you cannot find it. Unfortunately there is no official way of converting music files in order to make the controller play them. I hope Valve will consider adding such a function in their software.
Puck:
Steam Controller as mentioned before comes with a "Puck" which is essentially a combined wireless receiver (dongle) and magnetic dock. Puck aligns easily with Steam Controller using strong magnets making the process of putting the controller back flawless. The one concerning thing that I noticed is puck losing half of signal strength when the controller is only half a meter away. I haven't noticed any problems regarding that but I find it worrying enough to mention. Overall not essential but a nice addition to the controller.
Connectivity:
The available connection methods are wired, Bluetooth and dongle (Puck) while supporting only one input mode, Steam input. Outside of Steam the controller is seen as a keyboard. The lack of proper Xinput mode means the controller won't work with the most games outside of steam unless they support remapping (which means you can use it in for example emulators). A way around it is adding apps to Steam as non-steam apps which allows for full controller customization and it being recognizable as a standard controller.
While I understand that its supposed to be the STEAM controller, I still think limiting the controller functionality by a lot without steam around isn't a good thing. Adding a simple hot-swappable Xinput mode would solve the issue entirely and extend controller's functionality by a lot.
Battery:
Valve has decided to include a large 8.39 Wh battery which is declared to last impressive 35+ hours. I am pretty sure to achieve such score you must not use much rumble but even with it I couldn't get the controller to low battery. Combined with puck the controller pretty much never needs to be charged as long as you put it back on puck whenever you need to leave your room for a moment or in other cases.
Software:
I already covered a lot of software aspects in other categories so lets keep it simple. Steam Controller obviously uses Steam desktop application as the controller configuration app. The thing I don't like is being unable to configure controllers in standard desktop mode, in order to enter configuration screen you must be either in big pictures mode or in any game.
As of the features, all the basic as well as advanced stuff can be easily configured. The range of options is wide and the only function I couldn't find was setting circular mode on joysticks instead of the default raw. When opening Steam it will automatically notify us about firmware updates. The one thing I extraordinarily love about steam controller ecosystem are layouts. Pretty much every game that doesn't support controllers can be easily configured and if we are too lazy to do so you can download one of the community's layouts.
Overall Steam's controller software ecosystem is great and leaves a lot of space for creativity and adapting.
in game controller configuration menu
Conclusion
Steam Controller is definitely an unique and great roller. A lot of interesting features and inputs means a lot of possibilities for everyone willing to spend enough time messing around in settings. If you expected a Steam Deck with chopped off screen or a straight up upgrade to the 2016 Steam Controller then it will meet your expectations and maybe even beyond. The one group of players that I wouldn't recommend the purchase are competitive FPS players as you already have tons of greater and cheaper options for that while Steam Controller doesn't essential trigger locks. Due to the models being available publicly I am pretty sure a lot of mods such as custom shells or even full new feature extensions will begin to pop up soon. Most of my problems can be easily fixed with a simple reshell so I gotta stay tuned. Thank you for reading and see ya in next reviews!
RATING:
- PRICE/VALUE: 8/10
There were a lot of controversies about the price but I honestly think $100 is a not bad price especially while thinking about Steam Controller as a first party roller which tend to cost double the price.
- ERGONOMICS: 7.5/10
Comfy in terms of shape but there's definitely room for improvement.
- FUNCTIONALITY: 8.5/10
A great set of unique features but unfortunately missing some features that became a standard among third party controllers.
- PERFORMANCE: 8.5/10
Great latency, good resolution but unfortunately polling rate is chopping points.
- DESIGN: 8/10
A very subjective topic. I have heard a ton of opinions about Steam Controller being ugly because of its bulky shape. Honestly I like the design and after noticing a cute face made out of touchpads, sticks and triple dot button I can't unsee it. (this category doesn't contribute towards the final score)
- OVERALL: 8.1/10
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u/KieroKaro — 3 months ago
▲ 321 r/LegionGo
I got yesterday this entire set for only $250, extremely happy
u/KieroKaro — 3 months ago
▲ 9 r/Controller
DISCLAIMERS:
- I received my unit for free from Machenike in return for a review.
- I am not officially associated with any controller company and all opinions are based on my personal experience and I try not to have bias towards any company.
- I have owned the product for over 2 months when typing this review.
Hello controller addicts! After not too successful G5Pro V2 release Machenike has dropped a true nuke which is F1 FPS controller. F1 in my opinion is one of the super rare gems that appear once in a while and surpass my expectations by a lot. Max performance combined with symmetrical layout and modularity on replacing switches level alongside with some other high end features? Yeah its all there. I am impressed but to see if you're gonna be too we gotta break everything up, let's see!
MAIN FEATURES:
- TMR joysticks,
- Microswitch digital triggers with adjustable tension,
- Optical microswitch face buttons,
- Modularity,
- 6 extra remappable buttons,
- 8000hz polling rate,
- Adjustable stick tension rings,
- Rubberized grips,
- HD rumble.
What's inside the box?
- Machenike F1 controller,
- Carrying case,
- Tall concave stick cap,
- Domed stick cap,
- 2 spare optical microswitches,
- 2 half dome back paddles,
- 2 shoulder buttons raisers,
- 2.4ghz dongle,
- Braided USB A to USB C cable,
- Membership code,
- User manual.
everything included in the box
F1 comes in a really neat looking box with all it's content stored inside the case. The amount of stuff included is satisfying including even spare microswitches. I am glad to see both domed and concave styles of raised sticks and a decent braided usb cable. The controller comes with pretty much full set making it a one time purchase.
Carrying case:
The biggest controller case I have ever seen, looks more like it stored a handheld. It's a hard shell case with space to store the entire set. If you are worried about taking the back paddles off every time when you want to store your controller then you don't have to because the controller slot is profiled to fit regardless of accessories equipped. Overall there isn't really anything bad to point out, a solid case.
Dongle:
The dongle is above average sized and doesn't contain any buttons for manual synchronization. There's a little light diode signalizing the connection status. I haven't experienced any problems with connection so I can surely call it not bad.
Features break down:
Ergonomics:
big-handed people's dream
The most visible thing at the first sight is F1's size. The controller is massive, even bigger than a dualsense. A lot of people complained about third party controllers being too small so good to see more variety in that matter. As a small handed person I find F1 a little bit too big, not nearly enough to make it feel uncomfortable so I can't count it as an issue.
The back is covered in a nice and grippy diamond pattern rubber. The front has some sort of very slight texture engraved in plastic, could be rougher but better than nothing. Triggers and bumpers are covered in very slight texture which is better than nothing. In my opinion trigger grips isn't as important but still is a pretty decent thing to have.
The build and material quality feels on top level. F1 gives a premium range controller vibes and a bunch of elements made out of metal such as back paddles ensure it even more. The biggest controversy about ergonomics of F1 is the weight. The controller is among the heavier ones by reaching above 300g. A lot of people might find it as a deal breaker, it comes to preferences at the end of the day.
Overall I find F1 to be a really comfortable and premium feeling controller. There isn't much stuff that it does wrong in that matter besides subjective weight as the only serious thing.
Sticks:
max performance
F1 uses Jt19 stick modules which are considered as decent. Personally I find them pretty good and precise enough especially when combined with adjustable tension. If someone finds Jt19s not good enough then Machenike is planning to release a JS13Pro version in the future. The friction on edges is minimal providing smooth experience.
Performance is where the controller shines. F1 joined the trend of making ultra high 8k polling rate controllers which is an absolute gimmick. I recommend capping it to 2k but I gotta give Machenike a point for not advertising it like its the best thing the controller has to offer. Back when F1 released it had the best stick latency on the market. The situation is so dynamic that F1 has been already outranked but we can't deny the fact 1,3ms stick latency is really impressive and below that hard to say there's any difference. Stick resolution is really good as well reaching around 2000 on 12 bit rate. Keep in mind the controller runs on 9bit mode by default. Circularity and asymmetry index both seem good.
- Adjustable tension:
I really appreciate companies adding adjustable tension to more and more controllers. F1 uses pretty common recently adjustable tension rings with satisfying tension range of 40-100gf. At first I thought 40gf might not be low enough but the reality is different. Adjusting tension takes some force and sits tightly ensuring that they won't move on their own with time. Overall tension system is solid.
circularity and asymmetry index
!DISCLAIMER! latency and circularity tests weren't performed by me due to lack of proper hardware required, source.
Face buttons:
pretty good
Face buttons use less common optical switches. Their pre-travel is pretty low and maintain tactile feel. Personally I am a fan of them, F1's face buttons don't do anything wrong and feel good. Can't really say more, a well done element.
Triggers and Bumpers:
an unique feature
Bumpers use microswitches, despite that they have high pre-travel providing really tactile and satisfying click. They give me similar vibes to Blitz 2 bumpers (really good vibes) but might be a little bit problematic if you expect max performance from them. For me bumpers are among the better.
If you consider using F1 for racing games too then I recommend not to. F1 has microswitch digital triggers only meaning they can only perform single input, max range or off. I don't think it's a huge problem as F1 is supposed to be a full FPS centered controller. You might wonder what these trigger sliders do if they are not trigger locks. These are used to adjust the tension of triggers so basically how much force they take to click. You can choose between 70-90-110gf range. Honestly the main use that I found for that feature is choosing between avoiding misinputs and faster response. Tbh the difference between tension levels doesn't feel too big. I like to call that feature "manual adaptive triggers" which ofc isn't too accurate but I find it fitting. The only issue with triggers is their pretty high pre-travel.
Overall I find myself bumpers to be great and triggers a bit gimmicky but unique, some people might find more use for that feature.
D-pad:
100% FPS centered
The dpad hasn't been designed with 2d platformers or other dpad centered games in mind. It's a super low pre-travel optical microswitch FPS dpad designed to function more as a weapon scroll wheel. Because of that I didn't even bother with performing contra test and other. Honestly just like digital triggers I cannot call it an issue as the controller is designed for pure FPS experience. It does its job well done in that matter. I have only one issue which is inconsistencies in pre travels, some directions have literally 0 pre-travel but some similar to face buttons.
Extra buttons:
a good set with some room for expansion
Machenike F1 is equipped with 6 extra remappable buttons which together make 2+2 layout. The extra buttons are 2 back paddles, 2 shoulder buttons and 2 buttons above start and select. Unfortunately Machenike hasn't decided to use 4 back paddles which create my preferred layout.
Back paddles use microswitches and are placed in comfortable position. Personally I prefer paddles over half domes but I must admit these metal half domes included with F1 feel really good. Using them is satisfying and provide instant response. Even tho included half domes are really good, would be still great to see Machenike adding more options such as mentioned before paddles in the future.
Shoulder buttons use (once again) microswitches with very low pre-travel. On their own they are pretty big and in convenient spot. There are 2 shoulder button extenders included which turn shoulder buttons into little triggers. It's definitely a dream come true as I mentioned that idea before and its a perfect solution to the problem of not being able to press them while holding trigger. As I expected the solution works great and hope more companies will adapt similar solutions.
2 extra buttons on the front use (yeah you guessed it right) very low pre-travel microswitches.
Overall a solid set of extra buttons. I hope Machenike will consider adding 2 more back paddles or button in future releases.
Rumble and Gyro:
F1 has a standard 6 axis gyroscope. Native gyroscope is utilized only with Switch input mode because of lack of dinput. Switch users will be pleased with linear rumble motors which are capable of HD rumble providing full experience in Switch games.
Battery:
Most of the competitive players play wired so battery doesn't matter for a huge part of users. Regardless of that if you happen to use F1 wireless then you will be pleased by a big 1500mAh battery. Hard to tell how long it could last but I assume without rumble at least 25 hours seems reasonable. It's a great score that reduces the frustration of having to charge the controller frequently.
Modularity:
Interesting modular design is the third unique thing about F1. The modular parts are stick caps, back paddles and microswitches on both dpad and face buttons. In order to access the Switches you gotta take off the faceplate and membrane from face buttons. You might wonder "cool but why?". Modular switches allow simple modifications like using different kinds of them (for example omron). They also increase the repairability in case they break or get inconsistent. Simple access to switches, membrane and button caps opens a lot of ways for future DIY mods, modders will have a lot of fun with F1. We already mentioned both modular stick caps and paddles so let's skip them.
Although I just mentioned a lot of positive stuff, we gotta talk about the one issue that I have which I think has a simple solution. The faceplate is super hard to take off, almost like ripping off shell from an unscrewed controller. It's basically impossible to take the faceplate off without any tools. I would recommend adding a simple plastic prying tool such as the one below to the set. It's a super cheap element that makes the entire process much more convenient (and any possible).
a simple prying tool example (not included)
Software:
I didn't expect much from F1's software app but turned out to be a splendid surprise. The controller is compatible with PC app called Mix Drive. The software is very clean and easy in both navigation and use. F1 can be configured with pretty much everything you would expect, the only thing missing for me is raw stick mode. All buttons can be remapped with either keyboard or mouse inputs. Glad to see pretty complex macros and turbo pages. Mix Drive is a pleasure to use, definitely among the group of better controller software apps out there.
Conclusion
After reading the entire review some people may think "holy glaze" and honestly I think F1 is worth that glaze. It's a great controller with a very few downsides and some room for slight improvements. After not too successful G5Pro V2 I haven't really believed that Machenike could release something as good but it just proves that companies deserve second chances. 3 unique features, max performance, great build and material quality, a nice set of included stuff. F1 is expensive but the price feels justified. The only deal breaker for some people might be either the weight or decent but not the best Jt19 modules. There will be a JS13Pro version in future making the second deal breaker not as relevant. If you are looking for a symmetrical high-end controller for FPS and other competitive stuff then I recommend Machenike F1 a lot. Thank you for reading and see ya in next reviews!
RATING:
- PRICE/VALUE: 8/10
We don't know the price in which it will release on global market. The $130-150 price mark is indeed expensive. While taking all the things in consideration such as premium material quality and a board set of stuff included I find it justified.
- ERGONOMICS: 9/10
Very grippy rubberized grips alongside with big handles create a very comfortable roller. Slight front grips and metal elements are nice little things which raise up the score.
- FUNCTIONALITY: 9/10
A lot of unique features that cannot be found on any other rollers as well as HD rumble, adjustable tension, modularity, a great set.
- PERFORMANCE: 10/10
Great latency, great polling rate, great resolution, good circularity, it doesn't do anything bad enough to remove at least half a point, the first 10/10 from me.
- DESIGN: 8.5/10
A very subjective topic. Super clean snow white color with matching metal elements create a futuristic design. I like the way F1 looks a lot. (this category doesn't contribute towards the final score)
- OVERALL: 9/10 (my first 9 level final score, yay~)
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I am actively trying to improve my reviews which requires getting expensive proper testing hardware. If you like my reviews and would like to help me improve them by adding self made latency tests you can consider leaving a tip! Thank you! Link
u/KieroKaro — 4 months ago