Is The New Steam Controller Worth Its High Price?
Summary
Although there is ambiguity around the launch timing of the Steam Machine, Valve is preparing to release one piece of new hardware soon: the Steam Controller. It officially launches on May 4.
Previously, Valve released a rather experimental take on a gaming controller. Now, the company has taken a big stride forward in the world of hardware through the Steam Deck, arguably the most popular PC-grade gaming handheld. The Steam Deck also further established the design principles for Valve's products--values that have carried through to its second crack at a controller.
We got some hands-on time with the new Steam Controller and put it through its paces. It may not surprise you to learn that, in many ways, it maintains continuity with the Steam Deck in terms of how it feels, alongside how it looks. The controller comes with a "puck" that both serves as a wireless transmitter and acts as a charger, with battery life lasting up to 35 hours or more.
Although there is ambiguity around the launch timing of the Steam Machine, Valve is preparing to release one piece of new hardware soon: the Steam Controller. It officially launches on May 4.
Previously, Valve released a rather experimental take on a gaming controller. Now, the company has taken a big stride forward in the world of hardware through the Steam Deck, arguably the most popular PC-grade gaming handheld. The Steam Deck also further established the design principles for Valve's products--values that have carried through to its second crack at a controller.
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Now Playing: Is the Steam Controller Worth $100?
We got some hands-on time with the new Steam Controller and put it through its paces. It may not surprise you to learn that, in many ways, it maintains continuity with the Steam Deck in terms of how it feels, alongside how it looks. The controller comes with a "puck" that both serves as a wireless transmitter and acts as a charger, with battery life lasting up to 35 hours or more.
In this video, Tamoor talks about the controller, what it offers, and whether it's worth the $100 asking price. He also talks about what the experience of using it is like, as well as how it stacks up to other similar controllers on the market.
The Steam Machine, meanwhile, has been impacted by the recent RAM shortages. Valve originally planned to confirm pricing and launch dates for all the device, the Steam Controller, and the Steam Frame by now, but that hasn't happened due to "the memory and storage shortages you've likely heard about." Thus far, Valve has indicated its products will still be available in the first half of this year, but as of yet it hasn't been able to "land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce."
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