The Steam Controller is back, now with swappable components according to new patent design
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Valve’s infamous Steam Controller saw to bridge the gap between traditional mouse & keyboard controls and gamepad controllers, whether it worked is debatable, but it certainly wasn’t the most popular controller for players. After officially discontinuing the Steam Controller last year, it seems that Valve hasn’t quite scrapped the idea completely, as a new patent was filed for a Steam Controller but this time with swappable components.
One of the greatest potentials the Steam Controller had was it’s deep level of customization. Since it was designed for PC players, you could essentially change almost every input on the controller to something else, allowing for highly customized gameplay experiences to give you the edge. Now, the new Steam Controller’s design will be able to take it one step further, allowing you to customize the actual layout and components of the gamepad itself.
Taking a note from the Xbox Elite controllers, almost every feature on the controller will be swappable for a different component. This even includes attaching more than one of the same component; want 2 D-pads? Go for it! Want 3 analog sticks? Why not! Want to fill the entire controller with classic A, B, X, Y buttons over and over again? I mean that’s a bit excessive but I’m not one to judge.
Interestingly, the patent suggests that even the trackpad parts of the controller (one of the most identifiable features of the Steam Controller) can be popped out and swapped for something else. Furthermore, each component can be linked to a certain ‘profile’ on the controller, allowing you to swap components for different games and instantly load a new profile for different input controls.
The potential here could be great for customizing layouts for different games and/or players. Imagine it: even left-handed controllers could be a thing! (are they a thing? I’m not sure. But they can be now!)
So, essentially it will just be a fully customizable controller, with pretty much no limits on what you could swap out (I’m guessing you won’t be able to, say, swap a shoulder button for an analog stick, but who knows?). Valve has not yet commented on a second Steam Controller, as they are likely still working on the design before announcing anything further.
If Valve decides to create a new controller with a deeper level of customization, would you be interested? What kind of layout would you make and for what games? What features interest you the most? Let us know!
Our Favorite Comments
1
“Interesting concept. Doubt it’s going to be cheap tho.”
Gankutsuou –
