Post #2001247

As I wait the next ~9 hours for the Steam Controller to be available to buy, I think back on the OG Steam Controller and how ahead of its time it was. It took over a decade for us to get a successor, and while the successor is WAY more advanced it also lacks a few things in the original: The trackpad centric design, while polarizing, was something I absolutely loved. Yeah, the new controller has trackpads but they're smaller and shoved towards the middle. I can imagine my hands getting way more fatigued than with the OG controller, where I could play a game for 14+ hours without cramps (yes, I did this more than once back then.) The design of the original trackpads also made using "trackball mode" way easier, as the circular pads felt very much like they guided your thumb to move in ways that worked well with mixing the trackball motion with gyroscopic precision. The OG trackpads did break way more easily, as they were literally the same trackpads as the HTC Vive, so I understand the need for a redesign but I wish they could have kept the ergonomic placement at least. Second, the dual stage triggers. This is technically least important, as you can now replicate dual stage triggers in software via SteamInput. However, the physical feedback of hitting the "end" of your trigger pull only to be able to click it in and actually feel the second button input was SO good. I legitimately swapped from using two triggers for aim and shoot to a single trigger for aim and shoot. If my last controller hadn't had issues with the paddles on the back (the two grip buttons on the OG controller were a battery cover in paddle shape, essentially) I would still be using it to this day. I'm very much looking forward to the new controller, and I'm sure I'll find ways to work around these issues and get WAY more mileage out of it if the Steam Deck's quality is anything to go by... but I have to reminisce a little about the small things we are losing.