I love my Steam Controller. I still use it majority of the time over my playstation, nintendo, and xbox controllers because of the touchpads.

But, I didn't like using the touchpads on the Deck because of the size, shape, and orientation making it a regression for maining the touchpads for the games I play. So not surprised by the leak, since Valve would obviously be better off focusing on making the ergonomics better for joystick users than touchpad users. Still let down because it'll mean for touchpad focused users like me Steam Controller is the only touchpad centric controller on the market with great ergonomics, size with 40mm concave pads, and circular shape for more consistent swipes.

But, it is discontinued and the gyro feels aged compared to the options out there. Will still be using it though from the looks of it for years to come hoping for an eventual dual pad centric controller from some niche group.

Some functionality that keeps me using the Steam Controller has been touchpads for movement, quick gadget swapping with touchpads, quick 180s/gyro activation with touchpads.

I use it to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Sadly I don't find myself doing the same on the Steam Deck opting for the joysticks instead, since I don't find the placement, smaller size, square versus circle, and flat surface versus concave offering the type of consistency that I use the touchpads for on the Steam Controller. It feels more a touchpad appropriate for slow paced games or just desktop navigation than optimal for the way I use the touchpads on the Steam Controller. And I don't see Valve delivering on the touchpad end that I would like with the next Steam Controller with all the inputs it would be fitting in.

Not an issue for most players who will be using joysticks as their primary, but sucks for Steam Controller dual touchpad users who've been waiting years hoping for a Steam Controller with updated gyro, better bumpers, and 2 more back buttons.

I'm the minority that wishes the controller would have the same layout for the touchpads with it being large, circular, concave, and in the same upper positions.

I use dual touchpads on the Steam Controller to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

But, on the Deck I did not find the touchpad good for those games due to the shape, size, and placement so it turned out as being as useful as the dualsense with it becoming more a joystick controller than a touchpad controller I wanted to use in the same way I use the Steam Controller. Been hoping for years for a proper Steam Controller with upgraded gyro and 2 additional grips, but looks like it'll never happen even if Valve came out with a new controller when it comes to a dual touchpad controller I want to use. Would be more a xbox/sony controller alternative.

I use the Steam Controller for games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Using steam input is a requirement to get the most out of it.

This is my basic approach for most games.

• Mapping mouse to touchpad and adjusting sensitivity to 180
• Mapping mouse (beta) to gyro and adjusting sensitivity until 90 degree turn of the controller turns in game camera 675 degrees for first person/450 for third person
• Setting up a dpad modeshift on right touchpad click and inverting outer ring so I can set the touchoutput 5 different actions depending on if I click up, down, left, right, center as opposed to only a solitary single click action. If I need more I set up a chord so holding left grip shifts the same actions into another set of 5 inputs. I got for Dead Zone: 181919 and Outer Ring Binding Radius: 16750 when it comes to values in the new Steam Input.
• Setting movement to left pad and and setting an outer ring sprint bind on it and mapping crouch/slide/dash actions on click

I saved the template for gamepad bindings for games that support mixed input and full mouse and keyboard for ones I don't. So I don't have to go through the whole thing all the time. I just apply my template and then just switch the bindings around and adjust the sensitivity.

If you want to try out a config I have one uploaded for the Finals called "dualpad with gyro update..." Some changes you'll want to make to the settings is Mouse sensitivity to 20, mouse focal length sensitivity 106, swap ping and emote in game, change sprint and crouch to hold, and obviously turn off aim assist. Holding the right start buttons switches into an action set I use when playing light where left grip is crouch as opposed to a chord modifier like in the default and left pad click is for dashing and grappling. Default action set clicking the left pad is crouch/slide and left grip changing the right pad clicks to gadget switching.

It is still the best controller I've used despite having come from a console background so dual joystick controllers being my most used controller prior to it. I loved being freed of the reliance on aim assists and weapon/item wheels.

Nothing has come close to replicating the functionality of the dual touchpads which I use for movement, quick gadget swapping, quick 180s/gyro activation.

And I use it to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Some functionality that keeps me using the Steam Controller has been touchpads for movement, quick gadget swapping with touchpads, quick 180s/gyro activation with touchpads.

I use it to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Sadly I don't find myself doing the same on the Steam Deck opting for the joysticks instead, since I don't find the placement, smaller size, square versus circle, and flat surface versus concave offering the type of consistency that I use the touchpads for on the Steam Controller. It feels more a touchpad appropriate for slow paced games or just desktop navigation than optimal for the way I use the touchpads on the Steam Controller. And I don't see Valve delivering on the touchpad end that I would like with the next Steam Controller with all the inputs it would be fitting in.

Simplest way I think is saving the controller layout as a template and then you should be available to see in all games when you go to templates.

I do this for the Steam Controller where I saved a general template to use across games so I don't need to reconfigure every single part from scratch.

Always be moving/dodging, do glory kills for health, chainsaw for ammo, and most importantly master the Quick Switch technique. This person has a great guide on it. It's basically where you switch weapons after every shot so you don't have to reload and you output damage really fast even on the hardest difficulty.

Given that you are on a controller you can just swap between 3 weapons and still delete enemies. Like here is my play through with my steam controller where I pretty much spammed super shotgun, ballista, and rocket launcher to get through the game on nightmare. There was an update pushed that lets controller uses bind weapons to any button, so set weapons to quick switch with that over relying on the weapon wheel which breaks momentum.

I use the Steam Controller still for games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Basically any first or third person game that has aiming, but I am not sold on the Deck touchpads as primary inputs. Tried it and didn't like it. Found them uncomfortable, size too small, and shape resulting in inconsistent swipes as someone who likes to target a consistent 180 on an edge to edge swipe.

So it will be a good controller for dual joystick users who occasionally want to use the touchpads, but not a good follow up to Steam Controller users who wanted a new controller to use the touchpads for a majority of their games.

I used left touchpad as a touch menu when I was using the left joystick. After moving to the left touchpad I prefer it over joystick due to being able to rely on a sprint hold mapping it on the outer edge without accidentally triggering it like I would on the joystick. And I've come to love mapping stuff like crouch, slide, or dash to it too so combining movement actions to touchpad clicks. Frees me to use back buttons for other stuff and further reduce my need to lift my thumbs away from movement and camera controls.

That's my experience as left joystick and left touchpad user.

I'd be sad to lose the left track pad since I use it for movement in games like Dying Light and Finals.

Touchpad is great for turns. Example here of 180 turn demo with my Steam Controller. And I use that with gyro to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc without aim assist.

Checking the configs I have uploaded and another game I have is Spin Rhythm XD if you have it. It's named "Pad and Gyro for Steam Controller" in the community config. The gyro is set to activate on right pad touch, but I recommend switching it to always on.

I might go and upload my left 4 dead 2 config too when I have time since that's a game lot of people have. You may need to lower the gyro sensitivity if you aren't used to using it.

The configs people come up with can be really unique from user to user which is why the ones who came to like the Steam Controller have a really hard time finding a controller that matches the functionality they become used to. Since the usual default console controller experience doesn't do it for them anymore.

Yeah, I find the controller disappointing as a Steam Controller user because I want a new touchpad centric controller for updated gyro with the old one not feeling smooth for high refresh rate displays.

The approach they went with is one that satisfies joystick users who aren't really lacking for options when it comes to joystick controllers, but disappointing for the few half dozen users who main the touchpads and have only the option of the discontinued Steam Controller. The Deck pads were a let down for me with the ergonomics, placement, size, and shape so they didn't end up being a good touchpad successor for my use case opting for the joysticks when I use the Deck.

I'm not surprised with the more mainstream direction they went. Just disappointed but I expected to be disappointed.

Some functionality that keeps me using the Steam Controller has been touchpads for movement, quick gadget swapping with touchpads, quick 180s/gyro activation with touchpads.

I use it to play games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, Spin Rhythm XD, The Finals, etc.

Sadly I don't find myself doing the same on the Steam Deck opting for the joysticks instead, since I don't find the placement, smaller size, square versus circle, and flat surface versus concave offering the type of consistency that I use the touchpads for on the Steam Controller. It feels more a touchpad appropriate for slow paced games or just desktop navigation than optimal for the way I use the touchpads on the Steam Controller. And I don't see Valve delivering on the touchpad end that I would like with the next Steam Controller with all the inputs it would be fitting in.

Haven't heard of Quaver before. How do you like compared to Osu!mania? Doing some searching I found you can apparently import osu mania songs into Quaver? https://steamcommunity.com/app/980610/discussions/0/2789370076129355639/

First time hearing about it and looking on youtube it looks cool.

Yeah, when you find a gyro sensitivity you like try the rotation approach to find a general idea of what the sensitivity you like is. Really helps reduce the time blindly fiddling around with the gyro trying to get it to feel right like it did in a game before that.

I wish they made it easier to find games that support simultaneous mouse and game pad inputs, since I like to map mouse to gyro and ideally get analog joystick movement over having to map movement to WASD. And better if they put down whether the game supports locked glyphs so it isn't switching between keyboard and gamepad icons due to detecting mouse and gamepad commands.

I've used the Steam Controllers for many years and use dual touchpads for movement and camera. Here's me playing Doom Eternal, Anger Foot, and a video on why I prefer touchpads to joysticks.

But, despite that I'm not a big of a fan of the ones on the Steam Deck. The placement is not that comfortable. There are 3D printed grips though that I would like to try out that would let me hold the Deck so it is more like holding the Steam Controller with the touchpads. Until then a majority of my gameplay is done with the joysticks in contrast to on the desktop where it is with touchpads.

I am really glad the touchpads are present so that it's not an input Valve has abandoned, but the placement and ergonomics is really disappointing me. I'd be playing lot of FPS games on the Deck if the touchpad experience were more on par with the Steam Controller.