The Steam Controller officially beats its competition in one unexpected way

After just a few months of uncertainty, you’ll lastly be capable to order your Steam Controller starting on Might 4. It’s an amazing choice for PC gamers on the lookout for a dependable gamepad, nevertheless it’ll price you — $99 to be precise. It’s an eyebrow-raising quantity for those who’re used to purchasing substitute Xbox Wi-fi Controllers, however simply how expensive is it in comparison with different gamepads in the marketplace? It’s extra right down to Earth than it may appear, however your view of it’ll differ relying on what you anticipate from a premium worth level.

First, you need to know what precisely you’re getting with the Steam Controller, as a result of it’s not only a reskinned Xbox Wi-fi Controller. It options two haptic trackpads that permit you to simulate mouse controls in PC video games. That’s a characteristic you received’t discover on just about any gamepad. You’re additionally getting Grip Sense, which allows gyroscopic controls, and 4 again buttons. All of that comes bundled with a puck that’s used to each simply pair the controllers to a PC and doubles as a charging cable. It doesn’t have swappable elements, nevertheless it’s secure to say that the Steam Controller has a reasonably premium characteristic set that locations it above your typical gamepad.

So how does it stack up with the competitors? At a look…

Let’s begin with the massive three. The Xbox Wi-fi Controller sometimes prices $65, although you possibly can simply discover it for $50 as of late. That’s an actual meat and potatoes gamepad with no distinctive options. Subsequent up is the PlayStation 5’s DualSense, which can run you $74. That price ticket will get you adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions. Lastly, there’s the Pleasure-Con 2 controllers, that are solely suitable with the Nintendo Swap 2. A set of these will run you $100, however naturally that isn’t your common controller. Movement controls, HD rumble, an NFC reader, mouse mode assist, and extra clarify the upper worth there.

The Steam Controller strains up with the latter, however these aren’t the one $100 controllers on the market. That is the value bracket you are inclined to see for low-end premium controllers. The Scuf Valor, for example, sits at that price ticket. It comes with again buttons, set off locks, and onboard audio controls. Then there’s the $100 Razer Wolverine V3 Match Version, which additionally has again buttons and set off locks, along with further bumpers and Corridor Impact thumbsticks. Energy A’s XP-ULTRA Wi-fi Controller is up there too, an uncommon gamepad that may be reconfigured right into a compact cellular controller, full with a cellphone clip.

These are comparatively inexpensive in comparison with a few of gaming’s most feature-loaded gamepads. The Xbox Elite Wi-fi Controller Collection 2, the holy grail of PC gamepads, prices $200 — and for good motive. It comes with tons of swappable elements, a charging dock, and its personal carrying case. (Even the stripped down Core model of it, which doesn’t include any of these fancy extras, will price you $150.) $200 can be the value of Sony’s PS5 and PC suitable DualSense Edge, which comes with an analogous set of options. The Victrix Professional BFG, a wonderful modular gamepad that permits you to swap your complete structure of your controller round, sits at that worth too.

That isn’t even the height of the mountain. If you happen to actually needed to interrupt the financial institution, there’s the Scuf Reflex FPS with TMR, an extravagant DualSense different that works on each PS5 and PC. It sells for a whopping $280.

So at $100, the Steam Controller is extra center of the pack than it appears contemplating the distinctive options that you just’re getting with it. It feels a contact excessive subsequent to the DualSense, which is likely to be its closest equal, however the trackpads do loads to make it really feel like an affordable deal in context of the value tier. The catch is in the end compatibility, because the Steam Controller solely works with the Steam consumer. Different launchers acknowledge it as a composite mouse and keyboard setup, which suggests which you could’t use it as your go-to PC controller throughout apps. That makes its use case somewhat area of interest in comparison with an Xbox controller, placing a dent in its worth.

If you happen to’re going to drop a cool Benjamin Franklin on it, simply know what you’re entering into. It’s a feature-loaded gamepad that may work throughout your PC Steam consumer, Steam Deck, cellular by way of Steam Hyperlink, Steam Machine, and Steam Body. It’s not going to connect with your PS5 or Nintendo Swap 2, nor can you employ it to regulate video games by way of the Epic Video games Retailer. If that’s a dealbreaker, hold on to your cash. However for those who’re all-in on Steam, it simply is likely to be the perfect companion controller you may get.