Steam Deck minus the screen: Valve announces new Steam Machine, Controller hardware

Summary

Taking control While the Steam Machine will be able to connect to standard USB and Bluetooth PC controllers and peripherals, it has been designed with a brand-new Steam Controller in mind. And while both pieces of hardware will be sold separately, they will also be available in a bundle for gamers who want an all-in-one living room gaming solution. If it weren't for those touchpads, it would be hard to distinguish this gamepad from a lot of other modern controllers. Valve If it weren't for those touchpads, it would be hard to distinguish this gamepad from a lot of other modern controllers. Valve Seriously—from this angle, it's very hard to tell this apart from many other console controllers. Valve Seriously—from this angle, it's very hard to tell this apart from many other console controllers. Valve Four programmable grip buttons on the back side. Valve Four programmable grip buttons on the back side. Valve Seriously—from this angle, it's very hard to tell this apart from many other console controllers. Valve Four programmable grip buttons on the back side. Valve The new Steam Controller (not to be confused with the identically named old Steam Controller) will make use of a proprietary 2.4 Ghz wireless connection that allows for around 8 ms of end-to-end latency between a button press and the resulting signal received by the system. A radio for that connection will be built into the Steam Machine but will also be available via an included “plug and play” Steam Controller Puck that can support up to four wireless controller connections. Without the puck, the new Steam Controller can still connect to PCs (including portable gaming PCs) and smartphones via Bluetooth or a wired USB connection. And while console connections are technically possible, Valve Software Engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais and Designer Lawrence Yang told Ars via email that it would “require collaboration with the vendor” that the company would be “happy to discuss… if it came up.” The most striking f...