A few years ago, Valve introduced Steam Controllers as part of its Steam Machine initiative - an attempt to create a gaming system that would rival the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Unfortunately, Steam Machines were too expensive for casual console gamers and too difficult to upgrade for PC users, leading to the failure of the product. The Steam Controller was eventually shelved in 2019 after it didn’t quite pan out the way that it was intended.
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Recently, when answering questions from The Verge, Steam Deck designer Lawrence Yang was asked about Valve’s plans to revive the shelved Steam Controller. He responded by saying that the company definitely wants to make a new Steam Controller, but the focus is on the Deck for now. He added that he could not comment on when the company would be working on the project but hinted that the company would welcome third-party involvement.
There’s no denying that Valve’s previous Steam Controller failed to meet expectations, but that a few was years ago. A lot has changed since then, and it’s evident in its latest product, the Steam Deck. Steam Deck was released earlier this year and has been a very hot gadget and Valve is continuously trying to improve it, whether it be through new hardware or software updates. So if Valve decides to make an improved version of the Steam Controller, it’s safe to assume that it will be much better than their last attempt.
A recent report suggested that Valve is also working on a new VR Controller, potentially due to the success of its Steam Deck. It’s not just hardware that’s been seeing success at Valve - the company’s games business is apparently booming, too. With Steam hitting a new record for concurrent users earlier this year, it’s clear that Valve is doing better than ever before. All in all, it seems like things are going very well for Valve right now, the company is firing on all cylinders, and it looks like its success is only going to continue in the future.
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Source: The Verge
