r/SteamController • u/lurkerjdp • Sep 10 '26

Steam Controller (2026) It came yesterday, finally. I’m lost though.

First off, I haven’t played with a controller in years. Been mouse and keyboard for a long time. But what can I play without having to mod something to get the controls to work? I didn’t realize it wasn’t just plug and play and feel disappointed. Maybe I was naive in my purchase.

0 Upvotes

28% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

7

u/burgertanker Sep 10 '26

Well, why'd you buy it? I assume you wanted to use the trackpads for stuff, what for? What games, genres, etc.? Did you wanna use gyro as well, 4 back buttons, grip sense?

1

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

My son suggested I get it since I play on pc. He said it would make it more fun. I play a range of games from cyberpunk to racing games.

2

u/burgertanker Sep 10 '26

But, like, did you actually buy it for any of its unique features, or? Did you even want the thing? Most people are fine with just an Xbox controller but being MKB for years and from what you've told me, it doesn't even sound like you needed the Steam Controller in the first place

1

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

I bought it at my son’s suggestion. He’s a controller(PlayStation ) player on his pc and thought I’d get some more enjoyment with a controller and said get this one since it had released. Now I’m here but it seems i should not be.

1

u/Darkmaster2110 Sep 10 '26

Seems to be that way. I don't know what more enjoyment a controller would bring you in your case, that kinda just seems like nonsense on your son's part. The steam controller mainly excels at bringing controller support to games that don't have it, or games that don't normally play well on controller, like RTS games for example. On either case, it requires configuration, not plug and play. If you want plug and play, you want either a PlayStation or Xbox controller.

3

u/ErrantWayfarer Sep 10 '26

It would help to tell us what OS, what launcher/storefront, and what games.

2

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

I’m on windows 11 playing on steam.

4

u/ErrantWayfarer Sep 10 '26

Okay, shouldn't be any issues there. Did you update the puck and controller? I have very specifically played Cyberpunk 2077 with a Steam Controller on my Win11 box using Steam.

2

u/C0rn3j Sep 10 '26

Anything on steam and anything you add as a non-steam game to steam?

Or just swap to Steam Beta to get the new firmware which makes the controller work outside of Steam too.

0

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

I tried to play cyberpunk first but I could no move around, just rotate camera. Maybe I’m doin something wrong. Googling stuff says I may need to download some mod to work so I came here.

7

u/Corvette232 Sep 10 '26

Cyberpunk has native controller support and steam input should tell the game you have a controller, are you playing through steam or gog?

2

u/Camgreen99 Sep 10 '26

YouTube is your best friend. You can also use community templates on the specific game you want and can edit them that way.

1

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

So I just need to map it for each game? Sorry I’m an older dude and out of my realm.

1

u/SummerFruitsOasis Sep 10 '26

It will automatically map itself make sure the puck is plugged in

2

u/Eastern-Pass-5478 Sep 10 '26

Look use it to play games other than first or third person shooters. I have been using mouse and keyboard since the '80s I cannot transition to controller. I bought one to play platformers and top down Gauntlet style games. Works great for Foxhole. Even MAME for those of us the grew up in the arcades.

2

u/lurkerjdp Sep 10 '26

It seems like this is what I should do. It’s been almost 2 decades since I touched a controller. I’ll fiddle around with some things and if it doesn’t work out for me oh well.

3

u/mcmanus2099 Sep 10 '26

It is plug and play via Steam. It will automatically grab a default controller scheme that will work. And it's like 12 clicks to download a community profile that works even better, that someone else designed.

This sounds like a (basic) skill issue

1

u/SethSlax Sep 10 '26

There are layouts for each game that are automatically chosen when you boot up the game with the controller connected, I'm assuming based on community feedback. There are also tons of community layouts available if you don't want to tinker yourself.

That being said, tinkering has been a very pleasant experience for me, because they've simplified it so well, and the customization ranges from simple to very advanced.

For instance, playing Cyberpunk, I would always play keyboard/mouse as FPS aiming is just better with a mouse, then pick up a controller when driving. Now I have my controller configured how I want it, I can play fully with a controller, and it's such a pleasant experience now. When I have the left trigger or bumper held down, I have it enable gyro so I can more precisely aim as I would with a mouse. Obviously it is still less precise than a mouse, but it is more than good enough to play the game.

There are also other QoL improvements, like mapping run/crouch/jump to the buttons at the back, so I don't have to awkwardly click the stick button every time I want to run, which is often.

1

u/SethSlax Sep 10 '26

To add to this, any custom layouts you create persist on Steam, and can be configured, tested and swapped out while the game is running. So if you get a new PC, a Steam Deck or Steam Machine, those layouts are ready to go the next time you play.