Why was Steam Controller discontinued?

Why Was Steam Controller Discontinued?

The Steam Controller was a innovative gaming controller developed by Valve Corporation for their popular digital distribution platform, Steam. Despite receiving praise for its design and functionality, the Steam Controller faced poor sales and was discontinued after only four years.

Design and Features

The Steam Controller was released in 2015 alongside the Steam Link and Big Picture mode. The controller was designed to function seamlessly with PC games on Windows, macOS, Linux, and SteamOS. Key features included:

• Two trackpads with intuitive gestures for navigation and game control
• Haptic feedback for immersion
• Dual-stick design for comfort
• Customizable: users could remap controllers to suit their needs
• Wireless compatibility for convenience

However, despite its innovative features, the Steam Controller suffered from several issues.

Why Did the Steam Controller Fail?

According to many gamers and reviewers, the Steam Controller was fundamentally flawed. Here are a few reasons why:

• Lack of clear use cases: Many players struggled to find effective use cases for the Steam Controller, leading to a low adoption rate.
• Poor game support: Popular games often didn’t fully support the Steam Controller’s unique features, resulting in a subpar gaming experience.
• Uncustomizable controls: The steam controller’s default control setup was often criticized, but users couldn’t fully remap the controls without causing unintended consequences.
• Lack of polish: Some reviewers and players noticed errors and bugs in the initial release, which might have contributed to the low initial adoption rate.

When Was the Steam Controller Discontinued?

Valve officially discontinued the Steam Controller in 2019 after four years of being available on the market.

What Happened After the Discontinuation?

After the discontinuation of the Steam Controller, the focus shifted to improving Big Picture mode and developing other accessories like the Steam Link Hub. Valve also focused on developing more games with optimized controller support.

Reasons for Discontinuation

In an interview with IGN, Valve’s VR Product Manager, Scott Hanson, explained that the discontinuation was largely due to "poor sales". [1]

Contribution to the Gaming Community

Despite its discontinuation, the Steam Controller had its impact on the gaming industry. It inspired new hardware innovations and encouraged the community to experiment with innovative input methods.

Table Comparing Steam Controller Features vs. Competitors

Here’s a table comparing some key features of the Steam Controller with its main competitor, the Xbox controller, and the PlayStation DualShock:

Conclusion

Although the Steam Controller failed to gain widespread adoption, its innovative features and ideas were ahead of its time. The discontinuation highlights the importance of market feedback, user adoption, and adapting to changing gaming trends.

References

[1] IGN. (n.d.). Steam Controller to be Discontinued. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/09/17/steam-controller-to-be-discontinued