8 Reasons The Steam Machine Will Destroy The Xbox One And PS4

3. The Steam Controller Could Be The Best Gamepad EVER

When the Steam Controller first appeared on the gaming scene, it was a bit like the black monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey; us simple gamers had never seen anything quite like it before, and like 2001's apes we circled it and prodded it with a mixture of fear, curiosity and excitement. Since then, Steam's mysterious controller has gone through several major changes, finally coming to rest on a design that focuses on two versatile trackpads with haptic feedback - promising that long sought-after precision of a keyboard/mouse, and the comfort of a gamepad. Other innovations of the controller include two big grip buttons on the handles, so in a shooter for example, players won't have to take their finger off the right analog stick to reload. Finally, the right and left trigger buttons are dual stage, meaning each of them effectively acts as two buttons (so press lightly to bring your iron sights up, then press down further to pull the trigger). The early feedback on the Steam controller is that it's a whole new way of using a gamepad, and while it takes some getting used to, it could finally offer console gamers that immersive, precise experience that has always eluded them.