Windows Central90
A fantastic feature-rich controller, almost perfect for Steam games.
Valve Steam Controller
4 expert reviews
Image: Valve3/4critics
recommend
recommend
Best for Steam gaming
Critics’ consensus
4 professional reviewers tested the Valve Steam Controller, and 3 recommend it. Most praised: build quality.
Reviewed by Windows Central, Tom's Hardware, WIRED and 1 more
The catch: It works poorly outside Steam, and the trackpads are awkwardly placed.
Broad agreement
Scores run from 70 to 903 printed scores, 1 estimated · printed scores only: 80
Early score: only 4 professional reviews so far. Expect it to move as more reviews come in.
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What do critics say about the Valve Steam Controller?
Tom's Hardware80
A comfortable, feature-rich pad that gives Steam users nearly every input they could want, with easy charging via its puck.
WIRED70
Well built and highly customisable, but locked to Steam games and incomplete without the delayed Steam Machine.
The Verge83est.
After two weeks of use the reviewer finds it close to a dream pad thanks to deep customization and Steam Deck layout sharing, and is buying one.
Scores are converted to 0–100. "est." means the outlet gave no number, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates
What critics praise most
Build quality2 of 4
What critics dislike most
No clear pattern.
Alternatives
Not sure about the Valve Steam Controller?
Common questions
Is the Valve Steam Controller worth it?
Most critics think so: 3 of 4 recommend it. It works poorly outside Steam, and the trackpads are awkwardly placed.
Do critics agree about the Valve Steam Controller?
Broad agreement: scores range from 70 (WIRED) to 90 (Windows Central), a spread of 20 points across 4 reviews. Most reviewers land fairly close together.
What is the best alternative to the Valve Steam Controller?
The GameSir G8+ (critic score 88), top pick, narrowly.