Gabe Newell: Valve will release its own console-like PC

[DieH@rd]

I think there are major differences between Xbone controller and this. Xbone has ordinary rumble motors attached to the triggers.

These touchpads on Stream Controller can vibrate so fast that they can become speakers, and off course they can emulate textures! True touch haptics.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That controller ... so weird. I'm honestly very curious to try it, because it's so different than what we've had for yours and years. It's basically a dual mouse.

Am I missing something? It's the same input as dual thumbsticks, with 360 degree circular input+distance from centre for 3 degrees of freedom on each thumb. The only difference is the use of a pad instead of a stick. It'll feel very different, maybe more secure, but it's intrinsically the same input method as we've had for some 15 years.

 

[wco81]

I guess they had to put out some standard or reference controller.

Now get some living room friendly games like FIFA.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Am I missing something? It's the same input as dual thumbsticks, with 360 degree circular input+distance from centre for 3 degrees of freedom on each thumb. The only difference is the use of a pad instead of a stick. It'll feel very different, maybe more secure, but it's intrinsically the same input method as we've had for some 15 years.

Depends on the game type, I'd think. A 3rd or 1st person game should act more like a stick, where the camera would center itself if you moved your finger off of the pad. But for RTS games, or games with free cameras, wouldn't it make more sense to use the trackpad like a trackpad or mouse? No matter what, it's going to feel a lot different than using a stick.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Depends on the game type, I'd think. A 3rd or 1st person game should act more like a stick, where the camera would center itself if you moved your finger off of the pad. But for RTS games, or games with free cameras, wouldn't it make more sense to use the trackpad like a trackpad or mouse?

Ah,okay. I suppose that is something you can't do with sticks. Fair enough.

 

[Grall]

That controller looks phenomenally strange and weird and just plain damn nuts. I can't for my life see how it could possibly work, but perhaps it does, despite its super ultra duper odd appearance, so I won't crap on it until I've had time to test it.

How does it connect to a PC, bluetooth? I assume it comes with a dongle if that's the case. Or perhaps some sort of wifi perhaps like xbone controller...?

Also... This thing looks like it could be really expensive.

 

[Scott_Arm]

That controller looks phenomenally strange and weird and just plain damn nuts. I can't for my life see how it could possibly work, but perhaps it does, despite its super ultra duper odd appearance, so I won't crap on it until I've had time to test it.

How does it connect to a PC, bluetooth? I assume it comes with a dongle if that's the case. Or perhaps some sort of wifi perhaps like xbone controller...?

Also... This thing looks like it could be really expensive.

the beta ones are USB with four buttons in pace of the touch screen. Should be wireless later. I guess bluetooth would make the most sense, unless it comes with a proprietary receiver that's usb. They're saying low latency, so I don't know what makes the most sense. Wifi direct?

 

[zed]

nice to see, personally I would of made the left controller a stick though.
for years nothing (except mobile etc) now in the upcoming months, xbone/ps4 steam os, mantel

 

[snarfbot]

its a trackpad, so it uses absolute position rather than relative motion. so if you move your thumb from the left side to the right side your fov will rotate however many degrees relative to that depending on sensitivity. rather than holding a stick in a position and rotating at suchandsuch rate.

it should be pretty good imo, with the proper software it could emulate a trackball really well without the associated mechanical wear and gunking up and such.

like flick the pad hard and the cursor continues to move in that direction until you tap the pad, stopping it. make it feel kinda weighty, best of both worlds.

 

[liolio]

The haptic feedback seems similar to the new rumble in the Xbox One controller, and the touchscreen is similar to the touchpad on the PS4. So it's like the hybrid of those two controllers, but replacing the sticks with dual trackpads. It's kind of crazy and genius, but maybe horrible to use at first. I'd like to try it, even though I think it will be an absolute failure with gamers, who are the most change-averse crybabies in the known universe.

I'm not sure about that speak to a guitarist about changes (unproven like those great evertune bridge) and you may have another opinion.

Other than that, the controller is completely weird, it is night impossible to me to guess how it would feel in my hands.
No analog sticks, I was late to that type of input having passed on the ps2/Gc/XB generation, I think I could deal with it, but the button is a complete shock: they dare to moved away from thee layout the Super NES made almost universal.

 

[Cjail]

Form what I can tell there's no way you can press two buttons (frontal) simultaneously with one thumb. That's going to be a problem for certain kid of games.

Also the two triggers (crouch and toggle zoom) are awkwardly placed in my opinion but I guess that's the price they had to pay for not using analog sticks.

 

[liolio]

Form what I can tell there's no way you can press two buttons (frontal) simultaneously with one thumb. That's it's going to be a problem for certain kid of games.

Also the two triggers (crouch and toggle zoom) are awkwardly placed in my opinion but I guess that's the price they had to pay for not using analog sticks.

Indeed, and fighting games (or Gow type of games) could also prove complicated.

 

[Grall]

its a trackpad, so it uses absolute position rather than relative motion.

Ah! Yes, that would make sense, and might actually work pretty decent, as long as you get the sensitivity in-game right. Could be weird to aim in an FPS if you ever need to take the thumb off the pad though, hopefully there's a sufficient (but also not overexaggerated) deadzone in the center so your view doesn't suddenly snap aside slightly because you put the tip of your thumb down again.

I suppose they've already thought of these things though...

 

[Butta]

This is nothing new as anyone who has played a game on a smartphone has already tried out this method. Just because the area that you play in is more defined it does not change the fact that it will feel very similar (although slightly better as your hands are not covering the screen and plastic may be nicer to the touch then glass). I hate touch controls and this is basically what this is. At least they more clearly defined the center reference point with the rings... but other than that I see nothing that will make this any better (precision wise) than using a smartphone. It will at the very least be more comfortable to hold.

 

[Jwm]

For me it hurts my aging hands, what is Valve thinking. I even extend my thumbsticks to make it more comfrortable. Have to wait and see I guess.

 

[milk]

The way Valve puts it, it seems this controler is not actually emulating physical analogue sticks like many iphone games do. Maybe it acts more like a notebook's trackpad, or maybe you can touch and swipe to scroll the scene as in street view on a touch device, with perpetual momentum until you touch it to stop the camera. Might be better for aiming than a stick. Even if this turns out to be shit, I'm just glad to have a company stirring things up. The downplaying of face buttons is equally intriguing, and together with the 2 additional back-side buttons makes this a very 1st person focused controller.

 

[wco81]

The controller may or may not succeed but they would need to put out a standard box which includes one of the controllers and try to get some distribution.

Depending on partners to put out boxes isn't going to work, any more than those Google TV boxes did.

OEMs are going to have a quick trigger finger. Not going to bother to continue manufacturing and shipping unless they see some quick results.

Sony will stick with the Vita for years, even if sales are dismal. But imagine an OEM doing that for some other platform owner.

 

[DaveNagy]

Ah! Yes, that would make sense, and might actually work pretty decent, as long as you get the sensitivity in-game right. Could be weird to aim in an FPS if you ever need to take the thumb off the pad though, hopefully there's a sufficient (but also not overexaggerated) deadzone in the center so your view doesn't suddenly snap aside slightly because you put the tip of your thumb down again.

I think you might be confused... but it's probably me!

Putting your thumb down anywhere on the pad is never going to cause the view to "snap" anywhere. It'll be just like a mouse. You move it in any direction until you run out of room. Then you pick up the mouse (thumb) and set it back down anywhere you want on the pad. Then you can start moving it again. Just like with a mouse, as long as your thumb isn't moving across the pad as it touches down, you view direction shouldn't change much at all. We've certainly never needed a "dead zone" in the middle of our mouse pads!

Joysticks and touch pads can be quite different in operation. Joysticks are typically "indirect" in operation. Tilting a stick and holding it there results in continuous motion in a direction. That's indirect. You're requesting motion even when your thumb is motionless. Sliding a ways on a touchpad and then stopping results in the motion stopping as soon as the sliding does. There's no need to return to center in order to stop the motion. You just stop moving your thumb. The motion is mapped "directly".

But... indirect motion can be good too. In an FPS your body motion is typically controlled either by a keyboard (WASD), or by the left stick of a controller. In both cases, the control is "indirect". If you "push" in a direction, you will continue to move in that direction until the key (or stick) is released. And that's fine. Direct motion mapping would suck for moving through space. (Imagine moving your character forward by pushing a mouse forward. Over and over again. Wolfenstein-style.)

So, the Valve controller will need to allow us to map either pad to either a direct (mouse) style control scheme, or an indirect (stick) style scheme. (The further from center you slide your thumb, the faster you travel.) For an FPS, many people will want indirect on the left, and direct on the right. Analog stick emulation on the left, mouse emulation on the right.

It's a brave new world, folks. Hold on to your butts.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Did anyone else notice how it would be impossible to play Portal with this controller and key bindings?

There's no jump button!

 

[eastmen]

it looks like an owl... it scares me alot