After its recent release of Half-Life: Alyx, Valve is continuing its ingenuity momentum by patenting a new Steam controller design with swappable components. Valve launched the Steam software in 2003.
Originally, the distribution software handled games published solely by Valve, though, the company later expanded the platform to also include third-party titles. Seventeen years later, Steam is one of the primary channels gamers on PC use to acquire newly released titles – everything from heavy-hitting AAA games to indie projects can be purchased, downloaded, and played via Steam.
According to Patentscope, Valve has patented a new Steam controller design with swappable components. The patent claim is a lengthy document that details every facet of Valve’s future controller, but some of the key aspects include a detachable joystick and directional pad. The document explains scenarios when users may prefer a joystick over a directional pad or vice versa, and when players use a back cover that has two buttons as opposed to four, a built-in software may recommend games those users can play using the attached back cover. While this controller is not the first of its kind, it is the first of its kind developed by the Half-Life developer and Steam distribution software.
Valve has yet to provide any context or information regarding their patent, which was originally filed in 2018 but wasn’t published until 2020. A patent is not a definitive indication that the owner plans to move forward with any sort of production. Thus, it may be possible that Valve will not produce this controller, though, that outcome is unlikely given the mixed reviews associated with their original controller which debuted in 2015.
If Valve intends to move forward with their patented controller design, they will have a long road ahead of them to make up for their first controller’s limited success. By comparison, the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 improved upon its own predecessor’s design, upgrading its components with less flimsy material and resulting in a more capable and durable piece of equipment. Thus, Valve seems to be drawing inspiration from the Xbox Elite Controller series’ success and attempting to give PC gamers more options in terms of how they play their titles on their computers. However, those players who already have an Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 may not want to purchase the new Steam controller (assuming it gets developed and released) considering their already-expensive device is compatible with Windows 10 and works for most PC games that offer controller support.
Source: Patentscope