The Steam Controller Failed. Here’s Why I’m Excited for the Rumored Do-Over

Controllers bore me. The modern Xbox controller and Sony DualSense both conform to the same general shape that gently cups your palms and leads the thumbs right to the necessary joysticks and face buttons. A comfortable design has led to stagnation, something that Valve could be ready to take a sledgehammer to for some extreme remodeling. Sure, the Steam maker’s decade-old attempt at a gamepad failed, but the rumored new Steam Controller may have enough going for it that trackpads could finally replace thumbsticks… in some cases.

Valve may be on the edge of releasing its first novel hardware since it gave us the Steam Deck OLED in 2023. There have been enough rumors to suggest Valve is close to dropping its rumored “Deckard†VR headset as soon as this month. It would serve as a wireless sequel to the 2019 Valve Index but use the more common Snapdragon XR2 chip like the Quest 3 and 3S. This headset, which has also been referred to as the “Steam Frame†based on data unearthed within SteamOS, would be distinct from most other headsets.

Reliable VR rumormonger Brad Lynch has catalogued several leaks that suggested it would also be able to play your regular Steam library through the headset’s built-in displays. But if you’re going to be playing those games with your head sandwiched between a VR headset, you’re going to need a controller that doesn’t require any extra probing to find the right button. That’s where the supposed new Steam Controller comes in.

The new Steam Controller will look like this when it launches

Im told that it can also detect how far your hands are from the handles using a simple capsense feature

Similar to the index controllers, but not full finger tracking in the grips pic.twitter.com/loIqpJb0YZ

— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) November 9, 2025

Lynch has posted several renders of this controller generated based on his data mining and other sources. He shared a recent AI-generated “slop photo†he claims the controller will resemble upon release. Lynch suggests the gamepad could detect how far your hands are from the controller, akin to Valve’s original Index VR controllers, though without finger tracking. You can see by the image mockup that the two large trackpads are recessed into the controller. The Steam Deck normally used the triggers as a mouse click in some games and when using the desktop mode.

The Steam Controller deserves a do-over

Valve’s original controller from 2014, built for the long-defunct Steam Box, had two massive saucer-like trackpads built on an extremely lightweight frame. It required players to use these trackpads since it otherwise contained a single thumbstick alongside the traditional ABXY face buttons. The idea was that players could use the trackpads like a mouse for the sake of first-person shooters or real-time strategy games that required more precise input. While the Steam Controller lasted longer than any of the supposed Steam Machines, Valve eventually liquidated its stock for $5 a pop.

That controller worked, but only to a point. It took way too much getting used to and lacked the haptics necessary for precise controls. Dell’s Alienware gaming brand also developed a Nyx concept controller with a single haptic pad. Valve, however, could be the one to make trackpad controls mainstream. The Steam Deck’s twin thumbpads are easily the best of any of the many, many handheld PCs I’ve tried over the past three years. The microtextured plastic combined with the force feedback offers better mouse controls than moving your cursor around with a joystick. The reason I don’t often opt for the trackpads in games is simply because the Steam Deck OLED’s small 7.4-inch, 800p display isn’t great for most CRPGs or RTS games that I prefer to play.

Which is why it makes more sense when combined with a VR headset, or better yet, with an updated Steam Machine console such as the supposed “Fremont†console that’s been in development within Valve. Lynch recently posted on Discord that, according to anonymous sources, Valve’s next hardware could drop as early as this week. Valve’s normal Autumn sale on Steam ran from Sept. 29 through Oct. 6, which is earlier than usual. That’s enough to have some Valve superfans speculating the company could launch new hardware sometime this month. Before you start filling the internet with thoughts about a surprise Half-Life 3 announcement, take a second to breathe.