Valve’s back in the hardware news cycle, and since I can’t test a Steam Controller 2 that doesn’t exist yet, I finally did the video I’ve been promising for like 3 years: a full, in-depth review of the original 2015 Steam Controller. I unbox a “brand new” unit (eBay roulette, baby), go through what’s included like the 2.4GHz dongle, micro-USB cable, AA batteries, and that weird little dongle block, then we get into the physical design—piano black plastics, the hidden regulatory plate, and the most overengineered battery eject lever I’ve ever seen on a controller. Then I break down the real meat: the touchpads, gyro, face buttons, thumbstick, comfort, triggers, bumpers, and rear buttons. The swipe pads are loud to click and, for me, not nearly as responsive as the Steam Deck—plus I noticed sensitivity changing depending on how hard I pressed, not just how fast I swiped. Face buttons are in a bad spot and caused false presses mid-fight, and the triggers are the worst of both worlds: slop like they want to be analog, but a digital click at the bottom. I also walk through Steam Big Picture/controller settings and then actually play Arc Raiders using swipe + gyro. My verdict: it’s a fascinating OG that laid the foundation for Steam Deck controls, but I don’t recommend it for competitive shooters or most normal controller games—where thumbsticks are already pretty goddamn good.