New Horipad Steam Controller Is Up for Preorder

ign.com:

You can use an Xbox or PS5 controller to play PC games, but what if there was a dedicated Steam controller? Brushing past the too-weird concept Valve released in 2015, there’s a new entry in the field. The third-party accessory maker Hori is releasing a new Wireless Horipad for Steam Controller that takes its cues from the physical controls on the Steam Deck. It has some great features, and it’s up for preorder now for $59.99, with a release date of December 16 (see it at Amazon). Let’s take a look.

The Wireless Horipad for Steam Controller has three dedicated menu buttons for playing on Steam Deck (docked or undocked) or in Steam Big Picture mode. Like the Deck, the thumbsticks have capacitive touch sensors that you can program to toggle the gyro sensors for motion control (or other functions). It also has two programmable back buttons, two function buttons, and triggers you can toggle between analog and digital mode.

Notably unlike the Deck, however, it doesn’t have trackpads, vibration, or a headphone jack. That’s too bad, but I imagine including those features would have increased the price quite a bit, for what that’s worth.

All the buttons, features, and sensors are deeply customizable in Steam. You can download official and community control schemes for all of your games, or remap the buttons and functions to your liking using Steam’s controller settings.

The Wireless Horipad for Steam Controller connects via Bluetooth either directly or using a USB-A receiver that comes with it. Alternatively, you can plug it in directly using an included cable. And its built-in rechargeable battery offers 12 hours of use.

If you can live without vibration and a headphone jack, this looks like a solid alternative to the other companies' first-party controllers when playing on Steam. The back buttons, menu buttons, and capacitative thumbsticks offer Steam-specific features that give this controller a leg up on its similarly priced competition.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and