I love my PC.

The one problem Ive had is finding a good way to control my HTPC from the couch.

The Steam Controller has finally solved this for meand not just for gaming.

It has two key features that make it stand out from other controllers.

First, it utilizes two touchpads as its primary input.

While there is one analog control stick on the left side, the rig emphasizes touch over sticks.

Second and more importantly, the entire controller is completely customizable, both in-game and out.

Everyone has a different play style, so dont take my experience as canon.

In fact, lets start there.

The Touch Pads Are Amazing (But Polarizing)

Ive never really liked the way thumbsticks work.

For me, the touch pads on the Steam Controller are nothing short of a revelation.

They work a lot like the touchpad on your laptop does.

Move your thumb right, you go right.

If you then move back towards the center of the touchpad from the right side, you go left.

You dont have to rest from the middle to go left.

For me, it feels much more natural.

Wherever my thumb goes, the camera goes.

Maybe its when the computer first boots up and you havent entered Big Picture Mode yet.

The Steam Controller handles this beautifully.

You get the feel of a controller without losing that mouse-like functionality.

This is much better.

When needed, you’re free to pull up an on-screen keyboard, split down the middle.

Then you throw in with your thumbs on the two touchpads.

Move your thumb over the letters to select them, then smack the pads to enter a letter.

You also get autocomplete suggestions as you key in.

Its not without flaws, though.

Its also a bit jittery.

While its not impossible to punch in precisely, I found that I made more typos than I expected.

This could just be because of my thumbs as much as the controller itself.

Its not exactly perfect for extended typing, either.

I admit, I love that aspect, and its great for gaming.

While this is still frustratingly tied to Big Picture Mode, it gives you a ton of flexibility.

Virtually any button on the Steam Controller can be tied to any key or combination of keys you want.

As an example, I bound the left arrow button next to the center Steam button to Alt-Tab.

Now, while Im on the desktop, I can switch between open apps on the fly.

Now, Ctrl+Q is assigned to my Y button.

Whenever Im on the desktop, I can immediately open our home page with a single tap.

With this strategy, the skys the limit on what the Steam Controller can really do.

Some people are perfectly happy watching Netflix on their Xboxes and using controllers for all their games.

Theres nothing wrong with that.

Not every aspect of the controller is immediately intuitive though.

However, it offers a ton of flexibility thats either hard to find or use with other controllers.

The touchpads alone make precise, mouse-like input much easier.