Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
New Features Come To The Steam Controller
Valve has released updates for its Steam beta client, and with it came some newly added features for the Steam Controller. The biggest changes are having multiple control sets that you can configure to change automatically in-game, an on-screen keyboard, and the ability to take screenshots. Some small additions to other Steam features include emoticons appearing in Big Picture mode and slight improvements to SteamVR. The full list of updates can be viewed below or on the Steam announcements page. You can also watch the Steam Controller's announcement trailer here.
Friends
- Emoticons show up now in Big Picture
Steam Controller
- Added user definable action sets for legacy games.
- Users can now add additional action sets with their own sets of bindings. Action sets can be added/deleted/named as appropriate and selected via a binding. Note that unlike mode-shifts, action sets completely replace all currently active bindings, and can have their own mode shifts and so forth.
- Added New Controller Action binding types which will expand in the future with bindings that are not specific to the game, but rather higher level, as noted below.
- Added Change Action Set Binding - sets the action set to the next or a specified action set when used.
- Added Show Keyboard Binding - shows the on-screen keyboard
- Added Take Screenshot Binding - takes a screenshot
- Removed hard coded desktop keyboard shortcut (stick click) and replaced it with controller action binding in the default desktop configuration.
- Fixed some cases of non-steam games not applying controller settings. Ensure that "Allow Launchers" option is off for this to take effect.
- Fixed controllers not turning off on Suspend power mode in Desktop mode which could cause zombie controllers to be seen over wireless
- Fixed Horizontal Invert setting not working on Mouse Joystick
SteamVR
- Automatically launch SteamVR after it finishes updating
- Added the SteamVR tool in the SteamVR section in the Library view
- Added SteamVR to the jump list options
- Improved scrolling when using the touchpads in the Steam interface while in your HMD
VR Keyboard
- Fixes for URL entry in big picture
[Source: Steam]
Our Take
I don't use the Steam Controller myself, and I'm not sure how great it is for accuracy in games such as shooters. But, I like the idea of being able to set custom button configurations that'll switch automatically (for instance, entering a car in Grand Theft Auto V and having it automatically switch to gyroscope steering as Kotaku points out). That sounds pretty neat.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
