Steam Input is one of those things that most people are unaware of. It’s a feature you either love or you have no clue exists. But hey, it’s one part of Steam that makes it hard to topple. Today, more features were added to it; maybe to convince gamers switching to Epic Games is not worth it.
Steam Input (not to be confused with the Steam Controller) is a collection of features that lets gamers set up their controller configuration before they head into the game. It’s an API that let’s game developers add easy controller support to their games. So, whether you are using a PS, Xbox, or even a generic controller Steam Input makes life a little easier for you.
Steam Update Adds Improved Support for Next Gen Controllers
So, the latest Steam beta update came with a few features and additions. Importantly, we have finally received much anticipated features to Steam Input. User @RobotBrush tweeted out the Steam update pop up showing all the changes that were made.
You can see the full notes here in the beta client group. However, they haven’t hit official notes yet, but when they do they should be here on Steam client updates.
While next gen controllers were not ground-breaking, they did come with a few changes here and there. And that is why these updates are such a cool quality-of-life addition. Today’s Steam updates added extended Xbox controller support, adding the option to revamp share button binding as well as support for trigger rumble. Moreover, Valve finally decided to add support for more than 4 Xbox controllers simultaneously; a feature strangely missing from the toolkit.
The biggest changes came for camp Microsoft (it is the more popular controller for PC gamers, after all). But, team Sony saw tiny neat changes too. Now you can finally control the player slot LED on the PS5 controller, “allowing the player to disable it, enable it only when multiple controllers are connected, or to enable it at all times. Again, it is more of a quality-of-life change. Still, it is completely in line with what Steam Input was meant to do.
If you remember the Steam Machine news from quite a few years ago, this will all make sense. This is for everyone that is about couch gaming but is still all in on PC gaming. So for all you big picture folks out there: hope you are enjoying (remember, it’s in beta if you are looking for it).