Steam is getting an official controller, but Valve isn’t making it

Nearly five years after Valve discontinued its experimental Steam Controller, a new officially licensed gamepad for Steam is on the way. The new controller is made by Hori, and it’s only coming to Japan (at least for now).

Dubbed the Wireless Horipad for Steam, the PC-centric controller matches the Steam Deck’s menu buttons and has similar touch sensors atop its sticks to activate gyro controls. It also supports Bluetooth wireless and USB-C wired connections as well as a whole bunch of custom programmability using Hori’s software. But while it shares a lot with the Steam Deck, it’s not a Steam Controller 2 — it lacks rumble, a matching set of four back buttons, and the handheld’s signature trackpads.

The new controller is set to launch in Japan on October 31st in four colors (black, white, neon yellow, and violet), selling for 7,890 yen (about $50).

However, the Wireless Horipad seems to have a whole lot more going on. For starters, it’s actually wireless, albeit limited to Bluetooth, which is usually less reliable than a USB wireless dongle. The Steam version also has four programmable buttons, although, unlike the Steam Deck, there are only two on the rear — the other two are on the front directly below the D-pad and on the right thumbstick.

While it seems long overdue for Valve to once again have a branded go-to gamepad for Steam and docked Steam Deck use, we’ll have to wait to see if or when it becomes more widely available. Hori’s decision to start sales in its home country makes sense, but it may also speak to the rise of PC gaming in Japan, with handhelds being such a popular choice there that Valve spun up a partnership with an entirely different company for Steam Deck distribution (including in-store availability).

In general, gamepad usage in Steam is on the rise — as Valve’s just-released statistics show. Those numbers also come with a summary of new controller optimizations Valve has recently implemented in Steam. Perhaps this is setting the table for a wide swath of licensed Steam controllers from a variety of manufacturers like we see on Xbox consoles — with more wireless options, I hope. One thing I know is I’m now dying to try this Wireless Horipad.