> the Steam Controller that was billed as part of the package was an experimental concept rather than being something people could pick up and play
I'm not so sure about this. I have the Steam Controller and, while I'm aware it is an experiment, it's a completely functional controller and in many ways significantly better than any other I've ever used, especially for MMOs. The biggest problem, imo, is that people simply refused to give it a try because it's something new.
Fellow Steam Controller die-hard here. Nothing else really compares. One big issue was that the best features (like mouse-like joystick and gyro-assisted aim for FPS) took time to configure when most controller users want a controller to just work. But Valve’s community configs solved this extremely well. I can jump into just about any game and have an excellent controller config running out of the box.
The touchpads, gyro, and back paddles make it so much better than any other controller. It’s a shame they discontinued it. The more mainstream reviews of the controller by tech news sites and Linus Tech Tips didn’t quite grasp its potential, which is understandable. But there are some solid niche YouTubers like RambleTan and Critical Input that have made entire channels out of exploring its potential, and the subreddit is pretty good too.
I'm not so sure about this. I have the Steam Controller and, while I'm aware it is an experiment, it's a completely functional controller and in many ways significantly better than any other I've ever used, especially for MMOs. The biggest problem, imo, is that people simply refused to give it a try because it's something new.