The Steam Controller has gone through yet another redesign

The Steam Controller continues to evolve. Earlier this year, we reported that images in the Steam Client showed that the controller can support an analog stick. Now, it seems to share another feature with other input devices. Additionally, there are images that are named to indicate different “modes” of use. When it was first announced, Valve stated that the Steam Controller are designed to be customized to user preference.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen or heard about Valve’s Steam Controller, the mythical gamepad that will make it easy to control PC games from the living room couch. Back in January of this year, Valve ditched the controller’s touchscreen, and in March Valve revealed that new design. A few months later in July, Valve added a thumbstick to the controller. Since then, the Steam Machine world, and its future, has gone dark — even Alienware turned their Steam Machine into a Windows PC. Now, if a leak from a Steam beta build is to be believed, Valve has another redesign in store for its controller. What originally made the Steam Controller unique was that, instead of traditional directional controls like a D-pad or thumbsticks, two circular trackpads would take their place. The new leak suggests that the left trackpad is now home to what appears to be a traditional D-pad. Yep, the Steam Controller has gone from trackpads and touchscreens to D-pads and thumbsticks.