The Steam Box game controller is set to take on the next-gen consoles with a vengeance, and what better competition to aim for than the PS4? With Microsoft’s shenanigans, the PS4 appears to be the clear winner, though the DualShock 4 itself might be in for some trouble.
Valve’s Steam Box is meant to bridge the gap between console and PC with a controller designed to make PC gamers feel more comfortable, replacing the directional pad and joysticks with simple control discs which act as the keyboard and mouse controls for PC games. The DualShock 4 being almost identical to the PS3 controller with some small changes, Sony gamers will feel right at home with it. As for the bulky-looking grip handles of the Steam OS controller, Sony clearly wins that one with its slimmer variety.
The button placement appears much more geared toward PC gamers used to the keyboard, though with the grips being a bit large it might draw the hands tighter into the middle where all of the important stuff is. Where the Steam Box game controller seems to draw the hands toward the center, the PS4 controller seems designed to make your hands feel comfy directly on them. Of course with the number of buttons on either controller, the big difference turns out to be the hackability of the Steam Box game controller, which lets you assign functions to whatever button you want. If the control feels wrong, just pause the game and change what buttons do what.
The big similarity between the two seems to be the touchpad in the center, making it a first for non-Nintendo controllers (Nintendo’s DS was the first one to incorporate a touchpad and stylus control). Again, the hackability of the Steam Box game controller is what might give it the edge over the DualShock 4 , as well as the sheer surface size of the touch screen, allowing for more freedom of control using it.
Much like the previous comparison with the Xbox One controller , the Steam OS game controller seems to have a slight edge over the PS4 controller, even if it does lose some of its edge with its massive grip handles, which balance out as it drives the hand toward the parts that matter.
It seems the Steam Box game controller wins once again against the DualShock 4, but individual preference will be the final judge.