It should go without saying that without using a decent, and above all intuitive, controller, console gaming would fail miserably. From the NES’s angular, two-button control pad through the N64’s bizarre, three-pronged monster to the Switch’s Joy-Cons in the present day, Nintendo’s control pads has seen tremendous evolution.
Over the years, the latter have shown how far technology has progressed, and it has now come to light that Valve’s Steam platform will soon support these vibrant sticks.
Steam now supports the Joy-Con controllers, adding that they may be used independently as a “mini-gamepad” or combined as one, according to the most recent client beta version, which went live a few days ago.
This is undoubtedly wonderful news for PC gamers who prefer utilizing a different controller and have a Nintendo Switch available.
The fact that this breakthrough came about so soon after Apple made the Joy-Cons compatible with iOS 16 is also intriguing.
This update was released shortly after Steam Deck made the original Nintendo Online controllers compatible. As a result, anybody who possesses a mobile device from Valve may now connect their NES, SNES, or N64 pads.
However, it does demonstrate that Valve is willing to open the doors for other peripherals for anyone who wants to use them either through Steam in general or on the Deck.
It should note that this support is only for the contemporary iterations of these iconic controllers, as they have USB connectivity.
It is impossible to predict if other controllers, like the Sega Genesis gamepad, will be added to the lineup.
In addition, Valve just filed a patent for a new feature for Steam that may improve game suggestions. This patent seems to be based on an active quality-of-life policy.
According to reports, the system will eventually be able to create personalized compilation films for games that it predicts a user would like based on their past behavior.
Steam is Valve’s most valuable asset, making it one of the most prosperous gaming firms in the world.
The company, formerly well-known for producing the critically acclaimed first-person shooter game Half-Life, is now more focused on its PC marketplace, with the Steam above Deck marking a successful entry into the hardware market after years of futile efforts.
