Valve Gives Fans a Closer Look at Steam Deck’s Trackpad and Gyro Controls

Valve has released a detailed look at the trackpad and gyro controls included in the Steam Deck, providing fans with an idea of exactly how they will work when the device releases in December.

The new tech video, which was released in collaboration with IGN, shows how the capacitive touch joysticks and gyroscopic controls can combine together to give players more options when it comes to actually playing games.

The gyro seemingly gives users a lot of control in games, with a precise and smooth motion similar to what is available with a stand desktop mouse.

“We have capacitive touch joysticks,” said Valve designer Scott Dalton. “And one of the really cool things about that is we can use that in tandem with our gyroscope to sort of turn on or turn off gyroscopic aiming and motion controls in games.”

The fact that the Steam Deck will support motion controls has drawn obvious comparisons with the Nintendo Switch. However, Valve does not see Nintendo’s hybrid console as a direct competitor and the developer did not design the new device to challenge it.

“We tried to make all the decisions really in Steam Deck that targeted [the PC gaming] audience and that served the customers that were already having a good time interacting with the games that are on that platform, on our platform,” Valve designer Greg Coomer said in a separate interview with IGN.

Meanwhile, Valve boss Gabe Newell is confident that the userbase for each device is distinctive and that there will be little crossover, telling IGN: “Let me put it this way, if you’re a gamer, and you pick up a Switch, and you pick up one of these, you’re going to know which one is right for you, right?”