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A reviewer accidentally leaked the Steam Controller’s price, and folks aren’t happy
A reviewer accidentally leaked the price of Valve's Steam Controller, revealing it will cost $100. This price point has generated significant negative feedback from consumers and Reddit users, who consider it too high compared to other controllers like the PlayStation 5 DualSense and suggest a range of $60-$80.
Control Issues
A review for Valve's Steam Controller has leaked early, revealing a price of $99 and detailing its strengths and weaknesses. The article from Wccftech suggests the device is a significant comeback for Valve's hardware efforts.
"There was an arrogant assumption that players of shooters didn't want and wouldn't care about a story; we just didn't believe this": Go behind the scenes of Half-Life with legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw
Legendary Valve designer Marc Laidlaw discusses the development of Half-Life, revealing early concepts like 'Ivan the Space Biker' and the decision to delay release for a major redesign. He emphasizes Valve's belief that players desired story in shooters, a contrast to the prevailing industry assumption at the time. Laidlaw also touches on the game's technical achievements, innovative AI, and its lasting impact on the first-person shooter genre.
Steam Beta gets battery indicator for wireless gamepads as the new Steam Controller nears
Valve has added a battery indicator for wireless gamepads to the Steam Beta client, a feature that works with Bluetooth connections but not the proprietary dongle. The update also includes general bug fixes for controller navigation and macOS soundtrack playback issues.
Counter-Strike 2 Patch Fixes Audio Crashes and Weapon Glitches
Valve has released a patch for Counter-Strike 2 addressing critical bugs, including random audio crashes on startup when using non-default audio devices and various weapon glitches. The update also includes animation improvements for smoother movement and more accurate bomb planting, alongside fixes for dropped weapons with silencers and map guide updates.
Steam Servers Ascend to Legendary Status as Download Speeds Shatter All Expectations
A Reddit post highlighted exceptionally fast Steam download speeds, sparking community discussion about Valve's server infrastructure. While users often experience slow downloads, these moments demonstrate the platform's potential for peak performance. This phenomenon underscores Valve's ongoing investment in server technology to handle increasingly large game sizes.
The Alice: Madness Returns dev team 'made history,' American McGee says: It was 'the first team ever to…
American McGee, creator of the Alice franchise, shared details about the development and financing of Alice: Madness Returns. He highlighted the challenges faced with Electronic Arts' marketing team and the game's status as the first AAA game fully developed by a Chinese team and the first to be bond-financed in China. McGee also mentioned that the game was delivered on budget and schedule despite EA's refusal of additional polishing time.
Evening Mobilization
New Steam Deck data is now available in beta through Steamworks Development. An unspecified favorite role-playing game has finally earned its Verified badge after over three years of issues on the Steam Deck platform.
Steam Controller review - another essential gaming PC hardware addition from Valve
Valve's Steam Controller is reviewed as an essential addition for PC gamers, offering solid gamepad performance combined with versatile trackpads for general PC browsing and mouse-like control. Despite a premium price and some minor build quality concerns, its unique features, extensive customization options via Steam, and impressive battery life make it a highly recommended upgrade for casual everyday play and living room PC use.
It seems Steam Controller is shipping first as RAM crisis holds Steam Machine back
Valve's Steam Machine launch is reportedly delayed due to an AI-induced RAM crisis, but the Steam Controller is expected to ship first. An official distributor briefly listed the Steam Controller with details, suggesting it is less affected by supply issues. This marks the second iteration of the Steam Controller, with a more refined design compared to its predecessor.
Steam Deck Gets New Data Features in Latest Beta Update
Valve has released new data features for Steam Deck beta users, signaling continued software improvements for the handheld device. These updates, appearing through incremental software releases rather than hardware changes, aim to provide users with more insight into performance, battery usage, and thermal monitoring, reinforcing the Steam Deck's position as a customizable PC-like gaming experience.
Larian keeps a framed reminder of Baldur's Gate 3 breaking Steam in its office, hopes Divinity will "absolutely demolish" Valve's storefront
Larian Studios keeps a framed article commemorating Baldur's Gate 3 crashing Steam during its Early Access launch as a reminder of its success. The studio's publishing director expressed hope that their upcoming RPG, Divinity, will similarly dominate the Steam storefront, potentially surpassing Baldur's Gate 3's already massive player counts.
Valve Wants To Know If You Disagree With Steam Deck Verified Ratings
Valve has introduced new tools for developers and players to better assess Steam Deck Verified ratings. These tools aim to collect performance data and allow users to dispute a game's certification, addressing discrepancies between official ratings and actual performance on the portable device.
Twitter Community Builds Discovery Engine for Hidden Indie Gaming Gems
The indie game community on Twitter is developing a grassroots discovery engine, exemplified by 'Indie Spotlight Tuesdays,' to help hidden gems gain visibility on platforms like Steam. This initiative encourages developers to share trailers, screenshots, and descriptions, fostering organic engagement and community-driven recommendations as an alternative to traditional marketing.
Garry's Mod's "spiritual successor" s&box finally makes a profit after five years in development
Facepunch, the developer of Rust and Garry's Mod, announced that its upcoming game development tool, s&box, has become profitable for the first time in its five-year development cycle. The Source 2 engine-based tool, considered a spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, generated $1.1 million in gross income in April 2026, resulting in a profit of $298,400 after accounting for ongoing costs. S&box is also the foundation for several other Steam titles and is set to release worldwide on April 28.
Heroic Games Launcher Gets Steam Deck Overhaul With Big Picture Mode
The Heroic Games Launcher has received a significant update for Steam Deck users, introducing a new fullscreen interface that mimics Steam's Big Picture Mode. This overhaul aims to improve usability for handheld and couch gaming, alongside new features like GOG achievements, a deals page, an improved Wine manager, and SteamGridDB integration.
Turkiye passes legislation to tighten its grip on Steam and other gaming platforms, but it's social media companies…
Turkiye's parliament has approved new legislation that will impose stricter regulations on gaming platforms like Steam and Epic Games Store. The bill, part of a broader push to protect children, includes requirements for age ratings, parental tools, and data sharing with authorities. While platforms face penalties for non-compliance, they will not be banned outright, though social media companies face more severe consequences.
Quake 2 dev felt "breathless" when he saw how Valve was using id Software's engine, and it led to one of my favorite games of the '00s: "26 years later and I can still say 'Wow'"
Former id Software developer American McGee reflects on his time working on Quake 2 and how he felt inspired by Valve's use of the engine for cinematic storytelling. This experience led him to create his acclaimed games, American McGee's Alice and Alice: Madness Returns, which he is now working on a spiritual successor to.
Garry's Mod follow-up S&box will launch on Steam with "sustainable" payout for people using it to make games, as devs say with a wink: "We don't have to fire 1000 people to keep it working"
Facepunch Studios announced that its Garry's Mod follow-up, S&box, will launch on Steam next week. The developer has partnered with Valve to enable games made within S&box to be sold royalty-free on Steam, emphasizing a sustainable payout model for creators. Facepunch stated their commitment to community opportunities and fair practices, contrasting with other platforms.
PC Gamers Ditch PS5 for Steam Big Picture Console Setup
PC gamers are increasingly opting for Steam Big Picture mode as a viable alternative to traditional consoles like the PlayStation 5. This trend is driven by the PC's superior hardware capabilities, extensive game library, modding support, and greater customization options, all at a comparable or better long-term value proposition compared to console gaming.
