Valve reveals the unorthodox Steam Controller: Has touchscreen, ditches control sticks for trackpads

Valve has unveiled the controller for its upcoming Steam Machines, and it’s full of surprises. The Steam Controller features two trackpads, a central touchscreen, and 16 buttons — a significant departure from standard gamepads found on home gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3.

“Whole genres of games that were previously only playable with a keyboard and mouse are now accessible from the sofa,” Valve states on the announcement page. “RTS games. Casual, cursor-driven games. Strategy games. 4x space exploration games. A huge variety of indie games. Simulation titles. And, of course, Euro Truck Simulator 2.”