Steam to Get Official PS4 Controller Support

[Steven Bogos]

Steam to Get Official PS4 Controller Support

An update to the Steam API will allow users to customize their PS4 controllers in the same way they can with Xbox and Steam controllers.

The Xbox 360/Xbox One controller has always been the go-to "default" controller for PC gaming, mostly due to the fact that both Windows and Steam have tremendous plug-and-play support for the device. Getting Sony and Nintendo's controllers working on the PC has always been quite a bit more finicky, but an upcoming update to the Steam API should make things a bit easier for PS4 controller fans.

At Steam Dev Days today, Valve's Jeff Bellinghausen explained that the update will allow players to completely customize their PS4 controller layout via an in-game UI. It will also allow them to tailor the functions of the PS4's touchpad and gyro features - options that aren't available today when using the DualShock 4 with Steam.

Here's what the UI looks like:



Co-presenter Lars Doucet, developer of Defender's Quest, explained, "Believe it or not, when you use the PS4 Controller through the Steam API, it's exactly the same as a Steam Controller. You make the exact same API calls, you only get actions, not inputs, and the Steam API takes care of everything."

Valve also said that a similar level of support for "other" controllers was also in the pipeline, although he did not specify which controllers in particular.

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/283223/Steam_to_expand_PlayStation_4_gamepad_support_in_new_update.php]

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[DaCosta]

Cool. But I already have an Xbox 360 gamepad, so I doubt I'll bother with it.

Besides, weren't there ways to make it work before? Not "official support" sure, but when I didn't want to buy a new gamepad I found a way to use my PS3 controller regardless. Where there's a will there's a way.

tremendous

Is it weird this word has been ruined for me? It's no "bigly", but it has become about as meaningless in mind.

 

[dragongit]

I can already jury rig my PS4 controller to work with most games well enough.Unless it can also support the function of a PS4 controller, and map the keys, then that'd be really cool.

 

[Steven Bogos]

I can already jury rig my PS4 controller to work with most games well enough.Unless it can also support the function of a PS4 controller, and map the keys, then that'd be really cool.

That's exactly what it is doing. Please read the article before commenting.

 

[Dragonlayer]

Hooray! Now perhaps I'll be able to do that finicky as hell river section in Albert & Otto.

 

[Lillowh]

I wonder if this'll allow use of the PS4 controller with the steam link, because then I'd get so much more use out of it. At least for the games that don't natively support it which apparently works.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Nice. I am planning to move to PC eventually, and I can't stand both TPS games with kb/m and Xbox controllers.

 

[cikame]

I can already jury rig my PS4 controller to work with most games well enough.Unless it can also support the function of a PS4 controller, and map the keys, then that'd be really cool.

If you're using programs like InputMapper or DS4Windows it works for a lot of games, but some games read it as having two inputs, one a base wireless controller and the other an XInput, so for example in some games you could end up controlling player 1 and 2, or in a single player game having double inputs double pressing every button, also for some reason Dragons Dogma wouldn't read by DS4's D-Pad which was annoying.
This is by far a better solution provided you play Steam games.

Cool. But I already have an Xbox 360 gamepad, so I doubt I'll bother with it.

Then Valve should cancel the project, i mean you arn't going to use it so there's no point right?

 

[Fulbert]

I hope more PC devs introduce an option to display ps button prompts in their games in the future. That'd be nice and appropriate now that the DS4 controllers are officially supported.

 

[FalloutJack]

Took ya long enough. There are most certainly games I wanna use with a controller, not my keyboard.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

I just bought xpadder.....which is a very worthy investment if you want to do PC gaming from the couch

 

[Living_Brain]

I hope more PC devs introduce an option to display ps button prompts in their games in the future. That'd be nice and appropriate now that the DS4 controllers are officially supported.

Some games already support the PS4 controller without any other programs, but they lack gyro and rumble. Rocket League comes to mind, it changes buttons based on whatever device you made an input with last. If the game doesn't support it though, I don't think it will happen.

 

[Parasondox]

Excuse me? EXCUSE ME!! True PC gaming should never require a controller. BLASPHEMY!! Only keyboard and mouse needed for TRUE gaming and tjose who don't use it are... Oh who gives a *beep*.

So glad that, that way of thinking is dying. All good news to be honest. Now I can connect my PS4 controller to seem.

 

[DaCosta]

Cool. But I already have an Xbox 360 gamepad, so I doubt I'll bother with it.

Then Valve should cancel the project, i mean you arn't going to use it so there's no point right?

So I can't say whether or not I'm going to use this feature now? And here I thought comment sections were made so you could share your opinions with others.

I'll be sure to run it by you next time, wouldn't want to upset anyone.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

Nice. Be great to use the PS4 controller without any third party software in between. Now if more devs would offer the option to choose which controller prompts you could use in game that would be great.

 

[cikame]

Cool. But I already have an Xbox 360 gamepad, so I doubt I'll bother with it.

Then Valve should cancel the project, i mean you arn't going to use it so there's no point right?

So I can't say whether or not I'm going to use this feature now? And here I thought comment sections were made so you could share your opinions with others.

I'll be sure to run it by you next time, wouldn't want to upset anyone.

You didn't give an opinion you gave your position, your situation, how do you feel about Valve supporting Playstation controllers?
I think it's very impressive, given that Microsoft arn't interested in adding better support for other controllers to Windows, and that despite now having two applications which runs on PC's Sony don't offer a good device driver for the DS4, so it falls to fans to make their own programs and now Valve to create their own official support.
I'm gona keep using my Xbox One controller, but it's awesome that thousands of others will have access to this.