A diagram has been found in the latest Steam beta client which shows a new design for Valve's Steam Controller. From this image we can see that Valve is still reconfiguring, tweaking and testing new input strategies for its all important games controller. This controller is vitally important to Valve as it seeks to conquer the living room by rivalling the PC gamer's favourite keyboard & mouse control combo.
As you can see from the diagram of the new layout, above, Valve hasn't sacrificed either of the touch sensitive thumb pads at the core of the controller's 'newness' to accommodate the little thumb stick - but 4 other conventional buttons have been chopped.
The change to the controller layout was first seen by a member of the FacePunch.com forums. However anyone with access to the beta can find the files themselves if they stick their virtual nose in their Steam directory:
[Steam directory]\tenfoot\resource\images\library\alpha_conroller_lines_d0g.png
Interestingly the new design is there alongside older designs in a sort of gallery showing the history of the Steam Controller Design. However, just because we haven't seen this design before doesn't necessarily mean it is the most recent finessing of the controller, it might have been a design which has been succeeded by another one we have seen.
If this is the latest evolution of the Steam Controller I'd think that the left thumb stick would be a natural choice for your character movement with the right side touchpad superior to a thumb stick on that side of the controller for things like aiming and precision selections.
After all these prototypes do HEXUS readers think Valve is getting pretty close to the ultimate games controller design?
