The control controls have not evolved much in recent years, however, there is a change that we do not understand why it has not been standardized and integrated into all of them since its usefulness is more than clear and the range of games is wide that we can play with a console-style controller. That is, make it possible to play them sitting from the sofa at home or from wherever we are enjoying them. We are talking about integrate a trackpad into a gamepad.
A few years ago, Valve released its Steam Controller, which ended up being a commercial fiasco due to the fact that its main novelty, the inclusion of a trackpad, was not valued enough, especially by critics. We had already seen the idea in the PS4 Dual Shock 4, but the key in the case of the controller from Gabe Newell’s company was in the fact that it was placed within reach of the left thumb, allowing it to be used as an alternative to the classic digital control, crosshead or D-Pad, and to the left analog stick. So that? Well, it was thought to be able to play DOTA 2 by moving the cursor with your finger while using the buttons on the controller to replace mouse clicks and keyboard presses.
Does it make sense to integrate a trackpad into a gamepad?
Actually, the reason the Steam Controller didn’t work was due to the fact that the trackpad on a gamepad doesn’t give the same precision as the mouse and keyboard. Valve’s mistake was presenting it as a replacement or alternative when it fell short of the minimum standards. However, it is lacking in the application of lateral thinking. Understand this as looking for new ways to solve problems through atypical solutions or that were not initially considered.
The big mistake that they have also made in the Steam Deck is in the D-Pad, which they should have removed it for a much bigger trackpad, since it can offer all the functionality in full and also extended. Although it would not be the only element that should be replaced in a control, but also the right stick. Honestly, after having tested the right trackpad of the Valve laptop for the movement of the camera, I don’t understand how we didn’t send this piece to the control knobs once and for all.
Many will say that there is a tradition when it comes to using control knobs and blablabla, but traditions are to be broken. The same was also said when the first non-joystick based two-handed console tame came out. Do you remember when Nintendo introduced the analog stick on its Nintendo64? It also seemed extraterrestrial to us in its day and look today how it is an essential piece.
They would allow greater accessibility
One of the problems that many people turn away from video games is that they see it as something complex, since there are a huge number of buttons and combinations. In its day, it was tried with the Wii remote, which replaced buttons with movements with the controller itself, but it was not standardized, however, the concept has evolved towards virtual reality.
And what does the trackpad have to do with all this? Well, we can make certain movements with the finger on the surface to represent certain actions at specific moments. It sounds silly for the most seasoned players, but it’s still just another application. In any case, the important thing is that gamers are often averse to changes and the correct inclusion of a trackpad in a Gamepad would greatly improve the gaming experience for most people.
