Steam Machine Video: See How The Controller Works In Team Fortress 2

A new video from YouTube user Droobie21 is one of a few making the rounds across social media sites, as gamers who were selected as part of the opt-in for the Steam Machine beta test are posting up and sharing their experiences with the gaming community at large.

The opt-in was only available for 300 select gamers, and the video above is one of the 300. As you can see, the Steam Machine is hooked up to the television set just like your standard console. The Steam controller being used isn't the final version and, for now, is wired.

The machine showcased in the video is the upper tier 780 GTX unit, as described in Valve's spec sheet for the units.

The controller, as demonstrated in the video, works as both the keyboard and the mouse. I have to say that the video demonstration did not do the controller any favors. There have already been a lot of skepticism from gamers about the dual-haptic feedback thumb pads replacing the traditional analog sticks, as well as the keyboard and mouse.

As noted by Valve back when the controller was first announced, the controller's right pad works as an emulator for mouse movements, the left and right triggers on the top of the controller work as the left and right mouse buttons.

My biggest gripe with the video is that the poor guy filming it had no idea what he was doing with the controller, so it made it next to nigh impossible to get a proper gauge on how well the controller works as a replacement for the mouse. That's not to mention that we have no idea what the other buttons do during the game and the aiming seems a little stiff and unfocused. It's just not that great a video to properly see how well the controller operates.

Additionally, I would imagine that the sensitivity would be (or should be) modified within each game and not in the main options menu of the SteamOS, especially given that each game will have its own form of sensitivity.

Hopefully, we'll get to see more videos of the controller in action after its been properly configured to work with the game being played. Also, it would be nice to see how a few of the other buttons and the four-button touch pad in action.

I get that the guy really wanted to show off his Steam Machine and the Steam controller to the public at large, but maybe next time there will be a bit more meat to the bone. Still, it's at least good to see the controller in some sort of action, even if it's not to our liking.

You can look for more Steam Machines to roll out in early 2014 from Valve and third-party OEMs, including iBuyPower and Digital Storm, or if you have a spare PC you can install the SteamOS and start gaming right away.