I can openly admit that I suffered a severe case buyer remorse after purchasing the Steam controller on a whim. Okay, a few too many IPA’s might have played a role in the pre-order–but that’s beside the point.
There were a few design decisions that I wholeheartedly stood behind. The battery door was aesthetically pleasing, and the rear grips housing additional flipper-buttons is ingenious. While the mouse pad surfaces took the place of thumbsticks for vertical and horizontal pitch, they did offer a new take an old concept. However, there is still a sense of overall dislike with the product even as I just set it down, wiping off a layer of dust from its lack of handling. The latest news from Valve does offer hope for consumers like myself.
We are releasing the mechanical CAD geometry for the Steam Controller and are eager to see the accessories and variations that come from your creativity. We are making available, under Creative Commons licensing, the geometry of all externally visible parts. This allows you to create and share to your heart’s content, but you’ll need to get in touch with Valve if you want to sell your creations.
The new design abilities offer something that isn’t necessarily seen in the gaming industry in terms of controllers. The controllers themselves are often property of their respective companies, (The big three: Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo), and usually is put into production by third-party accessory companies. In this case, Valve has opened the options to create new face value for the controller, delivering things like an option for the USB connector to be stored in the back.
If you do want to sell your design, however, you will need to reach out to Valve before doing so.
What are your thoughts on the Steam controller? Will you or someone you know take advantage of the newly available CAD files for creation?
