Hori’s officially licensed Steam controller is coming to the US

Hori originally released the wireless Horipad for Steam in October, but only in Japan. The controller features a dedicated button that you can use to bring up the menu in Steam, whether you’re playing in Big Picture mode or on the company’s handheld. Similar to the Steam deck, the gamepad’s joystick has a touch sensor for motion control and a mappable back button.

The controller can connect to your computer or Steam deck using Bluetooth or the included USB-A Bluetooth receiver. Hori says this wireless gamepad will last up to 12 hours on a full charge, but you can connect a USB cable in case it runs out of charge in the middle of a game. Additionally, you can remap buttons and adjust gamepad stick sensitivity, gyro controls, and turbo settings from Steam’s controller menu.

However, Hori’s controller lacks several features you’d expect from a Steam-specific controller, such as the rumble pack, headset jack, and trackpad. Still, it seems like a good choice if you want a controller that feels like a Steam deck extension. It’s a shame that Valve didn’t bring back the ultra-customizable Steam Controller that they discontinued in 2019.