Prey was great in that department actually having a config that mapped mouse to the right touchpad instead of emulating a joystick like so many games did, and then had different action sets that automatically switched depending on if it was gameplay or you were in the menu. And showed proper icons like the touchpad click to reflect Steam Input mappings people set it to.

That’s cool, if that’s what you want to do. Go nuts, have fun. But there’s a reason it isn’t a particularly mainstream way to engage with PC games.

My argument was never for how it is mainstream, but that I find it more useful than regular controllers which I used before and use now. I've found "upgrades" to the xbox, playstation, nintendo controllers with the 8bitdo Ultimate 2. But have yet to find upgrades to the Steam Controller.

You do play mouse and keyboard games on it and love it, and you think it beats sticks because you can spend hours on Steam making overly complicated setups that allow you to macro all sorts of nonses into the trackpads and paddles and whatnot.

And what is mouse and keyboard games these days? Death Stranding, Saints Row, GTA, Dishonored, Uncharted? Doesn't take me hours to set up either. It might takes hours for you to set up, but for me it's been as simple as using a pre saved template for mixed input or mouse/keyboard depending on support and adjusting the gyro and remapping some buttons to my preference.

Same thing I end up doing on a regular controller like the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 where I map buttons of the grip and extra bumper from game to game when I opt for it over the Steam Controller. And same process for adjusting the gyro.

I don’t blame people for swearing by it as contrarians.

So my point is yes for you the controller may be useless, but disagree with the instance that people who like it are doing it because they are contrarians. Hell there's people who take the same stance with gyro trying it out and finding they aren't proficient at it and insisting it is a gimmick.

I hate this thing with a passion.

It does seem like your hatred of it with a passion as you said is leading to too strong of a bias of rejecting the idea that those who like it do actually like it because for them they find it to be a better controller than traditional joystick controller. I will not disagree with you that it is a bad controller for you. It most definitely is with it causing physical pain for you on top other complaints you have. It is a bad controller for you period.

All I ask is that you open your mind to the possibility that people who do prefer it do actually find it the opposite of what yours is, and they aren't doing it for the sake of being contrarian. They do actually use it because they do find it better for them.

Here's another pic with the entire controller layout shown so you can see that the L4 and PL buttons are unique from all the other buttons.

No you don't have to. It's separate buttons. Just happened to do that for that game.

Here's one with keyboard keys.

I haven't tried over bluetooth but it does work over the 2.4 ghz dongle. I stick with the dongle over bluetooth, since polling is supposed to be 1000 hz.

Yes they can be set up like any other button through Steam Input. I've tested it myself on the 8bitdo Ultimate 2 wireless, and analog triggers and gyro also works. The only other controller that offered that functionality was playstation before the firmware update with other third party controllers having to enter switch mode, which has digital triggers.

There is one thing that needs to be worked out with vibration, since if it is on it can cause the controller to stop working in game while using Steam Input. Have to leave it off for now. But, it's been getting worked on.

I love the left trackpad. I love it for movement, since I like setting stuff like dash, crouch, slide to it on a click which doesn't feel good doing the same with a joystick click. And I like setting a sprint activator on the very edge which is easier to avoid not accidentally triggering, because of the trackpad size.

I'm actually opposite where I wish the left joystick on the Steam Controller was a dpad.

I came from a background of using joystick controllers then picked up a Steam Controller and loved it since. And I still use it along side regular controllers, so probably bit more experience on both than other people.

Build quality isn't premium, but I prefer it for most of my games over my switch, xbox, 8bitdo, and sony controllers. Love it for games like Doom Eternal, Left 4 Dead 2, and The Finals.

Just haven't found a controller that provides me with the functionality the Steam Controller offers despite finding alternatives to xbox controllers with first the playstation with it having gyro the xbox doesn't, and then 8bitdo with additional buttons and TMR sticks the playstation doesn't. But, still no Steam Controller alternative, so I'm still using it.

I'd recommend the 8bitdo ultimate 2 wireless. Has two back paddles, but also has two additional bumper buttons so is actually 4 buttons in total. The back paddles of the controller is also much easier to press in than the Deck and extra bumpers easy to access, so even though the locations wouldn't be 1 to 1 the use I find easier.

Just have to update the firmware of the controller and dongle and then start the controller in dinput mode to be able to bind the extra buttons through Steam Input.

Joystick can be popped out and replaced with the 8bitdo joystick replacement.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/353370/discussions/0/601909079151044660/#c601909079151050603

If the Steam Controller was designed the way lot of people wanted it than it wouldn't have been a Steam Controller and just another Xbox or Playstation controller and added nothing new. Would have been more successful but in the end another generic twin joystick controller. So even if it didn't succeed it brought new things to the table like touch activated gyro and touch pads that could be considered for other controllers in the future.

I play this game with the Steam Controller using motion controls and without aim assist, and do fine against mouse and aim assist players.

So this is a game that when you die isn't usually due to someone having much better reflexes and pixel perfect aiming than you. More game sense and good utilization of gadgets and specialization. Which to start off will be rough not knowing what everything does, but once you become familiar with it should become less of a problem.