Valve’s letting us design and make our own Steam Controllers

How long until we get an Xbox One pad design?

As much as I love my Steam Controller, it’s difficult to deny that, for a lot of people, the ergonomics of it are incredibly weird. The buttons are in strange places, the grips are big and chunky, and there’s a big ol’ lump right in the middle of the pad that could easily put people off.

Well, that might not be a problem for too much longer, as Valve’s released the .CAD files for all the external bits of the Steam Controller (the shell, paddles, analogue sticks, D-pad, etc.) as a free download. This means with the right software, a bit of know-how, and a 3D printer, you can basically design and make your very own Steam Controller shell.

The .CAD files are released under the creative commons license, so you’re free to make whatever you like if it’s for personal use, and free to share those designs with others, but if you plan to sell it, you’ll need permission from Valve first.

I really hope this takes off because I think the Steam Controller has a hell of a lot of potential. What changes would you make?