The DualShock 4 makes for a lovely PC gaming controller, but it doesn’t usually get the support it deserves, especially the touch pad and gyroscopic features. An update coming to Steam’s controller API will have PS4 controller configurability baked right in.
The news comes from the Steam Dev Days event, from a Steam controller talk given by Valve’s Jeff Bellinghausen and Lars Doucet of Level Up Labs, the full transcript of which can be found over at Gamasutra (via PC Gamer). While the core focus of the talk was about the function of the Steam controller, towards the tail end the pair mentioned an effort to integrate support for more peripherals into the Steam Controller API (application program interface).
The PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 gets in first due to its ability to mirror many functions of Steam’s unique controller design. From the transcript:
Believe it or not, when you use the PS4 Controller through the Steam API, it’s exactly the same as a Steam Controller. You make the exact same API calls, you only get actions, not inputs, and the Steam API takes care of everything.
Now, why start with the PS4 controller? Well, not only is it a really nice, high quality controller, but it’s also got a gyro and a touchpad, so it’s got a lot of overlapping functionality with the Steam Controller. Also, existing native support for the PS4 controller on the PC is a bit weak; in this case Steam itself is communicating directly with the device so everything that’s nice and reliable.
The upcoming update will make it easy for developers to integrate support for Sony’s controller into their games, meaning players won’t have to fuss with third-party programs to get their settings just right.
Valve plans to add support for additional third-party controllers to the API in the future.
Between this integration and Sony’s own wireless dongle, could we see the DualShock supplant the Xbox controller as the go-to PC game pad?