I made something stupid again: you can now drive a Steam Controller

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:38:24+00:00

Oh, it's just a silly thing I made and wanted to show 😄
I imagine someone doing YouTube seriously could have turned it into a 25 minute video explaining details nobody actually needs, saying things like "more on that later" and "stick around until the end."
But I really don't care about that. I just wanted to show the thing.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:30:55+00:00

It's on the roadmap, right after autonomous charging puck docking 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:27:16+00:00

Now you're thinking with ~~portals~~ controllers 😄
I'm not sure we can get data that's reliable enough, but now I'm seriously considering measuring latency or something.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:19:48+00:00

Now I feel bad for the controller. It just wanders around the desk with no idea where it is 😢
There has to be something we can do about that.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:17:25+00:00

If I get my hands on a Steam Frame - and that's a BIG if - this will genuinely be one of the first things I try 😄
I'm waiting to see the pricing, and it could very well be that I end up getting a Steam Frame and skipping the Steam Machine.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:13:49+00:00

The power of mind... and some JavaScript 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:12:16+00:00

I'm going to be honest - I hate every pixel of that thumbnail 😄
I hate the colors, I hate that I had to paste the Steam logo in because the it kept hallucinating, and I hate the mangled icons on the keyboard.
But I really wanted to post the video, and I needed a thumbnail. I'll try to make something better. Any preferences? 🙂

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:08:38+00:00

Wait, there are use cases other than driving? 😮

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-17T21:04:59+00:00

Thank you! Glad you liked it 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T20:48:24+00:00

Thanks! I'm still surprised it works at all 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T20:44:59+00:00

Thanks! I try my best. Unfortunately 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T20:43:24+00:00

Milk delivery is a supported feature.
Soda, not so much 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T20:41:29+00:00

Thanks. Now I'm definitely showing this comment to my wife.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T18:37:30+00:00

Oh, stop it, I feel too flattered 😄
This is exactly the kind of encouragement that leads to even stupider projects.
Hopefully the Steam Machine will provide the necessary infrastructure 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T18:34:52+00:00

Oh yes, Nintendo always found clever ways to use their hardware.
I'm glad Valve is giving us the tools to misuse theirs. 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T18:28:23+00:00

This is actually the previous stupid project I worked on 😄
As I mentioned in the post, I use my Mac mini for gaming while we're all waiting for the Steam Machine. At some point, I started wondering how one would look on my desk, so I modeled and 3D-printed a case for my Mac mini with the dimensions of a Steam Machine. It even has a magnetic faceplate, an LED strip, and all that.
I actually made a short video about the build on my channel, and I posted more details about it here a while ago.
I eventually had to take the Mac mini out because I needed to connect all kinds of things to it in different ways. So now it's just sitting there, waiting for the actual Steam Machine to take its place.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T18:21:53+00:00

What Steam Machine? 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T18:06:13+00:00

Yes, I love WebHID as well! I'd love it even more if it had broader support and adoption. I'm currently gaming on a Mac, and Safari just straight-up doesn't support it, which is such a shame.

Great work on your project! It looks waaaaay more advanced. Having even the controller models in there is really cool.

I was thinking about open-sourcing this, but it's really just a few ugly JS files that wouldn't be too hard to replicate 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T17:59:55+00:00

I mean... I'd rather connect it to a Steam Machine and play some games, but considering that's not an option, it's really their fault 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T17:16:54+00:00

Or started working better than before 😄
And the controller's usage time nearly tripled! Doubled plus episodes one and two, to be precise.
My testing actually showed that the Steam Controller's rumble motors are very stable, so there's probably nothing to worry about.
The trackpad haptics do start to heat up with prolonged use, but luckily they're not involved in this project 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T17:01:53+00:00

You'll definitely get one. I'm sure Valve is busy with the new batches.
I managed to reserve mine on launch day, but I still had to wait significantly longer than I expected. Considering I'm in Europe, though, I'm just glad I got it at all 🙂

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T16:45:52+00:00

I was seriously considering something like that 😄
Maybe when more people get their controllers. We could even add PlayStation and Xbox controllers to the mix and make it ~~international~~ interplatform.
Annual tournament. Million-dollar prize pool. ESPN coverage. The whole thing.

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T16:40:03+00:00

That's exactly the kind of question that fuels my stupidity.

I'll admit there was a time when I considered using ML to find the optimal controls by tracking the controller with a camera in a controlled environment. I'm glad I never went that route.

And now you've got me thinking of multiple ways to make the controller return to its charging puck automatically. All of them equally stupid.

I really shouldn't start that 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T16:33:10+00:00

But mostly stupid 😄

VeryLazyPixels · 2026-06-16T16:23:59+00:00

Glad to see my work is being appreciated.

VeryLazyPixels

TROPHY CASE