A new leak has provided a hint as to what the rumored new Steam Controller will look like. The rumored Steam Controller looks to have had a major overhaul from the prior iteration, which may help it to find more success than its predecessor.

Valve has repeatedly tried producing hardware and peripherals for gaming with mixed levels of success. The Steam Deck, arguably, is one of Valve's biggest successes outside of the PC gaming platform itself, with both versions of the device selling very well for the company. However, not everything has been a win for Valve, with systems and devices like the original Steam Controller and the Steam Machine ultimately being discontinued by the company.

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Now, new evidence has come to light indicating that a retooled Steam Controller, codenamed Ibex, is in the works, and it comes from Steam itself. YouTuber and Valve insider Brad Lynch has shared a rendermodel thumbnail discovered in the SteamVR drivers within the platform. The thumbnail, while not heavily detailed, shows some distinct changes from the original, most noticeably by repositioning the buttons, adding a second control stick, and including two touch pads. The Ibex Steam Controller bears some similarities to current console controllers like the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, albeit with the Steam render appearing taller due to the presence of the touch pads.

Digging Into Steam's Second Controller

Some gamers might wonder why Steam would bother with a new controller after the first one failed so long ago. It may be due, in part, to the existence of the Steam Deck. While the Steam Deck is a portable gaming device that can be used all on its own, releasing a new controller that works seamlessly with it could appeal to some fans who prefer to connect their Steam Decks to a TV or external monitor. This may also be part of the reason why the new Steam controller mirrors some of the design of the Steam Deck's controls, namely through the two touch pads that help to provide more precise movement control in games that were designed for mouse controls.

Lynch has previously claimed that the Steam Controller is being tooled for mass production in Valve's factories. Judging from the thumbnail's addition to SteamVR, the company may be approaching the point where it can make an announcement about the controller's official existence, pricing, and release date. With Valve itself saying that controller use on Steam has greatly increased, it will likely want to strike while the iron is hot. For the moment, Steam fans will have to wait and see, but hopefully the company makes an announcement soon.