Currently,
getting a PS4 controller to work with Steam games requires a workaround
and the usage of iffy third party software. This will finally change with
an upcoming update for Steam's controller API which will feature built in
PS4 DualShock configurability. Valve's Jeff Bellinghausen and Lars Doucet
of Level Up Labs announced
at Steam Dev Days that Valve will release a Steam update "adding full
configurability to controllers other than the Steam controller,"
beginning with DualShock 4.
As it was explained at
Steam Dev Days, the
PS4 controller through the Steam API is "exactly the same as a Steam
Controller." They continued, "You make the exact same API calls,
you only get actions, not inputs, and the Steam API takes care of
everything." Below is a screenshot of what input for the PS4
controller looks like through the Steam API.
"It's also got a gyro
and a touchpad, so it's got a lot of overlapping functionality with the
Steam Controller," they mentioned. "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 (is) nice
and reliable." When all is said and done, players will be able to pair their PS4
controller directly to their PC and use all the configurability options
available to the Steam Controller, including use of the PS4 touchpad and
gyro.
This is obviously great
news for fighting game players who prefer the DualShock 4 as their pad of
choice for games such as TEKKEN 7. But
what about players who prefer their PS4/PS3 Fightpads or Fightsticks?
Currently, it's unclear if the update will support "other PS4
controllers" besides the official Dualshock 4. The good news is,
Valve plans on adding support for other third-party controllers to the API
in the future.
|