Valve is working on a follow-up to its Steam Controller, its Steam Machine accessory first introduced almost a decade ago, according to a prominent leaker.
Brad “SadlyItsBradley” Lynch wrote on X that Valve’s second Steam Controller is known internally as “Ibex” and is in mass production.
Codename for Steam Controller 2 is “Ibex”
Separate product from Deckard’s “Roy” controller(s)
Both are being tooled for a mass production goal in their factories right now. That’s why I know they’re in later stages of productization
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) November 19, 2024
There weren’t any other details, including whether it’s designed like the first Steam Controller or looks like controls on the Steam Deck, for example, although Lynch mentions in another post that he’s seen some mockups. Lynch responded to another user who posted a mockup with traditional joysticks above two trackpads saying that it’s “much closer than the other mockups I’ve seen so far.”
Lynch also said that datamined SteamVR code seems to reveal a new VR controller called “Roy” that’ll go along with a long-rumored VR headset codenamed “Deckard” that we’ve reported on previously. Valve filed a patent in 2022 for a standalone headset that doesn’t require a PC connection, improving on one of the Valve Index’s biggest flaws.
There’s more information available about Roy from this leak, including that it’ll have hand tracking, physical buttons like the typical ABXY inputs and grip buttons, and that “most” of them will have “capacitive touch features.” There are also new details in the leak about Deckard. It appears to be adding both eye and face tracking similar to the Quest Pro.
Valve Roy controller(s) have at least: DPAD, Bumpers, Grip Buttons, Triggers, ABXY, system button, and some sort of strap
I am confident in this info based on datamining AND sources who wished not to be named
There is also an unreleased OpenXR extension for these controllers pic.twitter.com/36WBtLvYZ5
— Brad Lynch (@SadlyItsBradley) November 14, 2024
Lynch has a history with high-profile hardware leaks, including one years ago for Meta’s Project Cambria — a high-end VR headset that turned out to be the Meta Quest Pro.
Valve has always had a larger presence in software than hardware, but has been experimenting over the years with products like the Steam Machine — a series of mini PCs running on SteamOS that would let you play PC games on your TV. It was essentially dead on arrival because it needed multiple accessories to work and there were too many options on the market, but it paved the way for the Steam Deck, which has all but ushered in a new era of handheld gaming devices.