After two years of showing off sketches and prototypes, gaming company Valve has unleashed its Steam Controller gamepad in the US and UK. It retails for $50 (£40) in the company’s Steam store.
Designed to make it easy to play a wider variety of games than traditional gamepads, the wireless peripheral features dual trackpads with high-definition haptic feedback. With that, you can play titles suited for mouse-and-keyboard configurations as well as controller-friendly games.
That opens up first-person shooters, point-and-click adventures, strategy titles and anything that requires precise input for play.
Valve says it’s also easy to type using on-screen keys controlled by the trackpads, so you can navigate Steam’s Big Picture mode on your TV, browse the Web and message friends efficiently without switching to a physical keyboard.
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The controller includes dual-stage triggers, with a digital click at the end of an analog pull for more realistic gunplay. Plus, you’ll be able to download and share gamepad configurations for a range of games with the Steam community.
Valve says you should get about 80 hours of play out of a pair of AA batteries, within a five-meter range of your PC. Steam Controllers will begin shipping mid-October.
The company has also released Steam Link, a small set-top box that connects to your TV and home network to stream games from your primary PC.
The Link is capable of 1080p output at 60fps, supports both wired and wireless controllers and retails at $50.
Read next: You can now get refunds for your Steam game purchases
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