It's not clear if the image is just a design or if Valve has actually produced prototypes of the new layout, but it's not an unwelcome change: As innovative as the controller's tactical pads are, we found they had a tendency to feel a little alien under the thumb. For most games, an analog stick is a sufficient replacement for the d-pad it supplants, and it would also serve as an alternative control for folks who can't stomach using the left touchpad for movement. While the nod to traditional controllers is nice, we hope Valve doesn't slide too far into familiar territory -- console gamepads already have that ground covered.

Valve has changed their Steam controller once again, here's an image showing the latest revision pic.twitter.com/kFVhMQ0XrC - Steam Database (@SteamDB) July 23, 2014