A new Steam client update has revealed a not-so-slight change to Valve’s in-development controller. The device, which Valve has designed to be customizable and configurable, now has an analog stick.

The news was first discovered on the Facepunch forums, though we were able to confirm the existence of the file in our own client. The file was first created on June 4, but until the latest update it was a series of lines on a transparent background that reflected the previous configuration featuring two sets of face buttons.

The original design of the Steam controller featured a center touchscreen. In January, it was changed to include two sets of face buttons. As we mentioned in our hands-on impressions from CES, the two large discs feature haptic feedback to simulate a thumbstick. We’ve reached out to Valve for more information, and we’ll update should we receive a response.

[Source: Steam, Facepunch]

Our Take

I’m hopeful that this falls in line with Valve’s initial plan of making the Steam controller customizable. There are some games that would do well with a second set of face buttons, while others would most certainly benefit from an analog stick. I’ve not yet laid my hands on a Steam controller, but color me interested.