PC gamers using PlayStation controllers as their input of choice will now have an easier time finding games with official support. A new update has hit the Steam client and store that now makes Sony"s DualShock and DualSense controllers offer the same filters, search options, and compatibility results that have been available to Xbox controllers.
When browsing the Controller-Friendly subsection of the Steam Store, players will now find new filters to sort through Xbox, DualShock, DualSense, or any controller support. Search results on Steam have controller-pecific options to narrow results too.
Moreover, store pages of games with full or partial controller support will also clearly show if any of the three popular controllers (or the Steam Input API) are supported. It will even keep track of users" recently used controllers to offer personalized results.
As for why Valve is focusing on adding controller-focused features to its platform, the company said:
Whenever we"re thinking about what areas of Steam to work on, we like to turn to data, especially to note how things change over time and which indicators suggest particular player interests. When we dig into controller usage data, we see a few interesting changes over the past few years.
- There were over 3 Billion game sessions that included a controller in the past year
- 60% Xbox controller
- 27% PlayStation models
- The remaining % is made up of Steam Deck, Switch Pro, and hundreds of other controller models
- The same period four years ago (ending Nov 2019) had 990 Million controller sessions
- 76% Xbox controllers
- 19% PlayStation controllers
- During these four years, PlayStation controllers saw a 4x increase in sessions
Over on the Steam client, games will now call out if games support or require a controller, and will also keep track of what controllers have been used on the account. Also new are DualShock and DualSense filter options, automatic Collections support for the duo, and a controller configuration button for quickly editing layouts via Steam Input. Steam Big Picture mode has received the same upgrades.