They are amazing. Especially when utilizing desktop mode. I love them

Almost the best thing that has ever happened to a controller. Especially with how the steam deck implemented it.

I’m happy the deck has them. I use them in FPS and some other genres and couldn’t imagine playing those without them, being a former PC only player. Coupled with gyro, it is a great experience.

i think they are bad. i bought the steam deck specifically because of the trackpads, and they're just much too small and awkwardly placed. compare to the steam controller, the greatest controller known to man, they're just horrible

• comfortable
• somewhat comfortable
• comfortable
• comfortable
• uncomfortable
• very uncomfortable

the steam controller also has slightly concave pads, allowing ones thumb to make contact with consistent pressure. the steam deck has flat pads

and they're square. why are they square? whose idea was that? my thumbs can move in a circle, the pads should be circular

however sensitivity-wise as he's talking about: i've had no problems. they've been perfect. and definitely needed if using the deck in desktop mode, much better than an awkward joystick mouse or using the touchscreen like some weird nintendo ds

I don't have a deck yet, but I do have a steam controller... which has track-paddish elements. I can't speak to the quality or ergonomics of the pads on the deck, but the steam controller's pads are game-changing in terms of being able to interact with mouse-driven games with poor controller support. Part of why my eye is on the deck is to have a system with that kind of support.

I use them in games that need precise aiming (hello Valheim) along with the gyro, as well as mouse based games. Also they're great for binding a bunch of extra buttons that you don't use that often, and they make the desktop experience much smoother if you don't have m/kb around.
I understand that having them is a compromise, so the rest of the controls end up more cramped, but at least for me it's well worth it. I wouldn't consider a different handheld pc, or a Steam Deck 2 without them now.

I just wish they were as good as the steam controller's.

Depends on the game, but I definitely make use of them. Last game I've used them almost exclusively was Inscryption.

I've used the Steam Controllers for many years and use dual touchpads for movement and camera. Here's me playing Doom Eternal, Anger Foot, and a video on why I prefer touchpads to joysticks.

But, despite that I'm not a big of a fan of the ones on the Steam Deck. The placement is not that comfortable. There are 3D printed grips though that I would like to try out that would let me hold the Deck so it is more like holding the Steam Controller with the touchpads. Until then a majority of my gameplay is done with the joysticks in contrast to on the desktop where it is with touchpads.

I am really glad the touchpads are present so that it's not an input Valve has abandoned, but the placement and ergonomics is really disappointing me. I'd be playing lot of FPS games on the Deck if the touchpad experience were more on par with the Steam Controller.

they are the ultimate Marco buttons. I think most people just think of them as two mice and that's why they don't get why they should use them, even in non k/m type games.

Trackpads are the Steamdeck's killer feature - they elevate it to a useable device in Desktop mode and allow for so many more gametypes than just sticks and gyro.

I'm not a fan of them in general, but specifically on the Deck I've been using them a lot simply because it's built for bigger hands and I struggle to consistently reach the joysticks.

I like them but I don't often use them in games. Normally I save them for when I play a game that needs a keyboard and mouse and use the trackpads instead

I've found them to be very useful for games that require you to use the mouse a few times, and my God, the radial menu it can create is godlike. I also use it to activate the gyro.

Quite honestly, if there's going to be a handheld gaming pc that will pull me away from my Steam Deck, it'll need to have the 4 back buttons as well as the trackpads... otherwise, it'll just feel like an inferior product for me.

Doing mouse movements with the analog stick is nearly a non-starter for me.

Any gaming pc handheld without trackpads are DoA in my opinion. You simply can't use the desktop interface without them