Dating all the way back to my old Gravis Gamepad for my Windows 3.1 PC in the 1990s, I've been searching for a PC gamepad that is as comfortable and reliable to use as the Sony brand of DualShock controllers.  I've bought all kinds of gamepads over the years from reliable brands like Logitech to sketchy off-brands that were cheap enough to justify a blind buy on the hope of finding something worthwhile.  Over the past decade, enthusiasts have cobbled together homemade utilities to connect a DualShock 3, a Nintendo GameCube controller, and even a Wii Remote to a PC is you want to jump through enough hoops, the planets are aligned properly, and you don't want to use all of the controller's functionality.  Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller became the defacto gamepad for Windows in recent years, but after I tossed my last overworked and broken down PC-exclusive controller in the closet, I vowed to just stick with what I already owned and to make it work through stubbornness and determination.  Now my patience has been rewarded as Valve is working to bring native DualShock 4 support to Steam.  Gamasutra has the details.

Co-presenter Lars Doucet, developer of Defender’s Quest, explained, “Believe it or not, when you use the PS4 Controller through the Steam API, it’s exactly the same as a Steam Controller. You make the exact same API calls, you only get actions, not inputs, and the Steam API takes care of everything.”

He said that Valve is supporting the PS4 controller first due to its overlapping functionality with the Steam Controller, thanks to the gyro and the touchpad. However, support for other controllers is planned.

Thanks, Valve!  While it's been "fun" to try to play Steam games with controllers never meant to interact with them, using a DS4 will be like a dream.  I've already used my DS4 for some non-Steam games (where it usually works since Windows treats it like a generic gamepad minus the fancy gyro support and touch panel interactivity), but giving the DS4 the authentic Steam green light will bring all of those underplayed games I've gathered through bundles and promotional codes back to life with new purpose.  Bring on the update and future expansion for other controllers!  Input options for all!