Steam client beta adds extended support for PS5 and Xbox controllers

Xbox Elite controller
(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Steam beta client, Valve's public test branch, has just rolled out an update that offers extended support for Xbox controllers. The biggest change here is the additional support for the Xbox Elite controller, which we recently declared the best PC controller, with the ability to bind the rear paddles in controller configurations.

The Xbox Series X controller also gets some extended support, with the share button now bindable. Valve has also added the ability to use more than four Xbox controllers on Steam simultaneously. The beta client also now has support for trigger rumble in games that use Windows.Gaming.Input API.

It's not just Xbox controllers getting some love here, though. There's a small update for PlayStation 5's DualSense controller too, allowing for LED customisation. The controller's LEDs can now either be enabled, disabled entirely, or only enabled when multiple DualSense controllers are connected to Steam. This might seem minor but it shows Valve isn't done tinkering with this particular piece of hardware yet, with the holy grail for players being support for the exceptional haptic feedback function.

Valve did have a small hiccup initially putting the update out. If you're having trouble getting it to work, go into Controller Settings, update the driver and restart your PC.

Mollie Taylor
Features Producer

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.