Even Valve's Steam is taking part in the launch of next-generation consoles like the PS5 this week, it seems. While the PC platform exists largely separated from console platforms, outside of multiplatform games, there's one other area of important crossover. That being console controllers. Millions of Steam users connect controllers to their PCs, which means that there are going to be a lot of PS5 buyers hoping to use their DualSense controller. Steam, in turn, is making it happen.
The latest Steam client beta is officially confirmed to include support for the PS5 DualSense controller, it's now been confirmed. It's not yet available on Steam's live service, but at this point it's just a matter of time. Soon, PS5 owners or those who simply went out and bought a DualSense controller on its own will be able to connect their new purchase and use it in their favorite controller-enabled PC games.
To make clear, the PS5 controller is not yet officially supported on Steam. PS5 DualSense controller support is only available via the Steam beta client. Luckily, Steam allows any account to turn on the Steam beta client at their own leisure. Steam users should click on the "Steam" menu option and then find the Beta Participation option from the "Account" submenu. There's a big button with the label "Change," wherein users can enable participation in the currently available Steam beta.
Further, Valve makes clear that while the beta currently features basic DualSense controller support, it doesn't support all of the DualSense's new features. Valve's patch notes for the Steam beta list the DualSense's rumble, trackpad, and gyro features as currently unsupported. These features will hopefully be supported in the relatively near future, but for the time being won't work. It should be noted that the PS4's DualShock controller had both rumble and its trackpad features supported on Steam.
For Xbox fans curious as to whether Steam will support the Xbox Series X's controller, there's no need to worry. The Xbox Series X controller is already supported by Steam. That's because the Xbox Series X controller is highly similar to its predecessors. Valve appears to still be working out the kinks, but the Xbox Series X controller is definitely usable right now on PC.
There are a lot of video game fans out there that will be pairing their PC with a new next-generation console. It's great that Valve is working to ensure that those multi-platform gamers will be able to use their new hardware paired with their gaming PC. But that's why Steam remains one of the most popular PC storefronts.
