Open source Steam Controller-a-like is a beast with new screens and gyro controls: 'there's so much more I can add' says creator

It's been a while since we last heard about this open source Steam Controller-a-like project from TommyB—the DIY project was a glimpse of what a controller with input parity with the Steam Deck could look like with a split design and dual trackpads. Since that time, Valve has actually announced its very own Steam Controller. Yet TommyB says "that doesn't change anything" and his controller looks better than ever.

It's called the OpenSplitDeck. The new version looks as chunky, if not chunkier, than the one we saw back in June last year. Though it has been massively overhauled since then with a heap of new upgrades and quality-of-life improvements.

It now supports gyro controls, much like the Steam Controller, with one gyroscope in each half of the controller. Gyro functionality is, creator TommyB says, "a little noisy" at the moment, but he's looking into ways to improve this and use the dual-gyroscopes to better effect in-game. Each half of the controller also features a slim screen down the inside edge.

One of the larger overhauls here is a shift away from Arduino to the Nordic nRF Connect SDK. This is generally the recommended option for programming for the Seed Studio XIAO nRF52840 MCU used on the OpenSplitDeck. Even so, TommyB notes that a few things are still a bit broken on the latest version: sleep mode is a bit clunky and requires more power than it should and the capacitative thumbsticks are b0rked due to a lack of pins.

"If I can make another hardware version that uses another raw nRF52840 chip on here, that means you could order the board without really having to do any more assemble. You shouldn't have to solder anything," TommyB says.

Otherwise, it's a big step in the right direction to get this controller ready to roll. The entire project lives on Github with a full parts list if you're actually serious about giving building one a go. Sourcing all the parts required to put it together would set you back around $200-$300, though you'd end up with more than you'd need for a single controller.

Some of the parts, as noted in the video, are sourced from iFixit, and the shell comes from a replacement Steam Deck shell from Amazon. All of which is hoped to be replaced by 3D-printed files at some point or another, which would reduce costs… providing you have a 3D printer or access to one.

As TommyB says, it's more a controller "for the type of person that likes to tinker". If you want affordability, perhaps the actual Steam Controller will be a better fit for input parity with the Steam Deck. Though we don't yet know how much that will cost, or when it will arrive, but I'd take a guess that'll be a good bit cheaper than $200. But where's the fun in that?