If there was a ton of enthusiasm for the Steam Box and SteamOS, then the recent events of CES 2014 might have changed a few minds. While it’s still an interesting option, there was a certain lack of compelling reason to purchase one at launch. This will especially be the case for Dota players, as Valve engineer Jeff Bellinghausen indicated to Polygon.
On being asked whether Valve managed to get complicated PC games running on the Steam controller, Bellinghausen stated that, “It’s a real challenge. It’s also something that’s pushing the performance and resolution of the trackpad.
“For a game like Dota, we’re probably not going to be able to match it perfectly. You’re not going to take [pro player Danylo ‘Dendi’ Ishutin] and have him play at his level with the controller, but that’s not really the goal. That’s true of the controller in general.”
While Valve is working for the game to support Dota 2 directly, bypassing the current legacy mode which allows you to emulate traditional PC controls. “Certainly something like Dota has a sophistication to it that is going to be challenging. We’re thinking we’ll get 90% of the way there.” Regardless, it won’t be a perfect substitute for the keyboard and mouse.
Will this prevent Dota/Dota 2 players from partaking in SteamOS and the Steam Machines? We’ll find out in the coming months.