When comparing Steam Controller vs DualShock 4 Controller, the Slant community recommends DualShock 4 Controller for most people. In the question“What are the best PC gaming controllers?” DualShock 4 Controller is ranked 1st while Steam Controller is ranked 7th.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Developed specifically for PC games
The trackpads built into the controller make it simple to play certain games that would otherwise be impossible with a controller, such as Civilization and Cities: Skylines.
Pro Integrates well with Steam
Considering this is a controller designed by Valve, it should come as no surprise that the integration with Steam is quite good. The user can easily launch into Big Picture mode straight from the controller for ease of use. The controller is plug and play, so there is little to mess around with in order to get going. For those that would like to customize the button layout, Steam allows for this in their settings.
Pro Good battery life
A user can get around 80 hours of play out of a single charge on the device, which is a considerable amount of playtime. This frees the player up from having to constantly worry if their controller is charge on every use.
Pro Good mouse emulation
Some games don't support joysticks and you need to use a mouse. Joysticks are very poor at emulating a mouse, but the touchpads on the Steam controller do a much better job.
Pro Can also be used as a remote control
Since it emulates mouse and keyboard you can also use it as a remote.
Pro Comes with a wireless receiver
Comes with a wireless receiver to to avoid most of the Bluetooth issues.
Pro Professional use
You can assign the buttons to macros or shortcuts for other apps, such as the Adobe Creative Suite.
Pro Extremely flexible
Custom configurations for various apps allow it to be used in a massive variety of settings.
Pro Native support with Steam
Pro Multi-touch trackpad
The upper-middle section of the controller features a multi-touch pad that allows you to click it as well. This can help navigation on a PC because you can use it just like a laptop's trackpad
Pro Separate D-pad
This is a huge advantage in many games. Separate directions on the D-pad lets a player make sharp controls without any mistakes!
Pro Game compatibility is increasing
Some recent games will work with the PS4 controller without the need of an app/driver to emulate the XBox controller, and you will see PS4 button prompts on the screen (cross, square, circle, triangle, etc.). Some example games are: The Division (Ubisoft), Rocket League and Paragon (Epic Games / Early Access).
Pro Can be used either wired or wireless
The controller has a microUSB port on the back for charging or connecting. It can also be used wirelessly over Bluetooth.
Pro Built-in battery
Doesn't require purchase of batteries. Recharges over microUSB.
Pro Full audio available
With both a headphone jack as well as built-in speakers, the DualShock PS4 controller offers flexible audio experiences so you don't have to be tethered to your desktop at all when you game.
Pro Great ergonomics
Compared to other controllers, especially Xbox. Dualshock is the most comfortable for long gaming sessions.
Pro App available that offers many functions
In order to get easy wireless support as well as button mapping and loading of profiles the user can install a third party app called DS4Windows. While this is an extra step, the features it offers are worthwhile for anyone looking to get full compatibility with the controller.
Cons
Con Only for Steam games
Most features won't work without Steam.
Con Feels cheap
The controller does not have much weight or heft to it and the entire things is made out of light plastic giving it a cheap feel, something akin to a $20 controller for one Android or iOS device. The face buttons on the device are also small, with the shoulder buttons feeling stiff. Overall the lack of attention to detail with the buttons and the overall feel of cheap material gives a sense that this is not the most well designed or thought out controller on the market.
Con Emulated joystick on trackpad difficult to use
Con No D-Pad
No D-pad here.
Con Non-rechargeable
Needs two AA alkaline batteries.
Con No vibration motor
There is only an option to emulate force feedback with the haptic motor however its not strong enough to create a real vibration.
Con Small buttons
The ABXY buttons are very, very small, and positioned in an area that feels awkward, especially when compared to the XBOX or even the four buttons on a PS4.
Con Not as accurate as keyboard and mouse
The touchpads on the device are designed to emulate a mouse when playing games, but they are not as accurate and will at times require a lot of swipes in order to just turn a character around or even just look around. This lack of accuracy and delay in how long it takes to get the movement required may be difficult to get used to.
Con Best compatibility requires an app on Windows
Out of the box support may not be that great with the PS4 controller on PC. Buttons may need to be mapped in order for the controller to work as intended. Only games with DirectInput support will work out of the box. This means the user will need to install button mapping software or some other app that allow gaming profiles to be loaded easily to get a similar experience to using an XBox controller.
Please note this only applies to Windows, which requires a wrapper such as DS4Windows for XInput support (and thus vibration and touchpad support). Linux supports all of the controller's features natively since kernel version 3.15.
Con Short battery life
Battery lasts 7-8 hours before needing a recharge.
Con Wireless receiver is not included and expensive
To avoid common Bluetooth issues (like distance and input lag) and to support Xinput the controller requires a wireless receiver that must be bought separately
Con Most games have XBOX button indicators on UI, not PS4
Most games with controller support that include prompts on the UI for which buttons to press will show XBOX layout. Very, very few show button prompts for PS4.
Con May be too small for those with big hands
The PS4 controller has a smaller profile when compared to the Xbox controllers, which means it may not be as comfortable to hold for those that have large hands and are used to a larger controller.