If you drop the Steam Controller, it will make a loud noise, and I’m unsure how to react to that.

      Valve’s new controller doesn’t drop in silence

      Valve’s new Steam Controller features a hidden Easter egg that emits a scream upon being dropped, which is amusing until you remember it retails for $99. Users have shared videos of the controller playing the famous Wilhelm scream after being dropped from a height of about three feet while in Big Picture Mode. It doesn't activate every time; one popular post suggests it triggers roughly once every five or six drops.

      How does the Steam Controller produce a scream without a speaker?

      Interestingly, the Steam Controller achieves this effect without a built-in speaker. Reports indicate that it reproduces the scream using its haptic motors, which vibrate in certain patterns to simulate the sound. This makes the Easter egg even more outlandish, as the controller essentially reacts with vibrations as if it's panicking.

      The scream itself is not random; it is the Wilhelm scream, one of Hollywood's most iconic sound effects. Introduced in the 1951 film Distant Drums, it has become an inside joke among filmmakers and sound designers over the years. It has made appearances in movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, Reservoir Dogs, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

      Is Valve unintentionally promoting controller abuse?

      If Valve intended this as a humorous reminder to handle the controller with care, the internet has predictably taken it another way. Users on X (formerly Twitter) have been posting clips of themselves throwing, dropping, and testing their controllers just to hear the scream. While these videos are entertaining, they are also a bit concerning since this is still a $99 controller that is currently out of stock in retail locations. Many units are being resold on platforms like eBay at significant markups, while Valve has set up a reservation list to address demand and counteract resellers.

      The comedic timing has great potential, especially if the scream occurs at just the right moment. Imagine repeatedly losing to a difficult boss, tossing the controller in frustration, and then hearing it emit the Wilhelm scream as if it had taken the damage. Personally, that would likely happen after another frustrating attempt against the Watcher Knights in Hollow Knight. It would make for an amusing video, especially with perfect timing. However, I’m not sure I could enjoy it with my own controller; the instant a $100 gamepad screams upon hitting the ground, I’d be apologizing to it.

      I have about four years of experience, mainly focusing on gaming, PC hardware, and smartphones. In my free time, I enjoy…

      I played like a rat in Arc Raiders, and the loot was incredibly good

      Sneaking my way through to acquire the best gear

      I didn’t start playing Arc Raiders with the intention of acting like a rat. After several unsuccessful runs, I had lost some of my good equipment and simply wanted to release some frustration in the game’s unofficial PvP arena, "Stella Montis." Ideally, I aimed to charge in with guns blazing, borrowing some decent gear from other raiders, and making a quick escape to the extract. The worst-case scenario, where I'd lose everything, didn’t concern me since I was using a free loadout.

      Stella Montis is notorious for its narrow, tense corridors that promote player interaction. However, it is also infamous for highlighting one of the game's major frustrations: the free loadout issue. Players with free loadouts arrive equipped with a basic weapon, some ammo, a shield, and health—on paper, it's not much, but they can become quite dangerous when they have nothing significant to lose.

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      Assassin’s Creed Hexe leak suggests the return of a legendary hero, and I’m excited for it

      The legendary Assassin may finally make a comeback in Ubisoft’s darkest AC title yet.

      Ezio Auditore might be making his return to Assassin’s Creed. To be honest, Ubisoft is strategically leveraging that nostalgia.

      Assassin’s Creed Hexe leaks hint at Ezio’s return

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      I’m still unconvinced about a disc-less Xbox, but Project Helix seems inevitable at this point

      Game Pass, cloud gaming, and digital libraries are gaining traction, whether we like it or not.

      The next-gen Xbox console may be moving towards being completely digital. If the latest leaks are correct, Microsoft could finally be ready to make the move it almost implemented over a decade ago, before the internet reacted strongly against it.

      Could Xbox Project Helix completely eliminate physical discs?

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