Square because trackpads have always been that way my dude and can be set to a ratio similar to common screen sizes.

I use the Steam Controller and play with dual pads and I have to say I much prefer the circular pads, since the way I set it up is so that a full swipe of the touchpad results in a 180 degree turn in every game I use with mouse input. And circle has been better at providing a more consistent 180 output on swipes over a square where the it can result in varying lengths of travel depending on the angle you enter in at. Square leads to more room for error for the consistent predictable output I want from touchpad use. I don’t use stuff like acceleration, so consistency is really what I value.

And I also prefer circle for movement too. I’m not trying to replicate a square display experience when I’m using the touchpads. I really prefer circle for movement and for twin stick shooters over a square surface to rotate around when at the edge.

The square trackpads that have always been that way have been for people using it for slow desktop navigation as opposed to games.

Me neither. I’d be one the new one right away. And it’s a PC so I can retire my Steam Deck to use to do for other things. It’s a really great machine.

I think setting up gyro in that case would work better than the touch screen. That’s how I played through Maro Galaxy back in the day using the Steam Controller and having gyro only activate when I touched the right pad so it wasn’t always going crazy.

I’ve been playing Diablo IV too. First non Steam game I tried on the Deck, and how well it works blows my mind. Used decky to put in custom artwork too so it fits right in with the rest of my games.

I’ve been playing around with a set up where I use the right touchpad to enter mouse mode and click to attack for times I need to aim. But, rest of the inputs are gamepad. What I’d like to do is have it so when I touch the right pad it modeshifts the right trigger into a left mouse click too. Could do same with action layers, but I’m hoping for a more straight forward and less problematic modeshift option.

I’ve used the Steam Controllers for many years and use dual touchpads for movement and camera. Here’s me playing Doom Eternal, Anger Foot, and a video on why I prefer touchpads to joysticks.

But, despite that I’m not a big of a fan of the ones on the Steam Deck. The placement is not that comfortable. There are 3D printed grips though that I would like to try out that would let me hold the Deck so it is more like holding the Steam Controller with the touchpads. Until then a majority of my gameplay is done with the joysticks in contrast to on the desktop where it is with touchpads.

I am really glad the touchpads are present so that it’s not an input Valve has abandoned, but the placement and ergonomics is really disappointing me. I’d be playing lot of FPS games on the Deck if the touchpad experience were more on par with the Steam Controller.