Gamepad as a car: an enthusiast made the Steam Controller drive on the surface

Latvian developer Very Lazy Pixels surprised the gaming community by making the updated Steam Controller move across flat surfaces like a real-time radio-controlled car. This funny solution works without the use of third-party software directly through a browser that supports modern web standards.

Information resource Tom’s Hardware reported on an unusual project that turned a controller from Valve into a moving gadget. A special web program sends pulses to the device’s vibration motors, causing the entire body to slowly and purposefully move across the surface. The project is an excellent demonstration of the possibilities of direct interaction of web applications with physical hardware.

Technical characteristics and principle of operation via WebHID

To turn the gamepad into an analogue of a radio-controlled car, the author used the built-in WebHID (Human Interface Device) standard of browsers. This interface allows web pages to interact directly with peripheral devices connected via USB or Bluetooth without additional layers.

Control of movement and maneuverability of the gamepad is implemented as follows:

• The system sends commands to built-in tactile vibration motors (tillers).
• By changing the balance of signals between the left and right motor, the motion vector can be adjusted.
• When one vibration motor works with greater intensity, the controller makes a smooth turn in the corresponding direction.

The interface does not require pre-installation of complex utilities or flashing of the device. It is enough to use any Internet browser based on Chromium (for example, Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge) and grant access to the gamepad through the standard external device authorization menu.

Release date and price

The web application from Very Lazy Pixels was released almost immediately after the release of the updated hardware revision of the device from Valve. It is worth noting that the new Steam Controller officially went on sale worldwide at the beginning of May. The Valve company decided to support techno-enthusiasts and published detailed CAD drawings of the gamepad under the Creative Commons open license. Thanks to this step, third-party programmers and designers quickly began to release both physical accessories and software developments such as the web client from Very Lazy Pixels.

The new gamepad from Valve is offered at a retail price of $99 (approximately 4,100 Ukrainian hryvnias). However, due to the huge shortage and complex booking scheme at secondary sites, its cost can be significantly higher.

The company plans to send new shipments to customers in three separate stages according to the pre-order system:

• The first batch is September 2026;
• Second batch – December 2026;
• Final waves of deliveries – during 2027.

Nuances of operation

The author of the utility openly declares that this run is for demonstration purposes only and provides the tool “as is”. An important operational nuance: intensive contact of the controller’s plastic with an abrasive floor leads to the appearance of noticeable scratches and the erosion of the texture of the lower case cover. Therefore, it is recommended to run the utility on a smooth and preferably soft surface.