Last we got our hands on a Steam Controller, we thought it a bizarre device. With clickable trackpads instead of analog sticks and a number of oddly-placed triggers, the learning curve of Valve's new way of interfacing was certainly high. The company admitted that the controller was still in beta, and it looks like major changes are in the works.

New reports from Valve's developer-only Steam Dev Days reveal that the Steam Controller has been significantly revised, dropping the planned touch screen (which was a no-show at CES) and adding physical buttons. According to Engadget, the buttons will "approximate a d-pad and the standard A/B/X/Y configuration."

The addition of buttons--especially those that align with the now-standard Xbox configuration--should make switching to a Steam Controller much easier. However, it also makes the controller less unique, which may make it a difficult sell for gamers that are perfectly content with their Xbox 360 controllers.

[Image credit: @TheIneQuation]