Dropping the 3.5mm Jack in 2026: The New Steam Controller Is 10 Years Late to a Bad Trend

by

Valve recently announced its new hardware lineup, including the standalone Steam VR headset, an updated Steam Controller, and a redesigned Steam Machine. The Steam Machine is a successor to Valve’s earlier attempt at a console-PC hybrid from 2015. With these new products, Valve aims to become a bigger player in the gaming hardware world, building on the success of the popular Steam Deck.

There’s been plenty of discussion about the Steam Machine, but less about the new Steam Controller, which appears to be a major step up from the original. The 2015 Steam Controller was a bold attempt, but it felt cheap, was uncomfortable to use, and had some strange design choices. For example, it only had one joystick and two trackpads, which was an unusual and unnecessary departure from the standard two-joystick layout. Like other Valve hardware from that era, the original Steam Controller didn’t become very popular and faded away after a short time. The new controller seems like a huge improvement, taking design cues from the comfortable Steam Deck while still keeping a familiar button and joystick arrangement. However, it’s missing one key feature that’s quite frustrating.

Why the New Steam Controller Is Missing a 3.5mm Audio Jack, and Why That Matters

3.5mm Audio Jacks Are Becoming Less Popular Across the Tech Industry

The standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack is gradually being removed from many new devices, particularly more affordable ones like iPhones. While some companies, like Apple, have provided adapters to connect older headphones, these are becoming less frequent. Increasingly, devices depend on Bluetooth for audio, which benefits companies like Apple and Sony who sell wireless headphones – often at a premium price due to the Bluetooth technology.

Audio jacks come in different sizes – you’ll find them as small as 2.5mm and as large as 6.35mm. However, 3.5mm is the most widely used size, particularly with today’s gaming devices.

Look, I get that companies want to make money, but honestly, getting rid of the headphone jack isn’t just about that. It’s actually kinda smart from a design perspective. Those jacks take up a surprising amount of space inside your phone, and freeing that up lets them add cool new stuff. Plus, a lot of tech companies point out that having a jack actually makes phones less durable – water and dust can get in there, which is a big problem now that so many phones are water-resistant. It makes sense when you think about it!

Why You Should Care About the Steam Controller’s Lack of a 3.5mm Audio Port

It’s interesting that while many devices are dropping the standard headphone jack, gaming consoles and handhelds haven’t followed suit. The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, Xbox Series X|S controller, Steam Deck, and even the recently released Nintendo Switch 2 all still include a 3.5mm audio jack. This is somewhat surprising, especially given how adaptable the Steam Deck is. In fact, the original Steam Machine also lacked a headphone jack, which is even more puzzling considering it was designed to be a desktop PC replacement – most PC cases always include one.

Unsurprisingly, the Steam Frame headset also lacks an audio jack.

While Steam Machine will still work with Bluetooth headphones and speakers, it’s not ideal. Many serious gamers avoid Bluetooth because it can cause a slight delay between the audio and the video, which is distracting. Plus, those who don’t use Bluetooth – particularly for surround sound systems, which often don’t support it – might need to buy new equipment, like headphones or a whole new audio setup. Even though people have been asking for it, the lack of a standard headphone jack in the new Steam Machine is disappointing.

Read More

2025-11-19 22:34