The Steam Controller Screams When You Drop it

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The new Steam Controller has a hidden surprise: it makes a screaming sound if you drop it! Some users who recently received the controller and accidentally let it fall discovered this fun feature.

And it gets even more interesting: the sound you hear is actually the famous Wilhelm Scream. This sound effect has been used for decades in countless movies, TV shows, and video games. It first gained popularity in films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and has since become a hidden inside joke, or ‘Easter egg,’ for fans to discover in new releases.

You can make the Steam Controller play the Wilhelm Scream sound effect by dropping it from around three feet high. To avoid damage, drop it onto a soft surface like a bed or couch, and make sure you’re on the Steam Big Picture Mode home screen when you do.

When you’re using Steam’s Big Picture mode, if you drop your Steam Controller, it might play the Wilhelm Scream sound effect. It doesn’t happen every time, though – it’s a bit random. Most people report that it happens about once every 5 or 6 times you drop the controller.

The Steam Controller doesn’t have a built-in speaker. Instead, it creates sound effects by using vibrations, much like Nintendo’s HD Rumble feature which does the same thing in many games.

The Steam Controller quickly sold out when it became available on May 4th, leading to resellers offering it at greatly inflated prices online. To combat this, Valve introduced a reservation system. They plan to use a similar system for the upcoming Steam Machine to prevent the same thing from happening.

Here’s a video of the drop and scream in action.

The new Steam Controller sometimes does the wilhelm scream when dropped while in Big Picture Mode.

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 13, 2026

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2026-05-13 14:14