TECH NEWS – Early Steam Controller owners have found a very unexpected easter egg: under certain conditions, the controller screams when dropped. It is not using an internal speaker, but its haptic motors, which recreate the famous Wilhelm Scream. VGC has tested the feature and confirmed that it is real, though anyone trying it should drop the controller onto a bed or large pillow rather than a hard floor.
The first Steam Controller units have started arriving with early adopters, and players have already found a hidden gag inside the device. Reddit user RF3D19 discovered that dropping the controller can sometimes make it scream. More specifically, it plays the Wilhelm Scream, the long-running stock sound effect that has been used as an in-joke across films and TV shows for decades.
The Wilhelm Scream is a recording of a man screaming that became especially famous through its appearances in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. Since then, it has been reused constantly, often as a knowing nod to film history. Now Valve appears to have joined the tradition, only this time the joke is hidden inside a controller rather than a movie scene.
VGC tested the theory on its own Steam Controller and confirmed that the easter egg is indeed real. The site recommends that anyone who wants to try it should use a soft surface such as a bed or a large pillow, because deliberately dropping a controller onto a hard floor is still a good way to damage it.
It Is Not A Speaker, It Is The Haptic Motors
To trigger the scream, the player’s PC must be running Steam Big Picture mode. Then, while on the main menu, dropping the controller will sometimes cause it to perform the Wilhelm Scream. It does not appear to happen every single time, but based on player reports and VGC’s test, it is a real hidden feature.
The Steam Controller does not have an internal speaker, so the sound is not being played in the usual way. Controllers with more advanced rumble systems can use their motors to recreate sound-like effects through vibration. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, for example, can use HD Rumble to create musical sound effects in Super Mario Bros. Wonder when the player walks on music blocks or uses grind rails.
The Steam Controller went on sale through Valve’s storefront on May 4, but demand quickly caused problems. Numerous customers reported error messages, and within around 30 minutes the controller began selling out in some regions. It eventually sold out across every major market, after which scalpers started listing it on sites such as eBay for up to three times the original price.
Valve responded by implementing a reservation queue, which began on May 8 and remains active. Players can add themselves to the queue for a Steam Controller. As Valve explained: “Once you reserve, your place in line will be saved. When we go back in stock, order emails will be sent in the same order that reservations were made.”
Reservations are limited to one Steam Controller per user. Once an order email is received, users have 72 hours to complete the purchase. Users who were already able to buy a Steam Controller cannot reserve a second one.
Source: VGC
