This is not an early version of the controller released this year, but a strange and long-forgotten development prototype from the first generation.
Seven years ago, a user on the Steam Controller subreddit found a prototype of the original Steam Controller at a local Goodwill store. Now, through a strange coincidence, a second prototype has surfaced at another Goodwill location in Seattle.
Reddit user Waste-Set5032 explained that his father happened upon a Steam Controller prototype known as Chell. When someone asked whether he had actually bought it, the father himself joined the discussion to confirm the story.
He initially considered leaving the controller behind, but he knew his son was a major fan of every Valve product, so he bought it. This also had a side effect: he now knows his fourteen-year-old son’s Reddit username.
For the boy, finding objects tied to Valve feels like discovering ancient relics. He says he loves older games from the company, such as Portal 2 and Half-Life, because they evoke a bygone era he enjoys exploring.
Seven years ago, another member of this Subreddit found a Chell Prototype in a Goodwill. Well, would you look at this, it happened twice. My dad in Seattle found one.
byu/Waste-Set5032 inSteamController
The Chell Steam Controller prototype was likely created around 2013 or 2014. Its design will feel partly familiar to people who know the original Steam Controller, thanks to its inward-curving shape and two large trackpads on the sides.
The face buttons on the right are missing, however. Instead, the controls are located in the center of the controller, while the Select and Start buttons were moved to the bottom.
The prototype does not contain any thumbsticks. That detail alone makes Chell even stranger than the Steam Controller that eventually launched in its final form in 2015.
The original poster’s father tested the prototype, and he says it works as a generic controller. The four buttons in the center function as a D-Pad.
The top-left button represents up, the top-right represents right, the bottom-left represents left, and the bottom-right represents down. Since the prototype lacks the familiar modern controller layout and thumbsticks, it is probably not something we would choose for competitive play.
As a relic, however, it is excellent. It also demonstrates how far Valve has come in controller ergonomics over more than a decade.
Unfortunately, we do not know much more about compatibility or how the device feels in use. We also do not know how much was paid for it.
The prototype found seven years ago was reportedly bought for $8. That was $3 more than the $5 price at which the original Steam Controller was sold when it was discontinued.
Source: PC Gamer
