GoKawiilThe big picture: Accessibility options for disabled gamers and PC users have advanced significantly in recent years, largely thanks to official support from hardware manufacturers and game developers. However, versatile devices such as Valve's new Steam Controller have also allowed modders to develop unique solutions.
Modder FamBoy32-dev recently unveiled LiveHaptics, which transfers a PC's audio to the Steam Controller's rumble function, allowing hearing-impaired users to feel movies, music and games through vibrations. The app currently supports Windows and Linux.
LiveHaptics runs system audio through a per-channel DSP chain and then through a haptic PCM stream to the controller's actuators. It supports Bluetooth and wired USB connections, as well as the Steam Controller's proprietary wireless receiver.
The Windows version is a fully static binary that requires no installation, while the Linux port supports every distro, including Valve's SteamOS. An early demonstration on Reddit shows the app running sound from a YouTube video and a game through the controller's vibration. The mod could help the Steam Controller complement other accessibility features for hearing-impaired gamers, such as subtitles, which have begun offering many customization options in recent titles.
To begin using LiveHaptics on Windows, close Steam, unzip the archive from the app's GitHub page, and double-click the executable. Then, connect the Steam Controller and choose an audio output under "Capture device" if it is not already set as the default. The GitHub repository contains more detailed Linux installation directions.
Although the Steam Controller's $99 MSRP makes it a luxury compared with most standard gamepads, Valve's appreciation for modding has brought fun and useful applications to the device since its April launch. Earlier this year, someone devised a method for moving the controller across surfaces using vibration. Eventually, another modder combined the trick with a vision tracker to make the Steam Controller automatically find and navigate to its charging puck.
Much like LiveHaptics, SteamHapticsPlayer can stream audio files to the Steam Controller on Windows and Linux. The mod's developer also created an app for precisely monitoring the controller's battery.
While using Valve's controller officially requires running Steam in the background, modders have also developed microcontroller firmware to add support for non-Steam games and consoles. With a Pro Micro nRF52840 or a similar board, the Steam Controller can work with the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and even PlayStation 3.
Although the Steam Controller supports PC gaming, Valve primarily pushed it as the main input device for its PC-console hybrid, the Steam Machine. The company's latest VR headset, the Steam Frame, is expected to launch any day now.