Overview
- Multiple outlets on Wednesday verified a Reddit user's find that Valve's new $99 Steam Controller can emit the Wilhelm Scream when it is dropped.
- Tests report the effect usually triggers only when the controller is on a PC running Steam's Big Picture mode and sitting at the main menu.
- The pad has no speaker, so the sound is recreated by driving its haptic motors at audio-like patterns rather than playing it through a traditional driver.
- Activation is inconsistent, appears to need a drop from a certain height, and has a cooldown of roughly a minute between screams.
- Reviewers urge owners to test on a soft surface such as a bed or pillow to avoid damage, as the hot-selling controller launched May 4 and is now on a one-per-user reservation queue that began May 8.