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and every one of the Deck’s 20-plus programmable controls can issue multiple different commands depending on how and when you press. You can click, swipe, flick, and “spin” a virtual trackball press down on their pressure-sensitive surfaces and even set their edges to continually move or turn your character. In addition to providing an entire traditional gamepad worth of analog joysticks, triggers, and face buttons - almost all of which feel fantastic, I might add - you also get four rear grip buttons and a pair of Steam Controller pads so customizable, calling them “trackpads” feels like a disservice.
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Okay, you might ask, but all the games I just named have gamepad support - what about the decades of mouse-and-keyboard fare? The Steam Deck lets you borrow or build a dizzying array of custom control schemes that make them feel at home, too.
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