Make your own accessories for the Steam controller
Valve has uploaded the CAD files for its gamepad with the hopes that you'll make custom accessories for it.
Valve wants to know what you'd do with its Steam controller if you had a chance to customize it. The gaming behemoth has released the CAD plans for it in an effort to spurn the community to put its own spin on the gamepad be it with accessories or other design ideas. All the external geometry files are available to download from the Steam Community page. "This allows you to create and share to your heart's content," Valve writes. "But you'll need to get in touch with Valve is you want to sell your creations."
From the looks of it, this should make 3D printing your own mockup pretty easy, too. As a springboard, Valve has dropped a few variations for the controller's battery door (below) that have a cavity for holding the wireless USB receiver.
When we last wrote about the Steam controller at length, we mentioned its low-hanging face buttons and sharp plastic seams as design quirks -- maybe what you come up with will feel a little better in that respect. Given Valve's generally good graces regarding profit splitting with its community creations, it doesn't seem like Gabe Newell and Co. would have much of an issue with you selling any accessories for the gamepad.
