Valve's new Steam Controller includes a hidden Easter egg: when dropped or thrown, it randomly emits the iconic Wilhelm scream. This famous sound effect, first recorded in 1951 and popularized by Ben Burtt in Star Wars, has become a staple in film and video games as an audio homage.
The controller does not scream every time it is dropped, but early adopters have noticed the unexpected feature. Since the Steam Controller lacks a built-in speaker, the sound is produced using its haptic motors, which can generate specific audio by vibrating together. This suggests significant effort went into implementing the Easter egg.
The Wilhelm scream has appeared in numerous video games, including God of War, Metal Gear Solid, Assassin's Creed, Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, early Call of Duty titles, Ori and the Blind Forest, Mass Effect 2, and many Star Wars games. Its original use depicted a man being dragged underwater by an alligator, but it is now commonly used for falling characters.
The new Steam Controller was announced alongside a Steam Machine and a new VR headset from Valve. The latter two have been delayed due to the ongoing memory crisis, though Valve claims the Steam Machine will release before June. The controller launched without a pre-order system, quickly sold out, and is now reselling for over £700 on eBay, compared to its retail price of £85.
