SteamVR now supports automatic controller binding, making weird VR controllers a little less weird

Valve postedSteamThe VR 1.26 update will enable any type of VR game to use any type of dynamic controller to play games more conveniently through the automatic handle binding function.

The company originally rolled out Compatibility Mode in the August 2022 1.24 update, allowing games that were originally intended for a specific controller type to be accessible to all controllers.

In the new SteamVR 1.26 update, Valve has taken the autobinding feature a step further, which automatically generates new button binding profiles and configures them for more common controllers like Index or Touch, and sets to emulate this controller type. That way, if your controller, like a Windows Mixed Reality gamepad, isn't officially supported, you won't need to make any settings in the menu.

This is at least a stopgap for players for now, though if the developer decides to create a native binding for any particular controller in the future, SteamVR will automatically switch to that binding. Notably, this puts the onus on Valve to keep updating its compatibility layer to include future new controller types.

In the changelog, the company states: "While native support and explicit bindings will always provide the greatest degree of control, having this compatibility layer will smooth out the game release process and ease the burden on game developers and controller manufacturers alike. burden."

You can on SteamView full update notes.