Steam's New Hardware Features Hilarious Easter Egg That'll Brighten Your Day

Valve’s latest hardware launch, the Steam Controller, comes with a hilarious secret new owners are just discovering.

After months of waiting Steam Controllers are finally being shipped out to those who bought one. If you unfortunately missed out on the first wave, don’t worry, as more opportunities are on the way.

It’s also worth noting that one of the Steam Machine bundles comes with a controller included, so if you plan on buying the new console you might be better off waiting.

Those who have finally had their controllers delivered though have already found an Easter Egg built-in, and it’s bound to put a smile on your face.

Valve’s Steam Controller Does More Than Play Games

In a new video shared from the DiscussingFilm X account it was discovered the new Steam Controller “sometimes does the wilhelm scream when dropped while in Big Picture Mode”.

The new Steam Controller sometimes does the wilhelm scream when dropped while in Big Picture Mode. pic.twitter.com/Px9XRXCO7I

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 13, 2026

For those unaware, Big Picture Mode is designed for those that use their living room TV for gaming. It’ll be what most Steam Machines owners will use and it rearranges the Steam interface to make it easier to read and interact with when on a different display.

The Wilhelm scream is a famous audio clip originating from the film The Charge at Feather River. The character Private Wilhelm lets out the wail upon his death, and over the years it’s become a beloved and hilarious addition to many films and TV shows that have been released since.

Valve obviously thought it’d be funny to include the scream as a bonus extra, and it was right, it’s hilarious.

The comments on DiscussingFilm’s post certainly agreed, with chinaemere61124 saying: “Imagine rage quitting a game and your controller screams on the way down.”

Another commenter by the name of itspennyworth added: “Valve really spent engineering hours just to make a controller scream like a movie extra from the 50s. This is why they’re the GOAT.”

One final comment made a really good point, saying instead of the Wilhelm scream, “it would’ve been more fitting if it was a Black Mesa scientist scream”.

We’re yet to see if the Steam Controller hides any other secrets, but even if it doesn't, it’s a great bit of kit that you shouldn’t sleep on.

While it’s a great fit for new Steam Machine owners, it’s also ideal for those that have a PC too. The $99 price tag turned quite a few heads but when you look at what it can do compared to Xbox and PlayStation’s ‘Pro’ controllers, it’s a good deal.

Remember though if you haven’t been able to grab one yet, one will come included with the Steam Machine if you pick the right bundle, though we still don’t have a release date for that hardware.

READ MORE: Steam Machine Pre-Orders Are Imminent, Valve Reservation Code Reveals