Valve snuck a Wilhelm scream Easter egg into the new Steam Controller
Valve has included a delightful Easter egg in its new $99 Steam Controller. When the gamepad is dropped or experiences sudden impact, it occasionally emits a Wilhelm scream—the iconic wailing sound effect that has become legendary in film and popular culture.
The discovery was made by Reddit user RF3D19 and shared on the platform this week. The Easter egg adds a playful touch to Valve’s latest controller revision, which already distinguishes itself in the gaming peripheral market through its emphasis on touchpads, gyro aiming, and TMR joysticks.
While initial skepticism arose regarding the authenticity of the discovery—given the ease of faking sound effects in short videos—other Reddit users in the thread confirmed the Easter egg is genuine. The Wilhelm scream, a stock sound effect that originated in 1951 and has appeared in countless films and video games over decades, proves to be a fitting choice for a gaming company known for its quirky Easter eggs and community-aware design philosophy. The new Steam Controller is available for $99.