Apparently, Valve fans were a little more eager than expected. The first wave of the newly revived Steam Controller disappeared almost immediately after going live, leaving late arrivals staring at the digital equivalent of an empty store shelf. The controller is now available through third-party resale sites like eBay for $200 or more, well above the MSRP of $99. To combat scalpers and appease the FOMO crowd, Valve Corporation has opened reservations for the next round of hardware, giving players another shot at grabbing the long-requested controller revival.
Reservations are officially first-come, first-served, so anyone still interested should probably not delay their decision too long. Valve has not yet provided a firm shipping estimate for all reservation holders, but demand clearly outpaces supply.
That enthusiasm is not entirely surprising. The original Steam Controller developed a cult following after its 2015 release thanks to its unusual trackpad-heavy design and deep customization options. While it never became a mainstream rival to Xbox or PlayStation controllers, it carved out a dedicated audience among PC players who wanted something built specifically around the flexibility of Steam.
The updated version keeps much of that same philosophy intact. Dual trackpads return alongside gyro controls, customizable back buttons, and deep integration with Steam Input. The goal is still the same as it was a decade ago: make PC games playable from the couch without forcing every title into a traditional controller layout.
That approach feels especially relevant now in the post-Steam Deck era. Valve has spent the past few years refining its controller ecosystem through handheld hardware and Steam Input improvements, and the new Steam Controller benefits directly from that work. Features that once felt experimental now feel far more mature, particularly when paired with community control profiles and broader game compatibility.
It also helps that PC gaming itself has shifted. Couch gaming setups, handheld PCs, and living-room-friendly interfaces are far more common today than when the original controller launched. In some ways, the market may have finally caught up with Valve’s original idea.
Of course, the controller still looks a little strange compared to traditional gamepads, and that is probably not changing anytime soon. Valve has never been particularly interested in playing it safe with hardware design. Judging by how quickly the first run vanished, though, plenty of players are perfectly fine with that.
Gamers interested in reserving the Steam Controller can do so now through Valve’s official Steam hardware page.
