Valve Steam Controller sales open next week — what to know first

There’s probably no easier way to get PC gamers excited than to tell them that new Steam hardware is on the way. So imagine how close everyone’s heads nearly came to exploding last year when Valve announced not just one, but three new products it was cooking up: the Steam Machine game console, Steam Frame wireless VR headset, and a new Steam Controller — the first update in over a decade. And while we’re still waiting to learn when those first two will land, Valve has started sharing the details on the Steam Controller’s imminent arrival.

According to Valve, sales of the Steam Controller open in one week, on May 4, at 7am Eastern/10am Pacific. The gamepad will set you back $99.

Compared to the old 2015 model, we’re getting a huge redesign, with relocated trackpads, a dedicated D-pad, and the addition of a second thumbstick. The whole layout should feel right at home to anyone who’s spent some time gaming on a Steam Deck, attempting to mirror that configuration. That also means that tons of games are already optimized to take advantage of these controls.

You’ll have the option to game wirelessly with the help of the Steam Controller’s magnetic charging puck. It doubles as a wireless adapter, or you can just leave it attached for a secure, wired connection. Even if you forget it, there’s a hardware USB-C port on the Controller itself, plus built-in Bluetooth.

Everything’s sounding pretty hot so far — so what’s the catch? Well, there’s that steep cost of admission, and at $99 this solution is quite a bit pricier than most wireless PC controllers — although admittedly, it’s hard to find a good option with trackpads.

What’s maybe more concerning is the limited compatibility. The Steam Controller is made to work with Steam, and Steam alone. So while this will work just fine with PC games you play through Steam, as well as with the Steam Deck and upcoming Steam Frame and Machine, but it’s not a generic Bluetooth controller you can use with non-Steam PC games. And that includes Android, as well — while you can connect over Bluetooth to your phone or tablet for playing via Steam Link, you won’t be using this with native Android games.

Even with those restrictions in mind, we imagine Valve’s new Steam Controller will prove quite popular — especially once the rest of the company’s new hardware arrives, ready to support it.