The new Steam Controller had one of the more chaotic hardware launches in a while. When it went on sale on May 4th, the $99 gamepad sold out in under an hour, and by most accounts, possibly much less than that. Payment processing errors during checkout locked out a significant chunk of legitimate buyers, while scalpers apparently had no such trouble, with listings showing up afterward at several times the retail price. Valve, to their credit, moved quickly.
Starting today, May 8th, Valve has opened a reservation queue for the next wave of Steam Controller orders. The system works similarly to how the company handled Steam Deck availability: reserve your spot, wait for an email, then complete the purchase. That email comes with a 72-hour window to buy, after which your slot passes to the next person in line. The controller price stays put at $99 USD.
Reservations are capped at one controller per account. Anyone who already managed to snag one in the first wave is ineligible to reserve another for now. Your Steam account also needs to be in good standing, and you must have made at least one purchase on the platform before April 27th, 2026, the date Valve announced the controller’s release and price. That last requirement is a fairly direct shot at accounts created specifically to game the system.
On the fulfillment side, Valve says US and Canadian orders will start shipping next week, with UK, EU, and Australian regions to follow in subsequent weeks.
The first batch of controllers is already moving, with users in at least 22 countries seeing shipping updates. The Steam Controller is designed to work alongside the upcoming Steam Machine console, though the console itself has been delayed due to RAM shortages. In the meantime, the controller functions as a standalone PC gamepad.
Whether the reservation system holds up under actual demand is the next question. The Steam Deck rollout suggested Valve can manage queues when the process is orderly. This time, they at least had a blueprint to work from.
