After early reviews revealed the price and release date, suggesting that a Steam Controller launch was imminent, we now have official confirmation on the Steam Controller release date and price.
In the run-up to the Steam Controller release date, much was said of its capabilities, with one developer praising its 'Mac-like' trackpads, and soon, we will all be able to try it for ourselves.
The Steam Controller will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used a Steam Deck, which features two trackpads and allows for more mouse-like input, as opposed to just trying to use the analogue sticks. If you love gaming on the Steam Deck and wish you could have those controls on any PC, then the Steam Controller is for you.
Initially, the Steam Controller was supposed to launch alongside the Steam Machine, but delays owing to 'RAMageddon' have caused Valve to release the Steam Controller ahead of the PC-console hybrid, though we are apparently getting closer to a Steam Machine announcement. Hopefully, we can expect the same with the Steam Frame too.
But, as for the Steam Controller release date, pirce, specs and more, read on!
When is the Steam Controller release date?
The Steam Controller release date is Monday 4 May 6PM GMT.
View oEmbed on the source websiteThe release date was accidentally revealed by a review going up early, but we now know the official timing, courtesy of Valve. Being at 6PM, hopefully you will be home from work or school so you can get your order in, but you can always use the Steam app on your phone on the sly!
Can I pre-order the Steam Controller?
No, you cannot pre-order the Steam Controller as it becomes available for purchase Monday 6PM 4 May 2026.
You can, however, wishlist the Steam Controller on Steam so that you are notified the moment it becomes available to do so, or to buy it if Valve skips pre-orders entirely.
As we have said for both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, it is not known whether or not Valve will use a reservation system as it did when the Steam Deck was first introduced.
Controllers have fewer market-constrained components, so hopefully Valve will have just been able to mass-produce enough units for a general launch.
How much is the Steam Controller?
The Steam Controller costs £85/$99.
This places it between a DualSense (£65) and a DualSense Edge Controller (£199.99) in terms of price, whilst offering unique inputs.
Whether or not that is worth it for you is another question. There are plenty of cheap and well-rated controllers for PC, though they do not offer the same flexibility as the Steam Controller with its novel trackpads, nor will it integrate so seamlessly with Steam.
Can I buy the Steam Controller separately?
Yes, the Steam Controller can be bought separately.
You do not need to purchase a Steam Machine in order to get your hands on the Steam Controller. This was the case with the original Steam Controller back in 2015 as well.
It makes sense, as many people's gaming PCs and laptops will be a great deal more performant than the Steam Machine, but will want the unique controller inputs.
There was a worry that they would be hard to get our hands on without buying a Steam Machine, but it does appear that it might release before the PC-console hybrid does.
What's more, as spotted by Brad Lynch on X, Valve recently received a large quantity of "Wireless PC Controller".
View oEmbed on the source websiteOthers online reported this to be 14 tonnes, so hopefully stock will be plentiful.
Can I use the Steam Controller on PlayStation, Xbox or Switch?
No, you cannot use the Steam Controller on other consoles such as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series consoles or the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2.
As Valve stipulates on the Steam Controller product page, the Steam Controller only "works with any PC or device running Steam or the Steam Link app. This includes Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, as well as tablets and smartphones".
Still, that’s a huge market, and on PC, you can add non-steam games to the Steam launcher, enabling the usage of Steam Input to get your controller setup just the way you like it.
View Green Video on the source websiteWhat is the Steam Controller? Specs explained
The Steam Controller is essentially a Steam Deck with the screen and computing internals removed.
It has all the usual controller inputs, such as ABXY buttons, a D-pad, analogue sticks, shoulder buttons and back buttons, but it also has two trackpads, a feature which distinguishes the Steam Deck from other PC handhelds.
These trackpads make it easier to play games that traditionally require the use of a mouse, such as strategy games.
Though you can play first-person shooters with an analogue stick, it's typically far less precise than with a mouse or trackpad. However, the included analogue sticks are rather swanky, as they are magnetic thumbsticks (TMR), making them super reliable, with stick-drift eliminated as they are continuously calibrated.
There is also gyro-aiming, enabled by the included gyroscope. This also affords you precise mouse-like input, and it’s best visualised by thinking of how you would use a Wiimote on the Nintendo Wii, though the way you manipulate the Steam Controller is different.
The Steam Controller knows when you are holding it, too, with two capacitive areas along the back of the handles and capacitive thumbsticks, so you can assign gyro-aim to only be enabled when your left thumb is on the left analogue stick, for example.
The Steam Controller can connect to devices via Bluetooth, or an included charging puck, which offers a more reliable connection with lower-latency.
For a detailed breakdown of what exactly makes up the Steam Controller, check out the specs below:
Steam Controller specs
Gamepad controls – A B X Y buttons, D-pad, L & R analog triggers, L & R bumpers, View & Menu buttons, Steam & QAM buttons, 4x assignable grip buttonsThumbsticks – 2x full-size magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) with capacitive touchHaptics – 4x haptic motors, 2x LRA haptic motors in trackpads for HD tactile feedback, 2x High output LRA haptic motors in grips for HD game haptics including rumbleTrackpads – 2x 34.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback, pressure-sensitive for configurable click strengthGyro – 6-axis IMUGrip Sense – 2x capacitive areas along back of Steam Controller handlesConnectivity
Steam Controller Puck – 2.4GHz Wireless connection, ~8ms full end-to-end, 4ms polling rate (measured at 5m). Up to 4 Steam Controllers per Steam Controller Puck. Steam Controller Puck connects to PC via USB-CBluetooth – Bluetooth 4.2 minimum, 5.0 or higher recommendedUSB – USB-C tethered playCharging – Steam Controller Puck charging interface, USB-C connectorBattery – 8.39 Wh Li-ion battery (35+ hours of gameplay). Battery life for tracked gameplay with Steam Frame is reducedSize and Weight
Size – Steam Controller: 111mm x 159mm x 57mm. Steam Controller Puck: 50mm x 28mm x 9mmWeight – Steam Controller: 292g, Steam Controller Puck: 16g
Size and Weight
Size – Steam Controller: 111mm x 159mm x 57mm. Steam Controller Puck: 50mm x 28mm x 9mmWeight – Steam Controller: 292g, Steam Controller Puck: 16gRead more:
Valve reveals new Steam hardware — All Steam ahead!Steam Machine release date — All we know about the 'GabeCube'Steam Frame release date — Virtual (Reality) InsanitySteam Controller release date — When can we go hands-on?Steam Deck 2 release date — When is it coming?Steam Deck OLED review — Is it still worth it?Why you should buy a Steam Deck in 2026: When it's in stock, that is...Steam Controller reactions — Devs praise 'Mac-like' trackpadsSteam Hardware FAQ — Valve delays the inevitableSteam Frame verification program — Can it run Crysis?Steam Frame reactions — Devs love itSteam Machine price — 'RAMageddon' has done a numberCheck out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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