It needs a better name than “Steam Controller” tho
Valve has officially revealed the launch date for its upcoming Steam Controller: May 4, 2026. That’s next week!
The latest Steam Controller takes a lot of what the company learned from the first iteration and the Steam Deck and repackages it alongside a few new features.
Firstly, fans will recognize the layout as being very Steam Deck-like, with the TMR analog sticks, D-pad and ABXY buttons along the top and full trackpads below them. There are a bajillion buttons, highlighted by the rear R4/5 and L4/5 buttons, all of which are programmable, as well as capacitive Gripsense on the back of the palm grips for even more connection to the controller and games.
The device has haptic rumble, gyro, and even infrared lights for those who want to use it with Valve’s upcoming Steam Frame VR headset. The device can connect to virtually any PC-based gaming device using Bluetooth or USB, and includes a puck hub (for up to 4 controllers) that allows direct connection to a computer and yet still remain wireless.
The device will set players back $99 when it launches, and can be pre-ordered on Valve’s website now. So why is it launching before the Steam Machine and Steam Frame? Well, according to Valve there’s no RAM in it so there really isn’t anything holding it back. RAM prices and availability have been an issue for a while due to AI sucking everything down, and that’s pushed Valve to delay the main hardware already. We won’t know the date or the price until they do, which may not be any time soon.
Here are all the juicy technical bits direct from the company:
Controls and Input
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 buttons
Thumbsticks
- 2x full-size magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) with capacitive touch
Haptics
- 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 rumble
Trackpads
- 2x 34.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback
- Pressure-sensitive for configurable click strength
Gyro
- 6-axis IMU
Grip Sense
- 2x capacitive areas along back of Steam Controller handles
Connectivity
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-C
Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.2 minimum, 5.0 or higher recommended
USB
- USB-C tethered play
Power
Charging
- Steam Controller Puck charging interface
- USB-C connector
Battery
- 8.39 Wh Li-ion battery
- 35+ hours of gameplay*
- Battery life for tracked gameplay with Steam Frame is reduced
Size and Weight
Size
- Steam Controller: 111mm x 159mm x 57mm
- Steam Controller Puck: 50mm x 28mm x 9mm
Weight
- Steam Controller: 292 g
- Steam Controller Puck: 16 g