A release date and price for the new Steam Controller have been shared, as Valve explain why it’s coming out before the Steam Machine.
When Valve announced its new line-up of hardware, including a revival of its Steam Machine console, last November, it sounded like they’d all be available sooner rather than later.
That was before the memory shortages really began to ramp up, though, and while Valve avoided using the word ‘delay,’ it did admit its plans were impacted and the release window shifted from early 2026 to merely the first half of 2026.
Now, though, at least one of those new pieces of hardware – the Steam Controller – has a price and release date, but this still leaves the Steam Machine and new VR device Steam Frame unaccounted for.
How much does the new Steam Controller cost?
The Steam Controller is priced at £85, so while it’s not the most expensive video game controller on the market, it’s still dearer than both the standard PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers (£64.99 and £59.99, respectively).
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It’s main selling point is that it’s compatible with your entire Steam library and can connect to not just your PC but also the Steam Deck handheld, as well as the upcoming Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
What is the release date for the new Steam Controller?
The Steam Controller launches on May 4 (Star Wars Day, although that seems to be a coincidence) and also comes with a controller puck that lets the controller wirelessly connect to your devices and doubles as a charging station.
Valve hasn’t opened up pre-orders at the time of writing, so you’ll want to bookmark its website and check back in on release day if you plan on buying the controller ASAP.
What is the Steam Machine release date?
There is still no concrete release date or pricing information for the Steam Machine. However, Valve hardware engineer Steve Cardinali has recently discussed the company’s release plans for the hardware.
Although some had assumed that Valve intended to release the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller around the same time, Cardinali told Polygon this was never the plan.
‘We had always thought, obviously we want them to work together well,’ explained Cardinali, ‘But we saw no need to ship the controller at the same time as the [Steam] Machine. The really only hard deadline is we didn’t want to ship the Steam Machine before the Steam Controller.’
He added that the controller was less of a hassle to release since its development has been unaffected by the memory shortages, but despite efforts to ‘build up quantity,’ there’s every chance demand will exceed ‘our expectations.’
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Cardinali did not mention any prospective release date or pricing for the Steam Machine. So, until Valve says otherwise, it can still be assumed to arrive by at least the end of June.
It’s expected to be expensive, which Valve already admitted to even before the memory shortages. Those shortages have very likely increased the price beyond their initial intention though.
The exact impact will likely never be shared, but VR insider Brad Lynch (who leaked Steam Controller details about a year before its announcement) claims to have been told what Valve’s target prices were before and after the memory shortages.
He doesn’t state any exact figures, only saying that the Steam Machine has been affected the most, while the Steam Frame’s pricing change is ‘not as bad.’
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