Highlights
- Orders open 4 May; priced at £85 in UK and $99 in US.
- Features haptic trackpads and magnetic sync puck.
- Gamers online divided over whether the price is justified.
The second-generation gamepad is compatible with PCs, the Steam Deck, and Valve's upcoming gaming PC, the Steam Machine. It does not work with PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo consoles.
Reaction online has been sharp. On Reddit, one of the most upvoted comments read: "I have paid more for a controller, I have paid a lot less, too."
Another user said the price moved it from an "insta-buy to thinking about it." On Bluesky, others felt the cost made sense given the more premium technology involved.
Chris Scullion, deputy editor of Video Games Chronicle, put the price in context. "The Steam Controller may be more expensive than the standard controllers from Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation, but we do live in a time where companies including Sony and Microsoft are selling premium controllers for £150 to £200," he told BBC.
Features and limits
Early reviews have been largely positive. The controller's haptic trackpads, which allow players to simulate mouse controls in PC games, have drawn praise. So has its magnetic puck, which syncs the pad to a PC and charges it at the same time.
Reviewers also noted gyro support, TMR sticks and four back pedals as standout features.
However, the lack of swappable parts and limited customisation options were flagged as drawbacks.
Some Reddit users pointed to the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 at $50 as a strong rival, with one writing: "I have a hard time telling myself this is twice as good."
Scullion said the early hands-on verdicts were encouraging but tempered expectations. "I don't see it taking over the Xbox Wireless Controller as the most commonly used PC controller.
I can still certainly see it selling reasonably well among the smaller group of core enthusiasts willing to pay more for such a peripheral," he told BBC News.
The price sits between standard console controllers, which cost roughly £45 to £65, and premium versions priced between £120 and £160.
One Reddit user justified the cost simply: "This device wasn't made to be your plug and play controller. It's meant to be specifically a controller for your PC."
The Steam Machine, Valve's upcoming living room gaming PC, still has no confirmed price or release date.
In February, Valve said it was revising both alongside its Steam Frame VR headset, while still targeting a launch in the first half of 2026.
Rising component costs, driven in part by demand from AI data centres, are expected to push hardware prices higher across the industry.
