Valve Confirms Steam Controller's Release Date & Price, Promises News on Steam Machine Soon

In the past few days, rumors and leaks around Valve’s new Steam Controller have been at an all-time high. From the spotting of an original unboxing video listing on SteamDB to a leaked $99 price tag, and today’s release date leak, details about the new gaming controller from Valve have been all over the place. Well, Valve has finally stepped in and confirmed everything that has been leaked in the past few days.

Valve confirms Steam Controller’s release date and pricing, promises more updates on Steam Machine

The Steam Controller will release on May 4 at 10 AM PT with a $99 price tag. As far as regional pricing is concerned, it looks like this: $149 CAD / €99 / £85 / $149 AUD / 449 PLN. Surprised to see varied pricing? Well, IGN received a statement from Valve regarding this. In a note to the news outlet, the company explained that “pricing varies by region due to distribution costs, import duties/tariffs, and market conditions.”

As far as availability is concerned, Valve is launching the Steam Controller on Steam in the U.S., Canada, U.K., EU, and Australia. Those in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan can get it through the official distributor (Komodo Station). Ahead of the official news, Valve programmer Pierre-Loup Griffais sat down in an interview with IGN, where he said that some news about Steam Machine will be out soon. Here’s what Griffais said when asked about the Steam Machine release:

“We don’t have exact details about the timeline to share today, and we’re hard at work on trying to get them out the door. I think we are definitely expecting to roll out some news soon about that, but in general, I think things are going well.”

Here’s what you can expect from Steam Controller

In an unboxing and overview video published on Valve’s YouTube channel, the company confirmed that the new Steam Controller introduces a puck-based wireless system that also doubles as a charging station. The controller pairs automatically via USB-C once connected to a PC, allowing low-latency wireless gameplay, while a solid white LED signals a stable connection.

Valve positions the puck as the fastest and most reliable way to play wirelessly, aiming to simplify setup for plug-and-play use. The controller also launches directly into Steam’s Big Picture mode using the Steam button, creating a console-like interface that aligns closely with the Steam Deck experience and suggests a more unified ecosystem across Valve devices.

In terms of input design, the Steam Controller features next-generation magnetic thumbsticks built for improved durability and responsiveness, alongside dual trackpads that can be fully customized for mouse-like aiming, radial menus, or strategy-style controls. A gyro system is also included for motion-based input, now enhanced with capacitive grip sensors that detect finger placement on the handles. This allows gyro to activate or deactivate dynamically, while also enabling customizable actions like weapon wheels or map access triggered through grip release and sensitivity tuning.

The controller further includes four remappable grip buttons for expanded control options, reinforcing its flexible input approach.

Steam Controller Full Specifications

Connectivity

Power

Size and Weight