Valve have confirmed the Steam Controller price and release date, though the Steam Machine is still in RAM price purgatory

Out this May for £85 / $99

Plans for a simultaneous trio of hardware launches seemingly dashed connected the rocks of ongoing RAM shortages, Valve person decided to merchandise the comparatively unaffected Steam Controller refresh without Steam Machine oregon Steam Frame backup. It’s retired soon, too: the merchandise day is confirmed for Monday, May 4th, with pricing acceptable astatine £85 / $99 / €99.

Expensive? Maybe a little. A bully gamepad? Yes, truthful says I successful our Steam Controller review, which has besides been freed from its ain embargo limbo.

It’s not wide whether launching without the caller Steam Machine, the soulmate presumption of which was evident backmost successful the earliest previews, volition impact the Controller’s fortunes. It does, however, person conscionable arsenic beardown a PC absorption connected Windows systems; I’ve been utilizing it for astir 2 weeks present and person afloat adopted the wont of thumbing the trackpads to run not conscionable Steam, but different desktop apps that I mightiness fancy opening oregon closing conscionable earlier (or after) jumping into an existent game. Does that warrant costing £35 much than an Xbox Wireless Controller? I’ll permission that betwixt you and your slope balance, though volition accidental the Steam Controller has proven comfy and multifunctional capable to regenerate the adjacent pricier Wolverine V3 Pro arsenic my designated pad.

I’d besides similar to accidental the Controller’s motorboat apt heralds the incoming extremity of Steam Machine/Frame delays, though having spoken to Valve unit past week, that doesn’t dependable similar the case. More that the Steam Controller, which has nary request of the variously stock-starved and/or painfully costly representation and retention components that the Machine and Frame trust upon, happens to beryllium acceptable present – adjacent if the different 2 aren’t.

That said, further delays haven’t been confirmed either, truthful the Steam Controller’s achromatic integrative cohorts are inactive planned for sometime successful 2026. Valve besides accidental they’ve amassed capable Controller banal for a coagulated launch, truthful hopefully travel the 4th, it won’t instantly vanish down waiting lists similar the archetypal Steam Deck did. In the meantime, we’ll beryllium sharing the highlights of my chat with the hardware’s engineering and plan squad aboriginal this week, truthful enactment tuned if you’re the benignant of idiosyncratic who shivers astatine the dependable of the operation "tunnel magnetoresistance thumbsticks".