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Valve Launches $99 Steam Controller on May 4

4/28/2026

43 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Valve will sell the new Steam Controller for $99 on May 4.
The controller needs Steam for setup, includes a wireless charging puck, and features dual analog sticks with Tunnel Magnetoresistance sensors, capacitive touchpads, gyro controls, and a claimed 35-hour battery life.
Valve engineers said the Steam Machine and Steam Frame stay on track for a 2026 release despite RAM shortages, and pricing remains unannounced.

History

Historical Context

Nintendo’s Wii Remote, unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show and released with the Wii in November 2006, pioneered affordable motion-sensing gameplay and helped the console sell over 100 million units. Microsoft’s 2005 Xbox 360 controller later showed that mainstream consoles could profit from innovative gamepads. Building on that legacy, Valve introduced a $99 Steam Controller in 2024, aiming to reshape PC peripheral economics.

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Story summary

Valve will sell the new Steam Controller for $99 on May 4.
The controller needs Steam for setup, includes a wireless charging puck, and features dual analog sticks with Tunnel Magnetoresistance sensors, capacitive touchpads, gyro controls, and a claimed 35-hour battery life.
Valve engineers said the Steam Machine and Steam Frame stay on track for a 2026 release despite RAM shortages, and pricing remains unannounced.

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