An errant review accidentally published early indicated that the Steam Controller will cost $99 when it finally comes out. As caught by WCCFTech, yet another such review, this time by Japanese publication 4Gamer, has indicated that the controller will be officially available on May 4th. At the time of publishing, however, the review and its associated social media post have been taken down.
Thankfully, Reddit users managed to spot the review before it was taken down, and screenshots can be found online, complete with text revealing the May 4th launch date for the Steam Controller.
Along with text from the review itself, another Reddit user was able to grab all the pictures that were published as part of the review. Along with typical product shots of the Steam Controller, its USB cable, and charging puck that also acts as its wireless receiver, one picture indicates that the controller weighs 292 grams. There are also comparison photos with the back of an Xbox controller, as well as an older photo of the original Steam Controller.
It is worth noting that there is still no indication of when Valve’s pre-built Linux-based gaming PC—the Steam Machine—will be coming out. However, since the company had confirmed in the past that it would be bundled with a Steam Controller, it had likely planned to launch the controller well in advance, if not alongside, the Steam Machine.
As for the pricing, as our report had noted, the $99 price tag of the Steam Controller makes it the most expensive one out there. The DualSense, for comparison, is priced at $74.99. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller gets a bit closer to Valve’s, with its $89.99 price tag.
The Steam Controller, along with the Steam Frame and the Steam Machine, was unveiled back in November. The controller is set to be a major evolution over Valve’s first attempt, which was launched in 2015 before being discontinued in 2019, and will be based on similar ergonomic designs as the Steam Deck. This means that, alongside all the buttons and analogue sticks that gamers might be used to, it will also include a pair of trackpads, one on each side, as well as four extra buttons on its back.
Other features include support for six-axis gyro, as well as the ability to swap out parts in case they start wearing out. The Steam Controller will also come packaged with a magnetic puck that can stick to its back to charge its battery.
Valve had originally planned to launch its new slate of hardware in early 2026. However, global memory shortages have caused the company to push back its plans. Back in February, the company confirmed that it had to “revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing,” while also noting that it is planning to launch all three machines in the first half of the year.
“Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed,” explained Valve. “But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce, being mindful of how quickly the circumstances around both of those things can change. We will keep you updated as much as we can as we finalize those plans as soon as possible.”
