Steam Controller 2 sells out in minutes — Valve's $99 gamepad is finally here
Valve's Steam Controller 2 went on sale May 4, 2026, priced at $99 in the US and £85 in the UK — and sold out in roughly 40 minutes, per Tom's Guide live launch coverage. It's sold exclusively through the Steam Store; no third-party retailers are carrying it, so if you missed the window, your only option is to wait for a restock.
The hardware
The controller packs two 34.5 mm square trackpads with haptic feedback and adjustable actuation force, a six-axis gyroscope, four rear grip buttons, and four vibration motors. The thumbsticks use TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) technology, which Valve says makes them resistant to the drift that plagues traditional analog sticks. Battery life is rated above 35 hours. The included Steam Controller Puck doubles as a wireless USB dongle and a magnetic charging dock. Wireless input latency sits around 8 ms.
It's here! Steam Controller has officially arrived. Made for you to play all your games on Steam, however you like to play them.
— Valve (@valvesoftware) May 4, 2026
Buy now on @Steam. https://t.co/rRiQFxLKxA pic.twitter.com/KwBxu69AQU
It connects to any device that runs Steam — Windows PCs, laptops, and the Steam Deck — and is designed with the Steam Machine in mind, though that console remains delayed due to a RAM shortage.
Price and value
At $99 / £85, it sits above the DualSense (around £55–60) and well below the Xbox Elite Series 2 (£180+). Reviews are broadly positive — IGN gave it 9/10 and called it the PC controller to beat, while Polygon and PC Gamer praised its trackpad precision for strategy games, simulations, and couch-PC use. The review roundup at 80.lv shows the main split is on value: IGN considers it fair against the Elite, while Ars Technica argues two cheaper pads give you more for the money.
The wireless Steam Controller Puck dongle doubles as a magnetic charging dock.
A few caveats worth knowing: the controller is larger than most rivals and has no rubberized grip panels. There's no headphone jack. And because it's tied to the Steam ecosystem, it won't work natively with Game Pass, Epic Games Store, or Ubisoft Connect titles without workarounds — a real limitation if your library is spread across launchers.
Getting one
Stock is gone for now. Valve warned before launch that initial inventory could be tight. Loading up a Steam Wallet balance before the next restock is reportedly the fastest route to checkout when units return. No timeline for replenishment has been announced for the US, UK, or EU.
