Valve opens reservation queue for Steam Controller 2 after 30-minute sellout

If you missed the Steam Controller 2 on May 4, you weren't alone — the first batch sold out in roughly 30 minutes across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond. Scalpers immediately listed units on eBay for $200–$350, against a $99 MSRP (£85 in the UK, €99 in the EU). Valve moved quickly, promising everyone who wants one will eventually get the chance to buy it.

The queue

Starting May 8 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST, Valve opened a reservation queue on the Steam Store. The rules are tight: one controller per account, no account suspensions allowed, and — the key bot filter — your account must have made at least one purchase on Steam before April 27, 2026. Once your slot comes up, you get a 72-hour window to complete the purchase. Miss it and the reservation is cancelled. Anyone who already bought a controller in the first wave is not eligible to reserve another, per VGC: Valve queue announcement.

The rollout is staggered: US and Canada go first in the week of May 8, with UK, EU, and Australia following in subsequent weeks, details Engadget: Queue mechanics. The controller is available exclusively through the Steam Store — no Amazon, no Best Buy, no third-party retail.

Familiar playbook, mixed record

This is almost exactly what Valve did with the Steam Deck in early 2022. That queue system reduced bot activity but didn't eliminate scalping — reservation slots themselves ended up on eBay in some cases. The same account-age and purchase-history checks are back, and whether they hold up better this time remains to be seen.

Worth knowing

At $99 / £85 / €99, the Steam Controller 2 is priced higher than most competing PC gamepads, but Valve pitches it as a more feature-rich option. If you plan to join the queue, make sure your Steam account is in good standing and has at least one purchase dated before April 27 — without that, you won't get through the filter at all.