Valve Opens Steam Controller Reservations Starting May 8

The Steam Controller Returns

Valve has announced that reservations for the new Steam Controller open on May 8, 2026. The original Steam Controller launched in 2015 and was discontinued in 2019, leaving a dedicated user base without an official successor. Now, Valve is reviving the device with a reservation-first approach designed to manage demand more effectively than the turbulent Steam Deck launch.

Reservation and Fulfillment Timeline

Reservations are now open through official Steam channels. According to Valve, fulfillment will begin next week for customers in the US and Canada, with UK, EU, and Australian orders following in subsequent weeks. Inventory replenishment will vary by region.

The reservation system has been warmly received by the PC gaming community, many of whom spent weeks repeatedly refreshing the Steam Deck page during its launch. The consensus: this is how it should have been handled from the start.

What the Steam Controller Offers

The Steam Controller was designed to bridge the gap between traditional gamepads and mouse-and-keyboard setups, featuring touchpads, haptic feedback, and deep Steam integration. The device was particularly popular for playing PC games that were not designed with controller support in mind. Details on what improvements the new model brings are being eagerly anticipated by the community.