Valve has opened a reservation system for the new Steam Controller starting May 8, 2026. Drawing on lessons from the Steam Deck's chaotic launch, Valve will fulfill orders sequentially — starting with US and Canada next week, followed by UK, EU, and Australia.
Valve has published full CAD files for the new Steam Controller and Puck under a Creative Commons license, enabling modders to create custom accessories like skins, charging stands, and smartphone mounts.
Valve's newly released Steam Controller sold out in just 30 minutes, causing Steam server issues from the demand surge. Resellers immediately listed units on eBay at up to four times the retail price.
Valve's latest Steam hardware and software survey reveals that nearly 68% of Steam users are running Windows 11, marking a significant shift from just a couple of years ago when Windows 10 dominated the PC gaming landscape.
Valve has officially acknowledged delays to the Steam Machine, expressing disappointment in a PC Gamer interview. Concerns are growing that the hardware's specifications may already be aging before it even ships.
Valve will start selling the new Steam Controller on May 4, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT for $99 in the US. The pad adds dual trackpads, TMR magnetic thumbsticks, four rear grip buttons, Grip Sense gyro aiming, and a magnetic wireless charging puck.
Valve says Steam Deck 2 remains in development, but there is still no release window. The company also says RAM and shipping constraints are still limiting Steam Deck supply in some regions.
Valve has added new beta Steamworks reporting tools for Steam Deck Verified games, letting developers see 30-day average framerate charts and opt-in user survey results. The survey appears after at least 10 minutes of play, and Valve says variance data and Playable-game support are planned next.
An early review leak pegs Valve's next Steam Controller at $99 and says the pad ships without an audio jack or swappable battery. Reddit's biggest reaction was not the trackpads but the price, with many users comparing it straight to other premium controllers.
A Linux VRAM optimization from Valve engineer Natalie Vlock prioritizes foreground games when memory is tight. TweakTown cites testing on an RX 6500 XT where Alan Wake II rose from 14 FPS to 41 FPS at 1080p low with FSR Quality.
A GamesRadar report on Apr 14 points to a U.S. shipment manifest for wireless PC controllers weighing 12,970 kg, with Valve still giving no solid release date for the new Steam Controller or Steam Machine. The r/pcgaming post reached 1,895 points and 306 comments.
Phoronix reports that Valve developer Natalie Vock has assembled kernel and KDE-side work to give foreground games priority on limited video memory. The early goal is less spillover into system RAM and steadier Linux gaming on common 8GB cards.