Valve Sets May 4 Launch for New Steam Controller: $99 Price, TMR Sticks and a Puck Accessory Hint at a Bigger Hardware Push
Valve has detailed pricing, specifications and a release date for a new Steam Controller aimed at PC gaming beyond the desk, positioning it as a living-room friendly companion to Steam’s broader ecosystem.
The company says the controller will go on sale May 4 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific for $99 in the United States and £85 in the United Kingdom.
The device marks Valve’s latest attempt to refine ideas introduced with the original Steam Controller, which leaned heavily on trackpads and customization but struggled to reach mainstream users.
This time, Valve is emphasizing faster setup and familiar ergonomics, while keeping the deep remapping and community profiles Steam users rely on.
What Valve is adding this time?
According to the published specs, the new Steam Controller uses magnetic thumbsticks based on TMR technology, a design intended to improve durability and reduce the risk of drift over long-term use.
It also includes dual square trackpads with high-definition haptics, plus a 6-axis gyro for motion input.
Valve says the controller adds four assignable rear buttons to support more complex control schemes without moving fingers off the grips. The hardware is designed to work with Steam Input, which allows per-game layouts and access to a large library of community-created configurations.
A puck accessory and broader ambitions
One of the key add-ons is a Steam Controller Puck, described as a combined wireless connectivity and charging solution intended to make pairing and power management more seamless.
Valve is framing the accessory as part of a push toward a console-like experience, where hardware works reliably with minimal setup.
The announcement also fits with Valve’s wider interest in dedicated gaming hardware, following the success of Steam Deck and ongoing efforts to extend PC gaming into the living room. If the new controller delivers on durability and ease of use, it could become a cornerstone accessory for players who dock handheld PCs or stream to TVs.
