Valve seems to be poorly concealing the imminent launch of the new Steam Controller, slated for 2026. Not only has it been spotted making discreet appearances within Steam, where its new device will be released, but a brief review showcasing the controller in video format has also surfaced. Perhaps most interestingly, there’s already talk of an official price of $99 for the United States. This information originates from the very review published prematurely by the YouTube channel TechyTalk, which was later removed, but not before several users captured or re-uploaded the video. Therefore, the $99 price point comes from someone who already possesses both the controller and all the information related to its launch.
The leak aligns with a series of prior signals that have already pointed towards a near launch. In recent days, a hidden “unboxing” video of the Steam Controller was detected in Steam’s backend, located by SteamDB, although the video was not yet playable. This type of material typically appears when a company is preparing for a commercial, press, or distribution announcement, making it evident that Valve could soon announce availability, pre-orders, or a specific release date as early as next week.
The New Steam Controller (2026) in Action
According to the leaked review and prior official information about the device, its key differentiator lies in combining the traditional gamepad format with elements inherited from the Steam Deck: dual trackpads, magnetic sticks with TMR technology, a gyroscope, haptic feedback, and rear buttons. The prematurely published TechyTalk review specifically highlighted these features as part of the package that would justify its positioning as a premium peripheral. Indeed, at $99, which translates to at least 99 euros in Europe, Valve must justify the price of its new Steam Controller against the competition.
At $99 or euros, it positions itself just above the most commonly used controllers: the Xbox Wireless Controller and the PlayStation 5 DualSense. It is clearly positioned below the price of the ‘pro’ versions of these controllers: the Xbox Elite Series 2 and the DualSense Edge. Both of these controllers would cost nearly double the new Steam Controller. Therefore, Xbox and PlayStation are the ones who need to justify why their controllers cost almost twice as much, despite having fewer features.
Thanks to all these reports, it’s evident that Valve might now launch the controller before the Steam Machine. Valve was expected to release all its new products jointly. However, the scarcity and rising costs of memory and storage have complicated the availability, launch, and competitiveness of the Steam Machine. Thus, the new Steam Controller appears to precede the rest of the products. For this reason, its sales will be focused on users of PC, Steam Deck, or SteamOS.
