The New Steam Controller Is Finally Coming – And It’s $99

Valve is bringing back the Steam Controller. According to leaked early reviews, a new version is launching at $99, with pre-orders coming soon. After years of silence on hardware, Valve is betting big on a redesigned controller that promises to compete with traditional gamepads while adding features that make PC gaming more accessible. This is a huge deal for PC gaming, and it’s going to be controversial.

The Original Steam Controller: A Good Idea That Arrived Too Early

Why Version 1 Failed (And Learned Nothing From It)

The original Steam Controller launched in 2015 as Valve’s answer to the question “What if we completely reinvented the game controller?” The answer was: a trackpad-based input device that nobody asked for, most games didn’t support, and casual players found completely alien.

It had a devoted following. The trackpad was precise. The customization was insane. Hardcore enthusiasts loved it.

But for 99% of PC gamers? It was a solution looking for a problem. When you could buy an Xbox controller for $60 that worked with everything immediately, why spend $99 on a device with a learning curve?

Valve discontinued the original in 2018 after barely three years on the market.

Now they’re trying again.

The New Design: Learning From Mistakes (Hopefully)

What Changed

The leaked details suggest Valve took feedback seriously:

• Moved away from pure trackpad design, The new controller apparently includes traditional analog sticks alongside the trackpad
• More familiar overall shape, Less “weird sci-fi device,” more “premium gamepad”
• Better button layout, Closer to standard controller conventions
• Kept the customization, The new version still supports Steam’s insane customization options

Basically, Valve is saying: “The original was too weird. Here’s something that plays like a normal controller but gives you advanced options if you want them.”

That’s a smarter strategy. But it also means Valve is admitting the original controller was a failed experiment.

Why $99 Is a Huge Problem

The Price Point Nobody Wanted

$99 puts this directly in a weird market position:

• Xbox/PlayStation controllers: $60-70
• High-end gaming controllers (Elite, Pro): $120-150
• Arcade sticks and specialty hardware: $150-300

At $99, it’s expensive compared to standard options but not compelling enough to justify the premium if it’s mostly a “better Xbox controller with trackpad options.”

For comparison, when the original launched at $99, there was novelty. It was the weird new thing Valve was building. You paid for innovation.

Now? The innovation is “we made it less weird.” That doesn’t justify a $99 price tag unless the execution is absolutely flawless.

The Real Question: Does PC Gaming Actually Want This?

Valve Is Making an Assumption

Here’s the thing Valve seems to be betting on: PC gaming needs a better input device.

But do we actually? The Steam Deck proved that trackpad controls can work in handheld mode. But that’s a handheld device with a tiny screen where you don’t have a choice. On PC, with mouse and keyboard available, the pressure to “fix” controllers is different.

Most PC gamers fall into one of two camps:

1. Competitive players who use mouse and keyboard exclusively
2. Casual players who want a controller and would rather just use an Xbox controller they already own

Valve is betting there’s a third camp: players who want advanced input customization and are willing to pay for it. Maybe there is. But the original controller suggested that camp is pretty small.

The PC Gaming Hardware Wars

Valve Is Competing With Nobody And Everybody

Here’s the awkward position: Valve is the only company making a PC-exclusive controller. Microsoft makes controllers that work on both Xbox and PC. Sony makes controllers for PlayStation that also work on PC.

Valve doesn’t have a console. They don’t have an existing user base demanding this product. They’re hoping to create demand from scratch.

And it’s not like there’s a shortage of controller options. If you want a good gamepad on PC, you have endless choices. More choices than any console player.

So Valve isn’t winning by being better, they’re hoping to win by being different. And their original attempt at being different taught them that “different” doesn’t automatically mean “compelling.”

The Leak Might Actually Be Marketing

Is This Really a Leak?

Here’s a conspiracy theory: What if Valve leaked this themselves?

Think about it: A “leaked” announcement about an upcoming product generates massive hype without Valve having to make an official announcement. Reddit blows up. Gaming media covers it. Everyone’s talking about the $99 Steam Controller.

Then Valve officially announces it with a video, hands-on experience, and launch details.

Free marketing. Pre-hype built by internet rumors. Launch momentum already in motion.

This is basically Apple’s entire launch strategy. And Valve’s smart enough to understand it.

Not saying this is definitely what happened. But the fact that a “leak” about pre-orders “coming soon” hit 1,700+ velocity suggests this is exactly the kind of controlled information release that generates maximum buzz.

Why This Matters for PC Gaming

Hardware Innovation On A Platform That Doesn’t Care

PC gaming doesn’t care about hardware the way console players do. Your PC has infinite configuration options. Your monitor, your peripherals, your keyboard, your mouse, everything is customizable.

A new controller doesn’t feel momentous the way a new console does.

But it does signal that Valve is investing in PC gaming’s hardware future. The Steam Deck proved Valve could design good hardware. Maybe the new controller is actually good. Maybe this time, the weird trackpad idea actually lands.

Or maybe it bombs again, and Valve learns that PC gamers just want good Xbox controllers at reasonable prices.

The Pre-Order Question

Why Now? Why Not Later?

The fact that pre-orders are coming “soon” is important. Valve’s not waiting. They’re capitalizing on whatever hype this leak generated.

That’s smart business. Strike while the iron’s hot. Get pre-orders committed. Build momentum.

But it also means Valve is confident enough in this design to start taking money before most people have even held it.

That’s either bold or reckless. We’ll find out.

What This Means for Your Gaming Setup

Should You Care?

Honestly? Unless you’re deeply unhappy with your current controller, you probably don’t need to rush into this.

The original Steam Controller was great for specific games and specific use cases. It was terrible for everything else. This one might be better at being a general-purpose device.

But $99 is $99. And there are a lot of good $60 alternatives that will do 95% of what most people need.

However, if you’re someone who: – Plays tons of games that don’t natively support controllers – Wants deep customization options – Likes the idea of precision trackpad input – Are willing to spend $99 on hardware

Then this might actually be your device.

Bottom Line for gamers

Valve is back in the hardware game with a new Steam Controller at $99. It’s smarter than the original design, but it’s also more expensive than your alternatives. Whether it’s worth buying depends entirely on whether you actually want what Valve is selling: a controller with more options than anything else on the market.

Pre-orders are coming soon. The internet is already losing its mind.

Expect Valve to make this an official announcement within weeks. Expect reviews to be mixed, some people will love the customization, some will say they’d rather just use an Xbox controller.

And expect this to be a learning moment about whether PC gaming actually wants innovation in input devices or just wants things that work.

Got thoughts on the new Steam Controller, the original, or what you actually want in a gaming controller? Join us on Discord, this is a conversation worth having.

For more on PC gaming hardware, check out our deep dives on why PC controls are so fragmented, the Steam Deck’s impact on game design, and why controllers matter more than people think.