Steam Controller sells out at launch while scalpers hike price to $250

Steam Controller launch sells out quickly on the Valve store, with checkout failures and scalpers inflating the price to $250.

Launch Summary

The Steam Controller launch tested the Valve store with mixed results. Many players were unable to purchase the $99 accessory before stock ran out, but demand remained high.

Even for successful buyers, the store experienced constant glitches, making for a frustrating experience.

Pressure-filled purchases and unstable availability

Hours after opening, users reported that the item was no longer available in several regions. Fans had set alarms for 1:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM GMT, but the page went live a few minutes early. When trying to finalize payment, many saw error messages.

Those who already had the item in their cart sometimes received availability notifications, and the order could not be completed.

At the moment, the controller is unavailable in the US store, but it may return for brief periods. European customers may have a longer window before stock runs out. In Asia, the Komodo station associated with Valve was completely unavailable due to the high volume of traffic.

With the store under a traffic attack, it is worth refreshing pages frequently. Otherwise, the alternative may be buying from third-party sellers who are already selling the product at inflated prices — some items are already appearing for more than double the suggested retail price.

What does this signal for the Steam Machine?

The Steam Controller, praised for its dual trackpads, represents Valve's largest hardware launch since the Steam Deck OLED in 2023. Given this experience, questions arise regarding the future of the Steam Machine and the Frame VR headset, which may have high prices but are already generating great interest.

The good news is that the Steam Controller should suffer less from the memory shortages that affected other devices. It is expected that Valve has reinforcements on the way to mitigate this impact.

What is your take on this launch and how should Valve handle the demand for upcoming hardware? Leave your opinion in the comments.

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