Valve launches new Steam Controller in May, immune to chip shortage

Valve has confirmed that the new Steam Controller will hit stores on May 4, 2026, marking the beginning of its new hardware wave.

In parallel, the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR device, which were planned for a simultaneous launch, have been delayed until mid-2026 due to the global shortage of memory and storage.

This pressure on the supply chain is linked to the massive demand from AI data centers, but the new controller remains unaffected, as it contains neither memory nor storage, allowing the launch to proceed as scheduled.

Lawrence Yang, a designer at Valve, explained that there was no intentional delay; the decision was only made once the hardware, firmware, and software were ready and global stock was available.

The design evolved from the experience with the Steam Deck. As engineer Jeremy Slocum described, the team created prototypes inspired by controllers, refined the haptic feel, and realized the potential of taking that set to become an independent controller.

As the Steam Deck gained use in the living room, many players had difficulty replicating settings between different controllers, which led to an inconsistent experience. The new Steam Controller was designed to solve this.

Compared to the model released in 2015, the new controller retains advanced features and improves the traditional layout, including the addition of a second analog stick to improve usability.

The price will be £85 in the UK and $99 in the United States. Observers see the launch as an important indicator of Valve's hardware strategy.

I invite you to comment: what do you think of this approach and what impact do you expect it to have on the company's hardware ecosystem?