Tech reviewers and publications already have their hands on the Valve Steam Controller, and you’ll be able to get your hands on it from 4th May. The Steam Controller was announced alongside the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset. Both devices have been delayed (they were set to release at the start of 2026), and we don’t have a clear launch date for this year.
Circling back to the Steam Controller, it will set you back $100, which is a bit more than the PS5 DualSense controller ($75). However, reviewers have nothing but positive things to say about the controller, which is a big win for Valve. Polygon has particularly high praise for the new controller, calling it a “near-perfect” gamepad for PC.
Should You Buy The Steam Controller?
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Avid PC gamers will certainly have their eye on the Steam Controller, and the consensus online is that it’s a great purchase. It uses TMR sticks, which are a bit of an improvement over Hall Effect sticks. They offer better precision and efficiency while being immune to stick drift, similar to Hall Effect sensors. The gyro controls are also great, and according to PC Gamer, the controls are highly customizable in the Steam Overlay. It also features Steam Deck-inspired trackpads and a magnetic charging puck.
With that said, there is one big caveat with this controller. While the Steam Controller works flawlessly with games on Steam, it doesn’t do so well with other game launchers. Other launchers and non-Steam games recognize the controller as a mouse and keyboard, and the controller buttons don’t work as intended. This is obviously a big problem, and Valve has tied the controller to the Steam API to make all the unique features (trackpads, gyro, charging puck) work as intended.
So if you want to play non-Steam games with this thing, you’ll either have to manually add that game to Steam (the Steam client natively supports this) or rely on community workarounds, which are currently in the works. Unfortunately, while PC users might be able to find a workaround, iOS, Android, and Switch users will have a harder time. If you want a hassle-free cross-platform controller, there are better options.
Published: Apr 28, 2026 12:00 pm