Demand for the newly launched Steam Controller has clearly caught Valve off guard, but it's now providing clear reservation estimates at its storefront. If you missed the proverbial gamepad boat the first time around, you'll now find yourself in one of three groups, and some of you might not receive your controller in time for the Steam Machine's arrival.
In a statement, Valve admits, "When we launched Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations." The storefront giant also says that by switching to a reservation queuing system, it hopes to "cut down on the headaches on the customer side" and enable a process that'll ultimately lead to more gamepad orders being processed.
To "manage expectations", Valve is also now using three specific timeframes for when players can anticipate an availability email. The three windows are "by September 2026, by December 2026, or by 2027," and the date you're presented with will be based on when you initially ordered. For instance, if you were one of the first to order the pad after the initial wave dried up, you can expect to get one by the end of the Summer, whereas those of you who order today will have to wait until some point next year.
I just checked my personal reservation, and I apparently won't be receiving my Steam Controller until 2027. The gamepad queue opened back up on May 8, so if you waited until after then to log in and click the button, you'll be in the same boat as me.
Before you start panicking, just know that if the Steam Machine lands next week, it should be available with or without the controller. Naturally, you'll have to pay more for such a bundle, and since Valve hasn't confirmed any pricing, we have no idea whether buying with a pad will save you any pennies. If it does work out cheaper, that could be a bummer for those of you who picked up the accessory early, intending to unite it with the mini PC down the road, but it'd be a certified "phew" moment for those of you who have exercised patience.
Of course, you don't need a Steam Controller to play games on the Steam Machine. Biog console scene disrupting plans aside, and its dinky form factor, it's still just a tiny rig, albeit one that uses SteamOS just like the Steam Deck OLED. Therefore, you can buy cheaper PC controllers that will work fine with the box without waiting until 2027 for an official accessory.
Keep in mind that the Steam Controller also costs $99 / £85. That makes it one of the priciest standard system pads out there, so unless you're itching to play games that'd normally require a mouse with those dual touchpads, or you just want to make its haptics sing songs, there are plenty of more affordable pads for your PC out there.
That's not to say I'd argue against grabbing a Steam Controller, as it's one of coolest hardware releases of the year amid the doom and gloom of RAMageddon. Valve has confirmed that you can still reserve the gamepad despite the lengthy queues, and while the estimated date will be 2027, you could end up with the accessory earlier.
The question on my mind now is whether the Steam Machine will face the same demand as its controller. If it ends up costing substantially more than a PS5 Pro, you might have an easier time grabbing the box, and while GTA 6 pre-orders could land at the same time, that long-awaited crime caper could be a reason not to grab the mini PC over a conventional console.
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