Steam Controller reservations announced with scalper protection as Valve admits "the experience for a lot of you trying to buy it was incredibly frustrating"

Steam Controller reservations will open on Friday, May 8 as Valve works to remedy stock and scalper problems that plagued the game pad's May 4 launch.

In a new post on Steam, Valve says "we were happy to see such a high level of interest, the experience for a lot of you trying to buy it was incredibly frustrating."

While it works on restocking Steam Controllers, Valve's rolling out a reservation plan that should give more legitimate buyers a better chance of nabbing one of these things.

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"Beginning May 8th at 10 am Pacific, we're opening a reservation queue for Steam Controller," Valve explains. "Once you reserve, your place in line will be saved. When we go back in stock, order emails will be sent in the same order that reservations were made."

Each Steam user will only be able to reserve one Steam Controller, and once you receive an order email, you'll have 72 hours to buy the controller via Steam.

"For now, customers who have already purchased a Steam Controller are not yet eligible to reserve another Steam Controller," Valve adds.

The extra-good news is that Valve has baked anti-scalper rules right into Steam Controller reservations. "Your account must be in good standing on Steam," for one, and "you must have made a purchase on Steam prior to April 27, 2026," which will weed out freshly made accounts hoping to game the system.

Valve says it will "start fulfilling reservations" as soon as next week in the US and Canada, with orders in the UK, Europe, and Australia to come "in the following weeks."

Together, this reservation queue ought to address the biggest pain paints from the Steam Controller launch. Only so much can be done about limited stock, but open season for scalpers and a lack of limited pre-orders led to an absolute zoo on day one, with Steam Controllers immediately selling secondhand with upwards of a 100% markup. At least a reservation guarantees you a controller eventually. Just keep an eye on your email.

The Steam Controller might be sold out, but official Valve 3D files mean I could make my own using Steam Deck parts.