Following a previous postponement earlier this year, Valve has announced that the Steam Controller will officially be available for order starting May 4. This arrival precedes both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, despite the trio being unveiled simultaneously. In an interview with Polygon, Valve hardware engineer Steve Cardinali clarified the decision to decouple the controller’s launch from the other devices, attributing the shift primarily to the ongoing global RAM scarcity.
Back in February, Valve acknowledged that the release of the Steam Machine, Frame, and Controller would be pushed back from their original early 2026 window. A company blog post cited “escalating costs” of essential components as the catalyst for reevaluating their pricing strategy and release timeline. Cardinali confirmed that memory shortages were a critical factor, noting that delaying the controller further offered no strategic advantage.
“The controller doesn’t rely on RAM, and it’s a much more straightforward product for us to bring to market,” Cardinali explained. “We are ready to go. While we’ve focused on building up sufficient inventory to meet initial launch demand, it’s entirely possible that consumer interest could outpace our current supply.”
The current volatility in the RAM market is a direct ripple effect of the tech sector’s aggressive expansion into AI. As data centers scramble to secure vast quantities of high-performance memory, chip manufacturers have prioritized lucrative, large-scale supply contracts. This squeeze has inflated costs for companies like Valve, complicating their ability to bring the Steam Machine and Steam Frame to market at a consumer-friendly price point.
Image: ValveThough these logistical hurdles have disrupted the initial hardware rollout, Cardinali maintains that the staggered release was always a distinct possibility. The products were never strictly tethered to a unified launch date.
“From the beginning, these were individual projects,” Cardinali noted. “We’ve always prioritized their synergy—the Steam Machine and the Steam Controller are a natural fit—but there was never a requirement to ship them simultaneously. Our only firm boundary was ensuring the controller was available by the time the machine arrived. Beyond that, there was no logical reason to stall the controller’s release while we navigate the complexities surrounding the other devices.”
If you are planning to add the Steam Controller to your setup, pre-orders officially open on May 4. While you will have to wait for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame—currently slated for the first half of 2026—the controller will be fully compatible with your existing PC, Steam Link mobile streaming, and Steam Deck immediately upon arrival.
Source: Polygon
