Valve’s new Steam hardware sells out immediately

Yesterday at 23:42

If you were hoping to secure a Steam Controller today, you might have already missed your window. Valve’s revamped PC gamepad launched earlier today and sold out in roughly 30 minutes, though it has been sporadically reappearing in stock since.

This iteration marks Valve’s second foray into the PC gamepad market following its initial 2015 effort. The new model integrates the haptic trackpads popularized by the Steam Deck into a more traditional controller chassis, while introducing advanced features like “Grip Sense,” a novel touch-activated gyroscope control system. Last week, Valve confirmed the controller would hit the Steam storefront today, May 4, priced at $99.

Anticipation was clearly intense. Upon its 1 p.m. EDT release, numerous users encountered Steam errors citing an overwhelming volume of purchase requests. Others managed to reach the payment portal, only to have their transactions blocked by checkout errors. By the 30-minute mark, the official Steam Controller product page reflected an “out of stock” status.

A Steam Controller store page lists the item as out of stock.

Image: Valve via Polygon

If you are still hunting for one, do not lose hope just yet. Reports indicate the Steam Controller has been flickering back into stock intermittently since the initial sell-out. Around 2:40 p.m. EDT, we were able to add the item to our cart after a page refresh, though subsequent page loads failed and the inventory reverted to unavailable shortly after. It is worth keeping the Steam Controller page bookmarked and checking back periodically throughout the day.

Polygon has reached out to Valve to clarify their restock timeline. We will update this report as soon as we receive further information.

The intense frenzy for the Steam Controller is understandable. In my hands-on evaluation, I found it to be a near-flawless PC gamepad. Despite some minor connectivity nuances, the tactile responsiveness of the haptic trackpads and the genuinely comfortable ergonomics make it a top-tier choice for any PC gamer seeking a reliable daily driver.