Valve Steam Controller: reservations, shortages, and new rules

Valve has officially announced the launch of the Steam Controller reservation system. This decision was the answer to the enormous demand: the first batch of the device, which went on sale on May 4, was completely sold out in just 30 minutes. Such excitement left many users with nothing, and in order to streamline the purchase process, the company opened an official queue on May 8.

The mechanism implemented by Valve is already familiar to fans of the brand from the launch of the Steam Deck portable console. To avoid chaos when updating stocks, users will be able to reserve the right to buy. As soon as the new batch of controllers is ready to ship, the reserved device will receive an email with a link to complete the order.

Peculiarities and rules of ordering

To ensure fairness and fight speculators, Valve has implemented a number of strict restrictions:

• Limit on hands: Each buyer can reserve only one controller.
• Prohibition for current owners: Those who have already managed to purchase a device in the first batch are temporarily unable to participate in the reservation. This is aimed at minimizing cases of mass resale on the secondary market.
• Account Requirements: A Steam account in “good standing” is required to queue. It is also a mandatory condition to have at least one purchase made before April 27, 2026.
• Terms of confirmation: After receiving the message about the availability of the gamepad, the buyer will have exactly 72 hours (3 days) to confirm and pay for the order.

Terms of release and geography of supply

Valve plans to start fulfilling orders this week. Residents of the USA and Canada will be the first to receive their controllers. In the future, the geography will expand to Great Britain, the countries of the European Union and Australia. The company has not yet announced the exact dates of availability of the Steam Controller without prior reservation.

If we draw parallels with the Steam Deck, then reservations for the console began in July 2021, and the first deliveries started only in February 2022. Free sale without queues became possible only until October of the same year.

However, the Steam Controller is a less technically complex device. Unlike the console, it does not use RAM and other scarce components, which significantly simplifies and speeds up the production cycle. Experts expect that Valve will be able to saturate the market with gamepads in a shorter time.

New Steam Machines are on the horizon

In addition to the news about the controller, there are intriguing data about other Valve equipment. It was recorded that the company imported about 50 tons of cargo labeled “game consoles” into the United States in just two days. This may indirectly confirm rumors about preparations for the launch of new Steam Machines – home game systems from Valve.