top.jpg)
Valve Steam Controller Review (2026): Wait for the Steam Machine
Key takeaways
- Included puck is a marvel for charging and connectivity.TIREDCan’t use with PC games outside of Steam.
- This second-generation Steam Controller arrives at an odd time, though.
- However, gamepads don’t typically need RAM, GPUs, or CPUs, making the new Steam Controller pretty much the only piece of hardware Valve can release for the time being, and for a relatively reasonable price.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photograph: Matt Kamen$99 at Steam Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Rating:7/10
WIREDFantastic build quality. Incredibly accurate TMR thumbsticks. Highly customizable inputs. Included puck is a marvel for charging and connectivity.TIREDCan’t use with PC games outside of Steam. Gyroscope tricky to properly calibrate. Thumbsticks sit slightly too high. Can’t really shine until Steam Machine hardware arrives.A decade on from the original Steam Controller, Valve is back with a modern update, ditching the unwieldy dimensions, splayed grips, and odd trackpads, instead adopting a much more conventional design approach—and some slightly different trackpads.
This second-generation Steam Controller arrives at an odd time, though. The new joypad is part of Valve's renewed push into the hardware space, meant to be used alongside the console-like Steam Machine gaming PC—itself another revamped foray into the field—and the Steam Frame, the company’s new VR headset. Except both of those are delayed, largely because the AI bubble is sucking up RAM, GPUs, and CPUs with the gravitational pull of a black hole. At the time of writing, neither of Valve’s other projects has a release date or confirmed price.