Valve says it is working on another wave of Steam Controllers after the new $99 gamepad sold out far faster than the company expected. The hardware launched on May 4 and quickly became difficult to buy through Steam, leaving players watching resale pages while Valve prepares a restock update.
In a statement on X, Valve acknowledged the shortage and said it plans to share timing once it has a clearer answer.
"Steam Controller ran out faster than we anticipated, and we hate that not everyone who wanted one was able to get it. We’re working on getting more in stock and will have an update on expected timeline soon."
The message gives buyers a reason to wait, but it does not include a restock date, a new ordering window or any detail on whether Valve will change the purchase flow after the first rush. The controller sold out quickly after launch, and confirmed orders soon appeared on eBay at steep markups.
Valve's Controller Problem Is Now About Timing
The Steam Controller is Valve's first new device from its latest hardware lineup to reach customers. The company confirmed the controller's May 4 release date before giving firm launch timing for Steam Machine and Steam Frame, which made the gamepad the first real test of demand for Valve's renewed living-room PC push.
That demand appears to have beaten Valve's own estimates. The new controller borrows heavily from Steam Deck input ideas, including a Steam-focused layout aimed at players who want PC games to work more naturally from a couch or docked setup. It also arrives in a market where Valve says controller use on Steam has grown sharply since 2018, giving the device a much larger audience than the original Steam Controller had.
The restock question sits next to Valve's wider hardware constraints. The company has already said memory costs are affecting Steam Machine launch plans, while the controller's supply issue appears to be a more straightforward mismatch between launch stock and demand. Valve has not said how many units were available in the first wave.
Until Valve posts a firm timeline, the practical choice for interested buyers is to wait for the official Steam restock rather than chase inflated resale listings. The company has now confirmed more stock is being worked on. The missing piece is when the next batch will actually be ready to order.