Following the rocky Steam Controller launch, Valve is implementing measures to improve the purchase experience for those hoping to grab the gamepad. For the foreseeable future, the controller will only be available via a reservation queue, with the ability to join the proverbial line subject to several coniditions.
In a blog post, Valve announced that the Steam Controller reservation queue will open beginning May 8 at 10AM PT (6PM BST). Once you’ve reserved a controller, you’ll need to wait for Valve to send you an email to complete your purchase, which you’ll then have 72 hours to complete or you’ll forfeit your place in line and head right to the back of the queue.
In order to be eligible for a Steam Controller reservation, you’ll need a Steam account in good standing and have made a purchase on the storefront prior to April 27, 2026, the date of publication for initial reviews of the pad. Additionally, anyone that’s been lucky enough to secure a controller already won’t be able to purchase another for the time being.
Valve has made clear that it is prioritising delivery of new Steam Controller inventory the United States and Canada. The company will then begin fulfilling reservations United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia “in the following weeks,” but you’ll still be able to reserve a pad from May 8.
This system will be familiar to anyone that tried to get a Steam Deck in the months following the handheld’s launch. Speaking from experience, the wait for that email can seem like an eternity but that just makes the joy of receiving it all the sweeter. Here’s hoping Valve has taken lessons from that prior release to speed up restocks.
If nothing else, I’d prefer Valve to adopt this purchase system for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, whenever they’re finally ready to release. While this would likely slow the rate of sales to a degree, I’m sure the company would prefer to see stock go to genuine customers rather than scalpers looking to make a quick buck, to say nothing of providing a less frustrating purchase experience.
In the meantime, Valve is supporting community efforts around its pad through the release of Steam Controller CAD files that’ll make producing accessories and more far easier.
