The Steam Controller is proving so popular that Valve’s reservation queue now extends into next year. However, gamers who pre-ordered the pad in good time may well get their controller sooner, and the company says it’s also working to provide more specific delivery windows for the coming months.
In a blog post, Valve explains Steam Controller demand continues to exceed expectations. As a reminder, the acclaimed peripheral sold out almost immediately upon launch, with some ne’er-do-well scalpers seizing the opportunity to sell their pre-orders at an exorbitant premium. This prompted Valve to quickly switch to a Steam Controller reservation system, which has been in place since early May.
Since that time, those wanting a Steam Controller have been able to reserve the pad, but with no indication as to when they might receive their order. That changes today, with Valve listing three delivery estimate windows.
The first batch of Steam Controllers should arrive by September 2026, with the second following in December 2026, and the rest (along with any new reservations) leaving the factory in 2027. Valve promises to provide more specific timings for next year’s deliveries closer to the time, so there’s a chance you may get it sooner.
If you already have a reservation, you can see which of the three delivery windows your order falls into by visiting the Steam Controller store page. Those yet to place an order will also receive a preliminary estimate before committing to a purchase.
Adjacently, we expect a similar Steam Machine reservation system to materialise once Valve decides to finally ship out the system, with the Steam Frame also likely to come with a queue. However, there’s no telling whether the devices will face similar wait times until orders open up.
While it may be frustrating to wait this long for a Steam Controller, these circumstances will feel all too familiar to those who bought a Steam Deck in the wake of its launch. As someone who personally waited a long while for their handheld to arrive, I’m hopeful Valve will bring forward deliveries as it chips through the queue, as it did for the Deck.
In the meantime, check out my Steam Controller retrospective to see just how far Valve’s hardware design chops have come.
