Valve’s Steam Controller queue now extends into 2027
Valve has updated the Steam Controller reservation page with clearer order estimates. Buyers can now see one of three windows depending on when they reserved: by September 2026, by December 2026, or in 2027.
The company says new reservations made today now indicate a 2027 shipping date. Steam Controller reservations remain open, but the current queue is already longer than Valve’s production plan for this year.
Valve says demand exceeded expectations when the new Steam Controller launched last month. The company adds that it has no plans to stop making the controller, but it wants to set clearer expectations for customers still waiting in the queue.
When we launched Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations. Switching to a reservation queue has (hopefully) cut down on the headaches on the customer side, and for us it’s also been helpful as we plan ahead and try to get as many out as quickly as we are able.
— Valve
The reservation system itself is unchanged. Once a customer’s place in the queue comes up, Valve will send an email with the option to buy the controller. The buyer then has 72 hours to complete the order before Valve moves to the next customer.
We already covered Valve opening Steam Controller reservations in May after the launch stock ran out. At the time, the system was limited to one controller per Steam account, with additional account requirements to reduce reseller activity.
This delay also comes as Valve prepares the rest of its 2026 hardware lineup. SteamOS 3.8 is now available as a stable release with Steam Machine support, while Valve previously said Steam Machine and Steam Frame are still planned for this summer.
One question remains: what about Steam Machine & Controller bundles? Has Valve prepared enough stock to sell both as a bundle? I guess we will find out soon, given that Machine unveil is expected for this month.
Source: Valve
