Valve opens reservations for the Steam Controller

Valve has announced that it will open a reservation system for the Steam Controller on May 8, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT, in response to overwhelming demand. The controller went on sale on May 4, 2026 at 10 a.m. PT, but sold out within hours.

Reservation details

Reservations are limited to one Steam Controller per user, and customers will have 72 hours to complete their purchase after receiving a confirmation email. To qualify for a reservation, users must meet specific conditions, such as having an approved Steam account and a previous purchase on Steam before April 27, 2026.

Sales and shipping

The first Steam Controller orders will begin shipping from the week of May 11, 2026, starting in the US and Canada, followed by other regions such as the UK, the EU, and Australia. So far, Valve has confirmed that shipping has already started for orders in 22 of the 32 countries where the controller is sold.

Scalper issues and solutions

After the initial sellout caused by scalpers, Valve has introduced measures to ensure a fairer sale. These include requiring approved accounts and limiting purchases to one controller per user. This should help minimize the issues customers experienced during the first release.

Future plans

No details have been shared yet about sales of the Steam Controller without reservations, but experience with earlier releases such as the Steam Deck suggests it may take some time before stock is available for regular sale. Valve has also indicated that more products could launch in the future with a similar reservation structure.