Steam Controller Orders Delayed, Some Not Expected to Ship Until 2027

Valve has some mixed updates regarding the Steam Controller. On the bright side, if you reserve a Steam Controller, you’ll receive one of three estimated shipping dates: by September 2026, by December 2026, or sometime in 2027. However, the downside is that any reservations made today suggest a shipping date in 2027.

Valve reassures fans, stating, “We have no plans to stop making Steam Controllers.” They emphasize the importance of managing expectations based on current demand versus production capabilities for the year.

The new Steam Controller launched in early May, and the initial surge in interest led to checkout issues as stock quickly ran out. To address this, Valve introduced a reservation queue, allowing interested buyers to join a waitlist. If you’re on the waitlist, you’ll have 72 hours to complete your purchase once notified that a Steam Controller is available.

“When we launched the Steam Controller last month, we quickly saw that initial demand exceeded our expectations,” Valve noted. “Switching to a reservation queue has (hopefully) reduced customer frustrations, and it’s also been beneficial for us as we plan to fulfill orders as efficiently as possible.”

All three of Valve’s major hardware products faced delays from their intended early 2026 launch due to the ongoing component crisis, and there’s still no word on when the Steam Machine PC or Steam Frame VR headset will be available. However, Valve recently rolled out the SteamOS 3.8 update, which includes support for the Steam Machine, and has been actively importing hardware into the US.