Valve’s latest Steam controller priced at $99, pre-orders start in May.

Valve has officially announced the price and release date for the new Steam Controller. Set to retail at $99 in the United States, pre-orders will open on May 4 at 10 a.m. PDT.

At this price point, Valve’s Steam Controller stands out as one of the pricier options among major gaming brands. For comparison, Sony’s DualSense controller is priced at $74, while Nintendo’s Pro Controller for the Switch 2 comes in at $89.99. Notably, the new Steam Controller is double the cost of its predecessor released in 2015. However, it remains more affordable than high-end PC controllers from brands like Scuf, which offers the $169.99 Envision wireless controller, and premium gamepads like Sony’s DualSense Edge and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, both priced at $199.

From our hands-on experience, the $99 price tag seems justified. In our review, we described the new controller as “a near-perfect PC gamepad.”

Valve has also shared pricing details for other regions, which include VAT where applicable. The Steam Controller will be available for purchase starting May 4, with immediate shipping expected.

While Valve has yet to provide updates on the other hardware announced last year, including the new Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset, we did gather some insights.

After testing the Steam Controller for a few weeks, we found it to be “the most naturally form-fitting controller” we’ve ever used, featuring thoughtful design choices along with a few considerations, particularly if you plan to use it outside of a PC or Steam Deck.

Originally, the Steam Machine and Steam Frame headset were slated to launch alongside the Steam Controller, but plans changed. We reached out to Valve to understand their decision to prioritize the Steam Controller’s release.