Valve’s New Controller Set to Ship Ahead of Steam Machine, Ready to Go Despite RAM Shortage

The ongoing RAM shortage, driven largely by the demands of AI hyperscalers and data centers, has made PC components and memory harder to come by and more expensive. Valve is feeling the pinch too, but its upcoming Steam Controller is unaffected by these issues, allowing it to launch ahead of the Steam Machine.

In a recent interview, I asked Valve about the impact of the RAM shortage on the controller’s development. Designer Lawrence Yang reassured me that the new gamepad is in the clear.

“Specific to the Steam Controller, thankfully, no,” Yang stated. “There’s no RAM or storage inside of it.”

Yang also emphasized that there has been no delay in the Steam Controller’s release.

“We saw on the internet, people were like, ‘Oh, they’re delaying Steam Controller so that it can ship with [Steam Machine and Steam Frame],” he explained. “That’s actually not the case. We’re shipping it now because it’s ready now. It just took this long to get the hardware, the firmware, and the software all in the right place and make enough of them so we have a good quantity in the warehouses for launch day.”

However, Yang did acknowledge that Valve’s other hardware initiatives have been “definitely impacted” by the RAM shortages and rising prices.

“As we’ve said before, RAM and memory prices are a real challenge and a real bummer that the whole industry is dealing with. So we’re just like everyone else. We’re trying to figure out how to navigate it, and it’s impacting our plans, but we’re doing our best.”

Back in November of last year, Valve unveiled three new hardware products: the Steam Machine, the Steam Frame VR headset, and the Steam Controller. At that time, the goal was to start shipping these devices in “early 2026.”

In February, Valve announced it was reassessing the pricing and launch timelines for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. While it remains committed to launching all hardware in 2026, starting with the Steam Controller, Valve humorously noted during a GDC panel earlier this year that if anyone had RAM to sell, the company was interested in buying some.