Steam Controller restock: how to get Valve’s popular gamepad
The queue is now open for the Steam Controller if you initially missed out
🎟️ Valve has opened a reservation queue for the new Steam Controller
⏰ Users can register their interest and reserve a place in a queue to purchase a controller when its restocked
👏 Valve is taking measures against scalpers, such as limiting users to one controller, requiring your Steam account to be in good standing, and more
✋ Users who have already purchased the $99.99 controller won’t be able to reserve a second one
If you missed out on the new Steam Controller the first time around, then fear not, as Valve is giving interested users another chance to buy one.
When it was first made available on May 4, the Steam Controller sold out in a matter of 30 minutes, and resellers on eBay listed the controller for double its $99.99 price tag or more, with some listings selling as folks wanted to grab one at seemingly any cost.
However, this isn’t fair to those who want to buy one at the MSRP, and Valve has recognized the issues it faced with the Steam website when the controller initially went on sale, and is now offering users another opportunity to grab one with a reservation queue.
How to get a Steam Controller restock alert
As opposed to restocking the controller at random times, Valve is taking a different approach to other in-demand products and is using a similar system to when the Steam Deck launched.
Valve has announced that there is now a reservation queue for the device, where you can input your email. When the controller gets restocked, you’ll be emailed by Valve with an opportunity to purchase the controller.
Valve Steam Controller restock date
The reservation queue opened on May 8 at 10am PT. It’ll save your place in line for the chance to grab a Steam Controller.
Valve is limiting reservations to one controller per user, and once it’s your turn, you have three days, or 72 hours, to make your purchase on Steam.
Customers who have already picked a controller can’t reserve a second one just yet, although it’s unclear if this may change.
You also must have a Steam account in good standing, according to Valve, and have made a purchase before April 27, 2026, using the retailer. This is hopefully another measure to deter scalpers from setting up fresh accounts just to reserve controllers.
Valve Steam Controller: where to buy
The only place to buy the Steam Controller is through Steam officially, and it isn’t on sale through any third-party stores at retail price.
Third-party sellers, such as those on eBay and elsewhere, will be charging a lot more, as we’ve already seen.
Why you need the Steam Controller
The new Steam Controller is a hefty upgrade over the original variant, and is quite a unique proposition over other controllers you can find, as it essentially takes the main controls from the Steam Deck and shrinks them down into a smaller peripheral.
This means you get two large touchpads on the front, alongside a symmetrical button layout, gyro controls, and four rear grip buttons. The thumbsticks also have TMR sensors that are drift-proof and especially accurate, alongside having capacitive grip sensors that will work well with the Steam Frame headset. Check out our Steam Controller review roundup for more.
Up next: Steam Controller Wilhelm screams if you drop it, as players discover Valve’s hidden Easter egg
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.