Valve confirms some reserved Steam Controllers could be shipped next year due to high demand

Valve says demand for its new Steam Controller has been so high that it’s updating reservation estimates, with anyone joining the queue now expecting a long wait.

The details:

• The company has reworked the reservation page so customers now see one of three estimated delivery windows tied to their place in the queue: “by September 2026,” “by December 2026,” or “in 2027,” similar to the launch of the Steam Deck.
• Valve stresses it has “no intention” of halting Steam Controller production but admits that it cannot meet its current demand, so it wants to set “realistic expectations” about when fans will be able to get ahold of their controllers.
• The controller, sold only through Steam, initially sold out within days of launch, prompting Valve in early May to introduce a reservations queue and email-based waitlist that gives each eligible Steam account one slot and a 72‑hour window to complete the purchase when stock becomes available.
• To combat scalpers and keep the queue fair, Valve requires that accounts be in good standing, have made a purchase on Steam before April 27, 2026, and not have already bought a Steam Controller, with one unit per customer enforced across both the initial sale and the reservation phase.