New Steam Controller Leaked at $99 via Pulled Review

A $99 price tag for Valve's next Steam Controller wasn't supposed to be public yet. YouTube channel TechyTalk published its review of the device early, apparently ahead of Valve's embargo, before pulling the video. As reported by Vice, users had already screen-recorded the whole thing and shared it across platforms before it disappeared.

The leaked review confirmed the controller's MSRP at $99 and highlighted features Valve has previously teased: four programmable back buttons via Steam Input, dual front touchpads, Hall Effect magnetic TMR analog sticks, vibration support, and a multi-purpose puck that handles both charging and connectivity over USB or Bluetooth. That feature set puts it well above what Sony and Microsoft ship with their standard controllers, neither of which has adopted Hall Effect sticks despite the tech being available for years. I've been waiting for one of the big players to make that standard, and it figures Valve would get there first.

At $99, the new Steam Controller sits above the $74 DualSense and $49-$70 Xbox Wireless Controller, but well below premium options like the $200 DualSense Edge or Xbox Elite Series 2. It's an interesting gap to target. The original Steam Controller launched at $50 back in 2015, which adjusts to roughly $70 today, so this is a meaningful step up in both price and ambition. Meanwhile, the latest Steam Client Beta changelog from April 24th added wireless gamepad battery indicators and a low battery notification, features that feel like last-minute prep for the controller's imminent launch. Valve hasn't officially confirmed the price or a release date, but between the beta updates and a full review already in the wild, this thing is clearly close.