Two scalping stories in one day. Such are the times we live in. First, it was Pokémon Pop-Tarts. Now it’s Valve’s new Steam Controller. The company’s first new peripheral in years sold out in less than an hour and people are already trying to hawk them for as much as $400 on eBay.
That’s up to three times the original asking price, which at $100 already made the Steam Controller noticeably more expensive than a PS5 DualSense or Xbox Series X/S controller. But lots of Steam users still wanted one, which isn’t surprising given the impressive functionality and trackpad haptics for PC gaming without a mouse and keyboard.
Despite having no RAM inside it (thus making the Steam Controller immune to current AI-fueled component shortages), the Steam Controller still sold out on Monday within roughly 30 minutes. The mid-day rush even led some Steam users to get run into errors citing “high volume of purchase requests.”
Valve hasn’t yet confirmed when more units will be available. Presumably at least some of the initial inventory is being held back for the eventual launch of the Steam Machine home console which was originally supposed to go up for sale at the same time.
In the meantime, anyone who still wants to get their hands on a Steam Controller will either have to wait it out or take a gamble on the overpriced orders being resold on eBay. Confirmed orders start as low as $220 and go up from there. Several listings promise sealed, boxed units for $300, with at least one listing tempting the wrath of Gabe Newell himself with an absurd $400 markup.
The Steam Controller might not have the premium-build-quality feel of some controllers, but it’s a tinkerer’s dream and has an array of neat “sure, why not?” features like a phone ring to help you locate it if it gets lost. Hopefully everyone who wants one can eventually get one, and without paying ridiculous prices.
Just make sure you don’t accidentally buy one of those old Steam controllers Valve released back in 2015 instead. If you find a new Steam Controller on sale for less than $100, that’s probably why.