Valve’s upcoming new generation of Steam controller has been leaked again. Following the previous price exposure, Japanese game media 4Gamer unexpectedly published a review article of the controller in advance, and the release date revealed in it attracted widespread attention.
4Gamer briefly posted a Steam controller review, and then hid the page, but the relevant content has been included in the Google search engine. According to the review content, the new Steam controller will be released in Japan on May 4. Although Valve has not officially confirmed this date, this time point is highly consistent with previous expectations that "more details will be officially announced soon."
Previously, a technology blogger released a review video in advance (later deleted), revealing that the new Steam controller is priced at US$99.99. This price is significantly higher than Sony's DualSense (about $70) and Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Controller (about $60), and about twice as much as the original 2015 Steam controller ($49.99), but still lower than high-end elite controllers such as the DualSense Edge or Xbox Elite Series 2.
The new Steam controller continues the differentiated route of the first generation, adopting a dual touchpad design, which is designed to simulate mouse operations on the TV, making it easier to play strategy games and other games that originally relied on keyboard and mouse. According to leaked information, the handle is also equipped with four back buttons, a gyroscope, a TMR joystick and four tactile motors, and is said to have a battery life of up to 35 hours. The price is that common functions such as the 3.5mm headphone jack and microphone are eliminated.
The hardware "three-piece set" planned by Valve this time also includes the mini game PC "Steam Machine" and the VR headset "Steam Frame". Affected by the shortage of memory and storage chips caused by the AI boom, the cost and pricing decisions of the latter two are still under internal discussion, and the release time has been adjusted from the previously planned "early 2026" to "within 2026."
Currently, Valve has not officially responded to the above leaked information. Considering that May 4 is just around the corner, an official announcement may be made in the next few days.
