Valve opens Steam Controller reservation queue after launch stock runs out
© Valve/The Verge Valve is moving Steam Controller sales to a reservation queue after the device sold out shortly after launch. The company says the purchase experience was “incredibly frustrating” for many users and confirmed changes aimed at limiting reseller activity.
Reservations open on May 8 at 10 AM Pacific . Valve will save each user’s place in line and send order emails in the same order reservations were made. Once the email arrives, users will have 72 hours to complete the purchase. Each account is limited to one Steam Controller.
Valve is also adding account restrictions. The account must be in good standing and must have made a Steam purchase before April 27, 2026. Users who already bought a Steam Controller are not eligible to reserve another unit for now. Fulfillment starts next week in the US and Canada, with the UK, EU and Australia following later.
Reservation details:
Reservations will be limited to one Steam Controller per user.
Once you receive an order email, you have three days (72 hours) to make your purchase on Steam.
For now, customers who have already purchased a Steam Controller are not yet eligible to reserve another Steam Controller.
Additionally:
Your account must be in good standing on Steam
You must have made a purchase on Steam prior to April 27, 2026
Replenishment of inventory will vary from region to region. We will start fulfilling reservations next week in the US / Canada, and UK / EU / AU in the following weeks.
Steam Deck had reservations too
This brings back a system similar to the early Steam Deck launch, where Valve used reservations instead of direct open sales. It also raises the question of whether Steam Machine will follow the same route. Valve has not announced Steam Machine pricing or a launch date yet, although the system is still part of the 2026 Steam Hardware lineup.
What about Steam Machine?
Valve previously said memory and storage shortages forced it to revisit pricing and the exact shipping schedule for Steam Machine and Steam Frame. At the time, the company still said its goal of shipping all three products in the first half of 2026 had not changed.
If Valve decides to keep margins low, scalpers may see Steam Machine as an easier target. Launching the system with reservations from day one would likely be a better approach than leaving the first wave open to reseller activity.
Source: Steam
