Valve launches Steam Controller in May, but delays machine due to lack of RAM

Valve has confirmed the launch of the Steam Controller for May 4, 2026 at a price of US$99 for the Estados Unidos and €99 for the Europa, but is keeping the arrival schedule for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame suspended. In an interview with the Polygon portal, Steve Cardinali, the company’s hardware engineer, revealed that the lack of RAM memory continues to be the main obstacle to commercializing the compact computer. The lack of components is a direct reflection of the high demand in the artificial intelligence sector, which consumes increasing proportions of chips available globally.

Controle advances while machine remains frozen

The gamepad will reach more than 20 countries, although the Brasil is not on the initial list of confirmed markets. Cardinali explained that Valve decided not to wait for the machine and the frame to launch the control, breaking the expectation of a simultaneous launch of the three products. “We are ready for this. Queríamos will increase quantity to try to satisfy everyone who wants one at launch, but it is possible that demand for it will far exceed our expectations,” said the engineer.

The company manufactured what it called a “significant number” of units and says it has the production capacity to meet new orders if necessary. The price of Steam Controller was above the original estimate due to logistical factors. “With transport by sea or air, fuel is more expensive than last year”, explained Valve. Global logistics spending remains high, reflecting post-pandemic pressures on the supply chain.

Produtos were always conceived as independent

Desde the beginning of the project, Steam Controller, Steam Machine and Steam Frame were designed as distinct products, not as a single package. The idea was for them to work well integrated, but without the need for date synchronization. “From the beginning, these were all different products,” reinforced Cardinali. The only hard commitment was of a reverse nature: not to put the Steam Machine on the market before the control was available.

• Steam Controller: May 4, 2026 — $99 (US) / €99 (Europa).
• Steam Machine: date postponed — no official release date.
• Steam Frame: date postponed — no official release date.
• Mercados control initials: more than 20 countries confirmed.
• Gamepad Tecnologia: TMR, rival to Hall Effect used by competitors.

“We want to have this available for Steam Machine. Realmente was never the plan to ship them together unless things coincided well that way. Portanto, there’s no point in holding it back while we figure out the other things,” the engineer concluded.

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Tecnologia differentiated justifies high cost

The gamepad incorporates TMR technology, a proprietary advancement of the Valve over the Hall Effect used by competing manufacturers. Esse technical difference partially justifies the higher cost of the peripheral compared to its equivalents on the market, such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S controls. The combination of technological innovation and supply chain pressures has increased the final value of the product.

Steam Machine and Frame continue to be under intense development

Pierre-Loup Griffais, developer of Valve, was less specific when addressing the future of Steam Machine and Steam Frame. “We currently don’t have any updates on this, but we are working hard on it and hope to have news soon,” he said. The company did not provide time windows or projections for when products might come out of the oven. The string of delays reflects a pattern across the industry: Manufacturers face structural difficulties delivering mass consumer products while the data and artificial intelligence sectors absorb increasing proportions of available components. Para to Valve, the decision to bring forward the release of the control appears to be a strategy to capture revenue while working out the bottlenecks that block the compact computer’s output. The company remains optimistic about future production capacity, but recognizes that demand may surprise in terms of volume.