Valve officially announced that Steam Controller, the first of three new hardware products announced last year, will be released on May 4, 2026. It has been confirmed that the device will be available with a price tag of $ 99, 149 Canadian dollars, 99 euros, 85 pounds and 149 Australian dollars.

Valve has admitted that the Steam Controller’s price was higher than originally planned. The company cited increased shipping costs as one of the main reasons for this price increase.

RAM Crisis Affects Hardware Prices

Valve hardware engineer Steve Cardinali stated that the production process of the Steam Controller is simpler than other devices because it does not contain RAM. This stands out as the main reason why the controller came to the market before other products.

According to industry sources, Steam Machine and Steam Frame models, which require RAM components, are under serious cost pressure. Brad Lynch stated that Valve’s internal price targets for these products increased due to RAM supply difficulties.

Lynch emphasized that the Steam Machine model in particular was the product most affected by these price increases. It is stated that the Steam Frame model is less affected, although it faces a similar situation.

Expectations and Market Conditions

An official sales price has not yet been announced for Steam Machine and Steam Frame. However, the current RAM crisis and increasing logistics costs mean that users may face higher prices for these devices.

Other companies in the market that produce devices with similar features are forced to reflect the high costs in their prices. For example, the price of a system developed by EmuDeck and designed to run Steam is 1,139 euros.

It remains a matter of curiosity whether Valve will be able to keep these new hardware at a reasonable price level accessible to players. Time will tell whether the Steam Machine will become a gaming device that appeals to a wide audience.

What do you think the launch price of Steam Machine should be?