A new render of the Steam Controller 2 has been posted online. Despite its quirky design, there are certainly some fans looking forward to a sequel – and it may be here pretty soon. We’ve already seen a leaked render for the code-named ‘Ibex’ peripheral, which incorporates a dual trackpad design akin to Valve’s popular Steam Deck handheld. A brand-new render is pretty similar.

It has nearly been five years since Valve discontinued the Steam Controller, its attempt at a unique input device for PC gamers, with a focus on trackpads rather than thumbsticks. It launched exactly ten years ago (November 10, 2015) and reached its end-of-life just over four years later. Valve is yet to officially announce its successor.

Steam Controller gets an AI-generated render

The first thing to point out is that the render below (courtesy of Brad Lynch on X) has been AI-generated. However, he notes that it is “trained on a real image of the new controller,” but decided against posting the original image, to avoid revealing any sensitive information. The new render looks pretty similar to the ‘Ibex’ render spotted in SteamVR drivers last year; the most obvious change is the Steam button being moved upwards, not far from where an Xbox controller has its home button.

It seems likely that Valve will go ahead with a design reminiscent of the Steam Deck. The handheld has been a massive success for the company and spawned more than a handful of competitors like the ROG Ally, Legion Go, or MSI Claw series. We’re still waiting for a Steam Deck 2, but a sequel to the Steam Controller might one of the next gaming peripherals we see from Valve – aside from its next VR headset code-named ‘Deckard’.

Brad Lynch notes that the controller is finalized and “extremely close” to release, and might just be called Steam Controller, rather than labeled as a sequel or rebranded in any way. Additionally, it is said to feature capsense (capacitive sensors) to detect your grip, potentially for gyro movements or grip-based controls.

A sequel to the Steam Controller has been a long time coming, so much so that we saw someone making their own DIY version earlier this year. Much less refined than the render seen above, but a nice proof of concept for what is essentially the Steam Deck design without the screen in the middle.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.