Valve’s second-generation Steam Controller has finally been released, and the fact it is already sold out and being scalped for double the price shows just how popular it is (and likely how little stock there is to go around). Anyone familiar with the Steam Deck will be familiar with just how similar the controller is – in terms of its layout – but it also comes with some notable upgrades.

While the Steam Deck uses potentiometer-based sticks that may eventually fall victim to issues such as stick drift, the new Steam Controller has magnetic TMR thumbsticks. These can be seen as the natural evolution of Hall Effect sticks, thanks to their lower power requirements. Magnetic sticks are much more durable, and Valve says we may continue to get them in future hardware.

Stick drift might not be a problem in the next Steam Deck

Thanks to its premium design and unique set of features, the Steam Controller launched for $99 in the U.S. Valve has already explained why this is a competitive price tag, though good luck finding one for that price after scalpers got a hold of them. Regardless of that annoying issue, the new pad may have set the standard for Valve’s input devices moving forward.

Just ahead of launch, Valve designer Lawrence Yang and engineer Steve Cardinali sat down with Adam Savage’s Tested to talk about the controller. Yang commented on whether enhancements would be ‘paid forward’ to upcoming Valve hardware. “You could imagine” it will be the case, he says, specifically mentioning the use of TMR thumbsticks, which also feature in the upcoming Steam Frame controllers.

“While we’re not talking about future hardware much right now, you could imagine that we would continue to carry things forward. TMR thumb sticks are things that we’re pretty happy with. We put them into the Steam Frame controller, so I could see us using them in the future as well.”

Lawrence Yang, designer at Valve, via Tested

Yang doesn’t specifically mention the Steam Deck 2, though it is expected to be one of Valve’s next big hardware launches once the company is done with its 2026 trio (the Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame). The new controller mimics much of what the Steam Deck does with its controls, so it seems likely improvements will be paid forward to the sequel handheld.

Both Hall Effect and TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) thumbsticks use a magnetic design to determine your inputs, rather than the traditional way – physical contact with a potentiometer – that leads to wear and tear much more quickly. This is why they’re commonly advertised as stick drift-proof solutions.

While magnet-based sticks are now the standard in many third-party high-end controllers, premium first-party gamepads like the Xbox Elite and PS5 DualSense Edge still rely on potentiometer-based analog sticks, so Valve is really pulling ahead here.

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.