A recent interview with two Valve employees might give you more reason to look forward to the Steam Controller, especially if you’re already a fan of the Steam Deck. They’ve also been defending its $99 price tag, calling it a “competitive price point when you compare to what’s out there”. It’s packed with high-quality hardware and will be well-supported on day one.

Valve’s second-generation Steam Controller arrives next Monday, on May 4. Given its price tag, it’s easy to say that it’s positioned as a more premium option. When compared to your average Xbox or PlayStation controller, the price may seem like a stretch to outsiders, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that it’s actually a bargain, all things considered.

Steam Controller replicates Steam Deck controls, but with better hardware

Speaking to Tested, Valve engineer Steve Cardinali notes that “parody was one of the main driving goals for this controller”. In other words, much of the design aims to replicate the already successful Steam Deck. The dual trackpad design is the most obvious comparison to draw.

Valve has filled the gap for those who enjoy the Deck’s controls but often play in docked mode and have to resort to a different controller layout – something Cardinali calls “just kind of a jarring experience”. Another important part of the controller’s launch is the fact that it is backed by a community of players who have essentially already made custom configs for it.

“Because we have these millions of Steam Decks out there, and people are creating community configs for them. With that input parody, now with Steam Controller, on day one you have thousands of controller configurations for thousands of games out there that are made for these inputs. We think that’s just a really nice thing to have on day one. We’re not starting from zero.”

Lawrence Yang, Designer at Valve

Yang goes on to say that while the Steam Controller takes much of its design from the Steam Deck, Valve did “take the opportunity to improve as much as we could of those inputs”. Perhaps the most notable is the switch to durable, magnetic TMR thumbsticks, rather than the potentiometer-based sticks in the Deck handheld. Cardinali also points out that GripSense was the “one thing that made it in” that was a “justifiable” extra to help serve a “passionate” community of Gyro-focused players.

“When deciding for this controller, it was about how much value we can provide in this controller in terms of advanced inputs […] We think with the price that we landed that, if you value those advanced inputs, it is a competitive price point when you compare to what’s out there.”

Steve Cardinali, engineer at Valve

Going back to the price, the premium price tag is a result of all these premium upgrades. Yang also points out the Puck – used for low-latency connectivity and shipped with the controller – is an additional piece of hardware “that not everyone always provides,” and understandably lifts the cost. He concludes that the extra functionality and quality of life features make it well worth the $99.

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.