Valve Opens Steam Controller Reservations To Counter Scalpers

To counter scalping and “limit reseller activity,” Valve recently announced that players can now reserve the Steam Controller using their Steam accounts. Users who have already purchased a controller will not be able to buy another at this time, and reservations are limited to one Steam Controller per account. Additionally, buyer accounts must be in good standing on Steam and must have made a purchase on the platform prior to April 27, 2026. Valve also stated that it is working to replenish stock of the controller across multiple regions.

The full details via Valve:

Steam Controller launched on May 4th, and while we were happy to see such a high level of interest, the experience for a lot of you trying to buy it was incredibly frustrating. We plan to continue replenishing stock as we get more in, but in the meantime wanted to share changes we’re making to improve the purchase experience and to limit reseller activity:

Beginning May 8th at 10 am Pacific, we’re opening a reservation queue for Steam Controller. Once you reserve, your place in line will be saved. When we go back in stock, order emails will be sent in the same order that reservations were made.

Here are the details on how we’re hoping to improve the experience overall while also taking steps to limit reseller activity:

Reservation details:

Reservations will be limited to one Steam Controller per user.
Once you receive an order email, you have three days (72 hours) to make your purchase on Steam.
For now, customers who have already purchased a Steam Controller are not yet eligible to reserve another Steam Controller.

Additionally:

Your account must be in good standing on Steam
You must have made a purchase on Steam prior to April 27, 2026
Replenishment of inventory will vary from region to region. We will start fulfilling reservations next week in the US / Canada, and UK / EU / AU in the following weeks.