The year 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for Valve’s ventures into hardware, and a significant development is on the horizon. Next week will see the release of reviews for the Steam Controller, the company’s reimagined gamepad. This comes a decade after the initial, less successful launch of its predecessor. Crucially, the early reception for the new controller has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, it has garnered remarkably high praise from reviewers, who one might expect to scrutinize a $99 peripheral with a more critical eye.
Valve’s Hardware Ambitions: From Side Project to Major Undertaking
2026 is poised to be a defining year for Valve’s hardware aspirations, and the initial component of this strategy is set to debut next week. Reviews for the Steam Controller, the company’s updated gamepad, which arrives ten years after the original’s challenging introduction, are now available and are favorable. Indeed, they are remarkably so, with a wave of almost unanimous acclaim from publications that might typically dissect the peculiarities of a $99 controller with greater enthusiasm.