Valve Hits Kill Switch on Steam Controller, Sells Old Inventory for $5 Each
Valve's Steam controller is currently available at a 90% discount.
The Steam Controller was all the hype early in development, but ultimately it saw few adopters and far less love than the community was expecting Consequently, it’s no surprise that Valve has announced that it won’t be making any more. This comes just a year after Valve discontinued Steam Link. It’s not all bad, though. If you’re quick, you can still grab one for just $5.
The Steam Controller dates back to 2013, when it was introduced to compliment both the Steam Link hardware and the concept of Steam Machine "PC consoles," both of which also never gained much traction. It appears that as appealing as it might be to try to mix sofa gaming and PC gaming, these two worlds simply weren’t meant to be blended together.
The controller itself was, despite its lack of popularity, praised for its flexibility and customizability. It had a very controversial design with two trackpads and a single analog stick, rather than a pair of analog sticks and arrow keys as you’d see on most controllers. Although this unusual design could be part of what kept adoption rates low.
Nevertheless, the controller is now at a 90% discount and selling for just $5, plus shipping. Hilariously, the shipping costs more than the controller itself, so the purchase will end up costing you $13 – but even that’s still a great price. Quantities are limited, and Valve is reporting a longer delivery time than usual, so be fast if you still want to score one.
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Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
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dstln Note: Not kill switch... that would imply existing controllers would be remotely turned off.Reply -
cryoburner There had been some rumors a number of months back that Valve might be working on a new Steam Controller, based on a patent application filed by Valve for the backside of a similar-looking controller, only with pressure-sensitive grip buttons, a bit like what the Index controllers have. Additionally, it had since been found that the Steamworks SDK files now include some lines referencing a "SteamController V2", with pressure readings for those grip buttons, in addition to pressure readings for the shoulder buttons and trackpads, which are not available for the existing Steam Controller. It's very possible that might be part of a wider revamp of the controller's design.Reply
The Steam Controller has been out for four years now, so a refresh wouldn't be surprising at this point. That might also explain why they are clearing out stock at a low price, rather than simply putting them at a more moderate sale price and keeping them around a while longer until the inventory naturally runs out. It probably wouldn't make much sense for them to sell the existing model alongside a new, improved one, after all.
So, I wouldn't say that they are necessarily "killing" the Steam controller, as there are indications that we might be seeing a new one to replace the existing model. The idea behind the controller seems fine, even if it's not exactly the best input method for all games. Valve could do some things to address that with a redesign though. -
peterp01 Is it still for sale? I don't see anyware to buy one from the Canadian Steam site...Reply
https://store.steampowered.com/app/353370/Steam_Controller/ -
TJ Hooker Reply
I looked at the Canadian site right after this article was posted yesterday, didn't see any option to purchase it then either :(peterp01 said:Is it still for sale? I don't see anyware to buy one from the Canadian Steam site...