Lead
Valve has revealed a second-generation Steam Controller, a Bluetooth gamepad designed to bring the Steam Deck’s deep input flexibility to a traditional controller form. I tested an early unit at Valve’s headquarters and found a familiar Steam Input philosophy applied to a more conventional shape, with magnetic sticks, touchpads, grip sensors and a puck-style low-latency hub. Valve says the controller will ship in early 2026, include a removable lithium battery with roughly 35 hours of life, and pair to a puck that doubles as a wireless receiver and charger. The company has not announced final pricing but says it aims to be competitive with other controllers that offer advanced inputs.
Key Takeaways
- Launch window: Valve plans an early 2026 release for the second-generation Steam Controller; price is not yet announced.
- Connectivity and puck: The controller is Bluetooth-capable and ships with a puck that provides a proprietary low-latency wireless link for up to four controllers at a time, with reliable range up to 5 meters.
- Battery and servicing: Each controller uses an internal, user-replaceable lithium pack rated at about 35 hours per charge and supports USB-C wired play and charging.
- Inputs and layout: The pad has two canted touchpads, an improved D-pad, two analog triggers, two bumpers, four rear buttons and four back buttons, aligning more with conventional gamepads than the original Steam Controller.
- Sticks and drift resistance: Valve uses magnetic, drift-resistant TMR-based joysticks developed with a third-party supplier; engineers say the design is not exclusive.
- Grip Sense and haptics: Two capacitive sensors per grip enable a programmable virtual “Grip Sense” input; grips also house two high-output LRA haptic motors.
- Legacy and ecosystem: The controller relies on Steam Input, Valve’s long-running configuration layer that makes old mouse-and-keyboard titles and community controller profiles playable on controllers and the Steam Deck.
- Testing and limits: Valve engineers reported internal tests with up to 16 controllers, though official support is listed at four simultaneous controllers per puck.
Background
Valve introduced the original Steam Controller with two large circular trackpads, one joystick and an unconventional bulbous shape to bring mouse-level pointing and extensive customization into a handheld form. Although the first model was discontinued, its core innovation — Steam Input — persisted and expanded into a system that supports PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo controllers with the same remapping and profile-sharing tools.
Controller adoption on Steam has increased in recent years, in part because Steam Input enables layers of remapping that make older mouse-and-keyboard games playable with a pad. Community profiles and enthusiast-built mappings allow players to bind complex actions to single buttons or map mouse-like pointing to touch surfaces and gyro, which has kept Valve’s configurable approach relevant even without continued production of the original hardware.
Main Event
Valve’s second-generation controller looks and feels much more like a conventional gamepad than the first model. The design places two Deck-style touchpads on the face but cants and rotates them roughly 15 degrees inward to suit a gamepad grip. Standard face buttons, a refined D-pad, two triggers, two bumpers and multiple back buttons complete the layout, creating a hybrid that supports both traditional and highly personalized control schemes.
Under the hood, Valve added magnetic, drift-resistant joysticks using TMR sensor technology in a custom design produced with a partner vendor. According to hardware engineer Steve Cardinali, Valve once treated magnetic sticks as nonessential but reversed course for this generation, claiming improved longevity and resistance to analog drift.
The included puck serves two roles: a magnetic charger and a low-latency radio bridge. Valve says each puck can connect up to four controllers with stable performance to about 5 meters; engineers tested higher counts internally but do not guarantee official support beyond four. The puck’s magnetic docking is intended to simplify daily charging and provide a dedicated reception point for living-room setups.
Ergonomics were a clear focus: the new controller is large — reminiscent of the original Xbox “Duke” in scale — but the ergonomics felt comfortable in short sessions. Valve added two capacitive Grip Sense sensors to detect when users are fully grasping the shell or have moved fingers, exposing that state as a programmable input. The grips also include dual high-output LRA haptic motors, though extended impressions of tactile performance remain to be verified in full reviews.
Analysis & Implications
By moving the Steam Deck’s configurability into a dedicated controller, Valve is broadening its ecosystem play. Players who prefer living-room controllers now get access to Steam Input’s extensive remapping tools without buying a Deck, strengthening Valve’s position across PC and Steam-hosted hardware like the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset. This could increase the number of titles played with gamepads on Steam and raise expectations for highly configurable controllers from competitors.
Physically integrating magnetic sticks and Grip Sense signals a push toward durability and novel inputs. Magnetic TMR sticks are marketed as less prone to mechanical wear and drift than potentiometers; if the components deliver, Valve could claim a durability advantage. Grip Sense creates a new dimension for input mapping — for example, temporarily enabling gyro or toggling aim modes without moving a thumb — which may spur creative community profiles and developer support.
Price will determine market impact. Valve says it wants a price competitive with other controllers offering advanced inputs, but a premium positioning could limit adoption to enthusiasts. Conversely, a mid-market price could accelerate mainstream uptake: OEMs making controllers for multiple platforms already include features like back paddles and refined D-pads, but few combine magnetic sticks, touchpads, programmable grip sensors and a dedicated low-latency puck.
From a strategic perspective, the puck plus built-in Steam Machine antenna demonstrates Valve’s intent to harmonize controller connectivity across multiple devices in its hardware lineup. That has implications for living-room PC gaming and VR, where robust wireless performance and simple charging solutions matter to end users.
Comparison & Data
| Feature | Original Steam Controller | Second-Gen Steam Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Primary pointing | Two large circular trackpads | Two canted touchpads + gyro |
| Analog sticks | One joystick | Two magnetic TMR sticks (drift-resistant) |
| Back inputs | Limited | Four back buttons + circular rear buttons |
| Battery | AA or internal (varied) | Internal user-replaceable lithium, ~35 hours |
| Wireless hub | No dedicated puck | Puck: charger + proprietary low-latency link (4 controllers / 5m) |
The table highlights the shift from the original’s trackpad-forward layout to a hybrid gamepad design with wider input options and improved wireless convenience. The 35-hour battery estimate and the four-controller puck limit are central technical claims Valve has published; independent testing will confirm real-world battery life and wireless robustness.
Reactions & Quotes
Valve and early testers offered brief statements underscoring design goals and immediate impressions:
“We’re aiming to make the price competitive with other controllers with ‘advanced inputs.'”
Steve Cardinali, Valve hardware engineer
“The design isn’t exclusive,”
Steve Cardinali (on TMR joystick supplier)
“My fingertips just melt into its circular back buttons,”
early tester
Each quote reflects a different facet of the launch: engineering intent on price and supply, and player-level feedback on ergonomics. Valve’s official messaging emphasizes ecosystem compatibility and configurability through Steam Input.
Unconfirmed
- Exact retail price remains unknown; Valve has only stated a competitive target relative to other advanced controllers.
- Long-term durability and drift resistance of the new magnetic TMR sticks await independent long-term tests.
- Real-world puck performance with multiple controllers in varied home environments (interference, walls, and other RF conditions) is not yet fully verified.
Bottom Line
Valve’s second-generation Steam Controller represents a purposeful attempt to merge the Deck’s configuration power with a conventional gamepad form. Early impressions emphasize ergonomics, novel inputs like Grip Sense, magnetic sticks and a convenient puck-based wireless/charging solution that together create a flexible controller platform for Steam’s ecosystem.
Whether this controller becomes a mainstream favorite will hinge on price, supply and the results of independent durability and latency testing. For players who prize remapping, touchpad and gyro combinations, or long-term resistance to stick drift, the new design is a strong contender — but broader validation from third-party reviews and community adoption will determine its ultimate impact.