Can the Steam Controller Justify the Price Hike Over Sony's DualSense?

2 hours ago 1

Published Apr 26, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

Scott Baird is a contributor with over a decade's experience writing about video games, along with board games and tabletop RPGs. Scott has previously worked for Dexerto, Cracked, Dorkly, and Gamepur.

The price of Valve's upcoming Steam Controller has leaked online, and fans are furious about the high price point, especially in a market already packed with amazing options like Sony's DualSense controller.

Valve was supposed to have a selection of new hardware for 2026, including the Steam Machine, which marks another attempt by the company to enter the packaged PC market, with a product akin to a modern gaming console. Unfortunately, those plans have been hampered by the RAM cost crisis, which means Valve might not be able to release the Steam Machine at an affordable price.

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It seems that the Steam Machine isn't the only thing that's going to be way too expensive. According to Destructoid, a review of the upcoming Steam Controller was accidentally uploaded early by the Techy Talk YouTube channel, in a video that has since been taken down. In this video, the price of the Steam Controller was revealed, and fans were shocked.

Fans Think The Steam Controller's Price Is Way Too High

According to the leaked review, the Steam Controller is going to cost $100 USD, far more than the controllers offered by the competition, with Sony's DualSense costing only around $75 individually. This isn't to say the Steam Controller doesn't have unique features, like its little trackpads, but they don't justify the high price point.

Throw in the fact that the Steam Machine is likely to have a prohibitively high entry cost, and the end result is a product that's not going to be worth the price tag, not when it's just a standard, ready-made PC.

This isn't to say the Steam Controller doesn't have unique features, like its little trackpads, but they don't justify the high price point.

Valve is in a tough spot with the Steam Machine, as RAM prices are beyond the company's control. The Steam Controller, however, doesn't require any of the pieces that are skyrocketing in price, so there's no need to jack up the price for people who want to play with their friends.

Fortunately, Steam is the most open platform for controllers, so you can use pretty much any modern option, regardless of the maker. It's just a shame that Valve's branded option is going to cost so much out of the gate.