On the tenth anniversary of the now-defunct Steam Controller's first release, rumors are resurfacing that Valve will announce an updated version, and a reliable insider source has been tipped off about the design of the updated peripheral. The source also claims that Valve will reveal the new Steam Controller to the public soon, although a specific date was not given.
2025 has seen several rumors of physical Steam-adjacent products. Valve also has a theory about announcing a wireless VR gaming headset in the near future, which could be called the “Steam Frame.” Now it seems that the updated Steam Controller, which takes inspiration from the design of the popular Steam Deck, could be announced at the same time.
Leaked Steam Controller has chunky design, several key features
Valve insider Brad Lynch, who first teased a new Steam Controller in 2024, has now revealed details of the controller's design on Twitter. Lynch clarified that the image shared on the platform is not an image of the controller, but an AI-generated approximation based on a prototype he has personally seen. The image shows a large, chunky controller with two joysticks, a Steam button in the middle, and dual trackpads that clearly show its Steam Deck inspiration.
Commenters on Twitter were quick to compare the new Steam controller to The Duke, an old-school Xbox controller also notorious for its large size. Some praised the controller for its similarity to the Steam Deck, while others found it too large or disliked the inclusion of the two touchpads. When a commenter asked when Valve might officially reveal the updated design, Lynch replied that they were “extremely close” to doing so. In addition to revealing the controller's design, Lynch shared that it can “detect how far your hands are from the grips with a simple capsense feature.” 'Capsense' is short for 'capacitive sensors', which the recently updated Steam Deck also has. He clarified that this feature “is not full finger tracking in the grips” but a more basic version that can be used for gyroscopic movements.
It's been a little over five years since Valve retired the original Steam controller, and a year since rumors began that it was developing a new one. If it really is as close to release as Lynch claims, it's possible that this new controller, along with the Steam Frame VR headset, could be released as early as the 2025 holiday season. If that's the case, the new and improved Steam Controller could be a hot ticket on gamers' Christmas lists this year.
- Stamp
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Valve
- Original release date
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September 12, 2003
- Original MSRP (USD)
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N/A
- Weight
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N/A
