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

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The price for Valve’s new Steam Controller has been revealed, and many fans are upset about how expensive it is, particularly considering the strong competition from controllers like the Sony DualSense.

Valve had been planning to release new hardware, including the Steam Machine, in 2026. This would have been another try for the company to sell pre-built PCs, similar to gaming consoles. However, rising RAM prices are now causing problems, and Valve might not be able to offer the Steam Machine at a price customers can afford.

The Steam Controller is also expected to be quite expensive, just like the Steam Machine. A preview video of the controller was briefly posted online by the Techy Talk YouTube channel before being removed, and it revealed a price point that surprised many fans.

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


Image Via Valve

A recently revealed price list suggests the Steam Controller will cost $100, which is considerably more expensive than competitors’ controllers. For example, the PlayStation DualSense typically sells for around $75. While the Steam Controller does offer some unique features, like its small trackpads, many believe these don’t make up for the higher cost.

Honestly, with the Steam Machine probably being super expensive to buy, I don’t think it’s going to be worth it. It’s basically just a pre-built PC, and you can get those for a lot less these days. I’m not sure it’ll offer enough to justify the price tag.

The Steam Controller does have some interesting features, such as its small trackpads, but these don’t really make up for how expensive it is.

Valve is facing challenges with the Steam Machine because the cost of components like RAM is outside of their influence. Fortunately, the Steam Controller isn’t affected by these rising prices, so they can continue to offer it at the same price for players who want to game with friends.

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Steam is great because it works with almost any controller you can buy these days, no matter who made it. It’s too bad Valve’s own controller is going to be so expensive when it first comes out, though.

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2026-04-26 13:09