Glowing Steam Controller Review Leaks Early, Revealing $99 Price and Valve’s Strongest Comeback Pad Yet

Valve’s new Steam Controller has reportedly had its price and early review impressions leaked ahead of schedule, giving players the clearest look yet at the company’s long awaited return to PC focused gamepads. The leak came after YouTuber Techy Talk uploaded an early review of the controller, which was quickly downloaded and reuploaded through Streamable. According to the review, Valve’s new Steam Controller will be priced at $99.

That places the controller $25 above Sony’s DualSense, but the review argues that Valve’s device offers considerably more flexibility for PC users. The conclusion is not that the Steam Controller is perfect for every type of player or every genre. Instead, its biggest strength appears to be versatility. For users who want one controller that can handle traditional gaming, couch based PC play, Steam navigation, and general desktop style input, the new Steam Controller seems to make a very strong case.

The standout feature is clearly the pair of trackpads. This was also the defining idea behind Valve’s original Steam Controller from 2015, but the new version appears to be a much more refined execution. The trackpads allow direct cursor movement and mouse style control from a gamepad, making PC games that normally feel awkward without a keyboard and mouse much easier to play from a couch, handheld style setup, or relaxed desk position.

By default, the right trackpad handles cursor movement, while the left trackpad handles scrolling. However, users can swap these functions, and either trackpad can be configured to work like a trackball, carrying momentum after a finger flick. Techy Talk reportedly found the trackpads immediately intuitive, saying the transition felt natural within minutes. That is a major compliment, especially because the original Steam Controller was often seen as powerful but difficult to learn.

Still, the trackpads are not a complete mouse replacement. Techy Talk made it clear that traditional mouse input remains superior for competitive games that demand fast precision, high clicks per second, and rapid aiming. Fast first person shooters, MOBAs, RTS titles, and other high accuracy PC genres will still favor a proper mouse and keyboard setup. The Steam Controller’s value is not in replacing competitive PC input, but in making a much wider range of PC games comfortable from a controller.

Beyond the trackpads, the new Steam Controller includes a six axis gyro for tilt based input and 4 rear grip buttons. These features are still not standard across all controllers in this price range, making Valve’s offering more attractive for users who want advanced control options without moving into premium $200 plus controller territory.

The thumbsticks are another important technical highlight. According to the review, the sticks use TMR sensing technology, which should make them mechanically resistant to the dead zones that can develop in traditional analog sticks over time. Stick drift and dead zone degradation have become major concerns for modern controllers, so this could be a meaningful advantage if Valve’s implementation holds up well under long term use. Techy Talk described the stick action as smooth, with appropriate resistance.

The face buttons and D pad also appear to be improved compared with the Steam Deck’s controls. The buttons are reportedly larger and offer a crisper feel, which should help the controller feel more premium and responsive during regular gameplay. For users who were hoping Valve would take feedback from the Steam Deck and apply it to a dedicated controller, this sounds like a promising step.

Connectivity also includes one particularly clever design decision. The controller reportedly ships with a wireless dongle that also works as a magnetic charging puck. Instead of unplugging a cable or managing a separate charging accessory, users can simply clip the controller onto the dongle to charge. It is a small feature, but it fits Valve’s broader design philosophy: make the device feel practical for people who use Steam across multiple PC setups.

The review was not completely without criticism. Techy Talk noted that the thumbsticks are not customizable, the faceplate cannot be swapped, and there are no hair trigger modes for the triggers. The buttons also do not use clicky microswitches, which some premium controller users may miss. However, those features are more commonly found on enthusiast controllers that cost over $200, so their absence is easier to accept at $99.

There are a few more practical drawbacks. The battery is not easily swappable, which may disappoint users who prefer long term repairability. The surface finish is described as plain rough textured plastic, and it may feel slippery for users with dry hands. The controller also lacks an audio jack, which is a notable omission for players who use wired headsets through their controller.

Even with those complaints, the leaked review paints the new Steam Controller as a major improvement over the original model. Valve’s first Steam Controller was ambitious and unique when it launched in November 2015, but it was also divisive. Some players loved its customization and trackpad focused design, while others found it too strange compared with traditional gamepads. This new version appears to keep the most interesting PC centric ideas while improving comfort, buttons, sticks, gyro controls, and overall usability.

The timing is also interesting. Valve announced the new Steam Controller a few months ago, and many expected it to launch alongside the Steam Frame and new Steam Machine. However, both of those devices were reportedly delayed due to ongoing memory and storage shortages. If the controller is ready, Valve may have decided to release it separately rather than wait for the rest of the hardware lineup.

That would make sense. A new Steam Controller can stand on its own. It directly supports Steam Deck users, living room PC players, desktop users, and anyone who wants a controller built specifically around Steam Input. It also gives Valve a stronger hardware presence while the rest of its ecosystem waits for supply conditions to improve.

At $99, the controller is not cheap, but it also does not appear overpriced if the leaked review is accurate. It offers more PC navigation functionality than a standard console controller, more input flexibility than most mainstream pads, and enough advanced features to appeal to Steam power users. The real test will be how well the trackpads, gyro, rear buttons, battery life, build quality, and Steam Input integration perform in everyday use.

For now, Valve’s comeback controller sounds like exactly what it needed to be: not a generic Xbox or PlayStation alternative, but a true PC first controller built for the strange, flexible, and highly customizable world of Steam.

Would you pay $99 for a controller built around trackpads, gyro controls, rear buttons, and full PC navigation, or would you still choose a cheaper traditional gamepad?