New Steam Controller sold out within minutes of its release on May 4, and scalpers have already listed their units on eBay for up to three times the original price. The exclusive launch platform was Valve's Steam, and demand for the company's new peripheral was reportedly so high that it caused the site to crash and go down for a period of time.
In February 2026, the Steam Deck suddenly sold out of Valve's US storefront and several other retailers. At the same time, reports suggested that the maker of the popular handheld could soon face supply issues due to an ongoing RAM shortage. Now fans are worried that getting a new Steam Controller might also be a problem, although it doesn't seem to be affected by the lack of memory.
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A Steam controller listing on eBay could top $300
Reports suggest that the Steam Controller sold out within the first 30 minutes, and scalpers on eBay were bidding almost immediately with steep markups. One listing in particular that has “confirmed purchase” in the title is asking for around $330. In comparison, Valve's official price for the new Steam Controller is $99, which means the retailer is charging more than three times the original price.
An interesting detail is that none of the Steam Controller buyers have actually received the product yet, as it will take a few days to ship. This means that eBay listings are effectively reselling successful orders placed through the Steam store, rather than the physical product itself.
Hundreds of users took to social media to complain about the launch and Valve's handling of it, with many saying they couldn't even access the store page. Third-party tools like Downdetector show a clear increase in problems around the time the driver was launched. Even some of those who managed to secure their peripherals reported that the process was far from smooth, noting that they had to refresh the payment page several times before completing their purchase.
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The situation has drawn comparisons between Valve and Japanese gaming giant Nintendo. During the launch of the Switch 2, Nintendo implemented several measures to limit scalping, such as requiring proof of purchase for warranty claims in Japan and limiting reservations to users with verified accounts. Now, some fans believe that Valve could take similar safeguards to prevent scalpers and bots from quickly depleting the Steam Controller, similar to how Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders were protected from sellers.
Thousands of fans who were unable to purchase the device at launch are now waiting for Valve to clarify its restocking plans. At the time of writing, the company has not commented on the sale or provided any timetable for replenishment. However, it will likely have more stock of the popular controller soon, as it has with most Steam peripherals in the past.
Valve also has two other gaming products that fans are eagerly awaiting, the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame. While the ongoing RAM shortage has reportedly affected their launch to some extent, the company still seems to be on track to release them later this year. Ideally, these launches will be smoother and give more players a chance to pick them up without having to go to eBay and pay exorbitant prices.
