Steam 'Must-Buy' Hardware Targets May Release Date
Topics: PC, Steam, Steam Machine, Tech
Featured Image Credit: Valve
Topics: PC, Steam, Steam Machine, Tech
Steam’s latest hardware drop is now expected in May thanks to a recently surfaced leak, so mark your calendars.
It’s a big year for Steam users around the world as for the first time in years, Valve is doing more than just updating its digital storefront.
Hardware isn’t something that’s often associated with the company and for good reason, as previous attempts to bring PCs more in-line with home consoles haven’t been very successful. Take the Steam Link for example.
The new Steam Machine and Steam Controller are shaping up to be a different story though, and eager gamers are dying to learn when they’re coming out.
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Now thanks to a new leak, we know Valve is gearing up for a near-imminent drop in just a matter of weeks.
Recently a 4gamer review for the new Steam controller leaked online, and along with thoughts and feelings on the new bit of kit came a release date.
According to the since-deleted review, screengrabs of which were shared by Wario64, the Steam Controller is due for launch on 4 May in Japan.
Now we have to take this with a slight pinch of salt, of course, but given how quickly the review was taken down, it’s more than likely on the money.
If the Steam Controller is launching on 4 May in Japan too, it’s probably launching in other parts of the world on the same day, implying a shadowdrop.
Steam Controller is releasing on May 4th in Japan, according to a 4gamer review link that has been taken down pic.twitter.com/EyQN1XFkbr
— Wario64 (@Wario64) April 27, 2026
The price of the new controller has also leaked online and while it’s more expensive than an Xbox or PlayStation controller, that doesn’t seem to be enough to dissuade users from buying it.
In response to Wario64’s post, LeXT said the Steam Controller “might be a must buy” citing previous Valve-made controllers as “perfect”.
LeXT added, “The premium controller will surely have better quality overall and a lot of improvements.”
Team Nitro also replied to the post saying, “Dual trackpads + hall effect sticks + back buttons at $99. Valve just made every other controller look lazy.”
It does look promising, and all we need now is confirmation from Valve that the controller is indeed dropping next month.
So if the Steam Controller is dropping on 4 May as the leak suggests, what about the Steam Machine?
At the time of writing, Valve is yet to confirm both the release date and price of its new console, but it’s still believed to be launching in 2026.
It’s claimed that Valve is holding off a reveal until it can properly assess the current RAM and SSD shortages, as it’s making it difficult to pin down a good price point.
That said, if the Steam Controller is ready to launch now, perhaps that implies the Steam Machine will follow shortly behind, after all a Steam Controller will be packaged in with the Steam Machine at launch.
For now, mark your calendars for 4 May. It looks like Valve is gearing up for something big.