Valve’s $100 Steam Controller Meets Scalpers – Sold Out While Scalpers Make Mad Bank Through eBay Reselling

Steam Controller DISASTER Launch – INSTANTLY Out of Stock, SCALPED for $200-$300 + MORE! Via CultOfMush YouTube Channel

Kotaku noticed the high-stakes arms game on eBay as the new Valve Steam Controller, which the company priced at $100 per unit, was somehow showing up on the trading and bidding website for as much as $400. This is the first new controller from Valve in over a decade; the scalpers simply couldn’t resist the temptation to take advantage of the situation. Kotaku noted that despite the relatively high price for a controller, many Steam users want one. Most likely because it has a lot of functionality while giving trackpad haptics for those on PC without needing a mouse and keyboard.

Valve’s release of the Steam Controller may have been a pragmatic approach due to RAM shortages and the controller not requiring any RAM in order for it to be produced. That makes it immune to the shortages caused by the data-center building binge happening globally. Yet somehow, all stock of the controller was gone, and according to Kotaku, it happened within roughly 30 minutes of their launch. The number of users trying to buy led to some getting an error, citing “high volume of purchase requests.” Well played, Valve, well played indeed.

While there hasn’t been any confirmation on when more controllers will be available, Kotaku thinks that the company may have held back some inventory for when they launch their Steam Machine. The fabled device we haven’t heard any news about regarding release, which initially was meant to arrive at the same time as the controller. With the Steam Controller currently sold out and no timeline on when it will be available, things aren’t looking good for Steam users wanting one anytime soon.

The Sellout: Where Is The Stock

Valve via X (Formerly Twitter)

Just looking at the user comments on Valve’s announcement post on X, formerly Twitter, shows a plethora of users absolutely mind-boggled that they couldn’t buy a Steam Controller. Either users got a transaction error, or at the point of purchase, were informed that the order couldn’t be finalized because the item(s) in their cart were out of stock. One user even said they added money to their wallet for the purchase, only to encounter errors when initializing or updating their transaction. 

Some lucky few confirmed they were able to purchase one, but others criticized the way Valve handled the Steam Controller release, saying a lottery system via email with a limit of 1 per account would have been better. Many started to notice the scalpers were already stealing controllers and reposting to eBay, saying the scalpers were the ones causing all the lag on Steam’s website. Overall, it looks as though scalpers may have won this round against the PC Gaming Sphere. As of writing this, the Steam Controller still says out of stock.

A Repeating Trend: Hectic Rush To Buy

Steam Deck HQ (SDHQ) commented on the similarities between when the Steam Deck went on sale and the new Steam Controller. Describing it as a mad dash, with steam going down while people get locked in limbo. They attribute the exhilarating experience to Valve servers being bottlenecked: choking, and dying when there is too much traffic to the purchase pages. SDHQ further adds that while stressful, and hoping Valve can fix the issue so others can get their hands on the controller, they’re ecstatic with how well it was received overall.

While the first controller was a great idea, it came with some issues regarding its handles. Though it appears Valve learned a valuable lesson from their first iteration, as well as the Steam Deck itself. It may be one of the best controllers for PC, and it looks like SDHQ will get the chance to try it out when they locked in their order 1 minute after it launched. They, too, hope that a restock comes soon so other users who want it can get one. Their recommendation is to wishlist the controller on Steam; much like games on wishlist, you should get an email when it shows up.

Valve Responds: Help May Be On The Way?

Valve via X (Formerly Twitter)

Valve opened the proverbial can of worms with their announcement mid-Tuesday, acknowledging the controller was sold out but making no mention of the scalper situation. The comments section was immediately inundated with people remarking that the system needs to be fixed so scalpers don’t strike again. Some are directly calling the company out for not foreseeing the devastation caused by the nefarious fiends.

With Thursday’s update, users got the answer they were hoping for. On May 8, 2026, users can reserve a spot to get their hands on the new controller! There are some caveats with this announcement: reservations are one controller per user, there will be an order email giving you 72 hours to make your purchase, and only those who haven’t ordered one will be eligible. As a bonus, they’re throwing in a requirement of the account being in good standing with Steam and prior purchases before April 27, 2026. It looks like the people win, and scalpers can eat dust!