The Steam Controller sold out in 30 minutes, utterly breaking Steam in the process
Posted by bad1o8o@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 227 comments
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
idk why they didn't go with the reservation process for the controller. i hope this was a lesson for them and they go back to it...
DeHub94@reddit
Maybe they thought they had more than enough stock. I heard from a lot of people that it's too expensive for them. I'm quite a bit surprised about the success. I hope they can lower the price at some point or maybe I'll get one from the second hand market in a few years.
mrpeeng@reddit
How many of these sold controllers are for resellers? I already listings on ebay for 2-400 dollars. Hope valve releases enough that it tanks the resell market.
3VRMS@reddit
Don't forget last time, how they had to liquidate their stock by selling them for 5 bucks each.
https://www.theverge.com/good-deals/2019/11/26/20984123/valve-steam-controller-discontinued-sale-price
It's hard to judge a market, and in a way, having made money but not as much as possible due to not meeting demand is much better than not making money due to having more supply than demand. Especially during a global supply shortage, I'll give them a pass even though it's nowhere near ideal.
itsjust_khris@reddit
Steam hardware is pretty decent and has a dedicated following, many were waiting for an update to the controllers. We don't know what stock numbers were so it's possible there weren't many of them available as well.
It's not for me, I generally don't use anything but the very basics on controllers but it addresses use cases no other controllers cover.
Calimariae@reddit
For me it adresses the use case of being the perfect HTPC remote.
I have never used the trackpads on my Steam Deck and have no use for this controller for gaming.
PiersPlays@reddit
Why not use a wireless keyboard with integrated trackpad then?
EnglishBrekkie_1604@reddit
Because there’s only really 1 keyboard that has that, the Logitech one, and it kinda sucks ass.
BoyInBath@reddit
Framework are making their own keyboard with track pad, so hopefully that might be good? Or just suck less?
newaccountzuerich@reddit
Maybe if Framework sell to the Swiss, something they apparently will not do.
BoyInBath@reddit
Ah, I didn't realise that limitation.
Sorry to hear - hopefully they change that in the near future 🤞
burger_saga@reddit
The Microsoft media keyboard is better, plus Corsair made one a long time ago if you can get your hands on it
plantsandramen@reddit
I have it and it's fine for general use like navigation for my PC connected to my tv, but the trackpad is not great at all.
Calimariae@reddit
I have that keyboard and I've been wanting to replace it for 20 years
PiersPlays@reddit
Yeah me too...
void_nemesis@reddit
Until the Framework one comes out, there's noreal good option on the market (and who knows, the Framework one might have issues as well).
goodnames679@reddit
Interesting, I've used the trackpads a lot on my steam deck. Depends on what games you play I guess
Calimariae@reddit
It's my Binding of Isaac and Dark Souls machine.
I tried some oldschool RTS-es with the trackpads and it was ...fine? The limiting factor is the screen size in that regard.
I've never utilized the gyro either. I should sit down one day and learn it properly. People on here praise it all the time.
sharrken@reddit
I don't have a deck, but have the original steam controller. Gyro+track pad is actually very pleasant for first person or over the shoulder aiming, it is a bit of a learning curve though.
I think gyro is something that benefits most from tweaking person to person, as what is comfortable/useful varies a lot depending on how you hold, seating position etc. Worth trying a few different profiles before you make a final decision on if you do/don't like it.
Also "trackball style" trackpad with mouse emulation for camera movement is my far my favourite for 3rd person RPG's, the ability to 'flick' the camera is very nice and not something you can do with an analog stick. The game needs support for simultaneous controller/mouse inputs though for it to work best.
Awwkaw@reddit
I played all of opus magnum on steam deck, and I think I'll not play more zachtronics on it. But it's doable.
mikeet9@reddit
Yeah, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've touched the right joystick on the deck.
Civ 6, BG3, Outer Wilds, and shooters all feel better with the track pad.
My gaming PC on my TV has been getting a lot less use because each time I boot it up, the joysticks on my PS4 just feel inadequate.
rayquan36@reddit
I use controller companion and the chat pad with my XSX controller.
burger_saga@reddit
Same. Steam button + x to bring up the osk will be very helpful for my Kodi adventures.
BlumbleBee123B@reddit
Limited inventory would coincide with a high price
PiersPlays@reddit
I really really want one.
Which still puts it a long way down the list of things I'd put £85 towards right now.
DeHub94@reddit
Same here. I bought both versions of the SteamDecks but I already have a controller that I barely use so it's hard to rationalize buying the Controller.
cultoftheilluminati@reddit
Honestly, I was exceptionally confused by the complaints about the price. A dualsense costs $75 today, and with drifting sticks that make it useless within a couple of years.
Having spent $15 ish to upgrade (not counting the cost of soldering stuff) them to drift free sticks, I can totally see the $100 price.
Even the fucking dualsense edge doesn't have TMR or Hall Effect sticks
Stevied1991@reddit
8BitDo Ultimate 2 with TMR sticks and gyro and full Steam Input support can be bought for $50. Granted it doesn’t have the touch pads but still.
Djagatahel@reddit
Only controllers recognized as PlayStation controllers can be use both gyro and analog triggers in Steam Input. The 8Bit Do does not support that afaik.
The only controllers that can compete with the Steam Controller if you care about gyro and analog triggers are the DualSense (and siblings) and the Steam collab a few months ago with that Japanese brand I forgot the name of.
SourcerorSoupreme@reddit
"This alternative is cheaper but lacks features that explain why the other product is more expensive."
LockingSlide@reddit
Adding touch pads to a good controller shouldn't double its price
SourcerorSoupreme@reddit
We just saw it happen and the market ate it.
If you actually believe that, then tell us why 8bitdo won't pick such a low hanging fruit.
LockingSlide@reddit
Pricing the market will tolerate from 8bitDo or GameSir, and the price they'll tolerate from Valve is different
I'm not saying it's a bad controller or even not worth the money if touchpads are very useful to you, but the price is hardly down to technology but moreso scale and Valve name
SourcerorSoupreme@reddit
Okay so you agree that the pricing set by Valve is not absurd.
Nextil@reddit
It's two trackpads both equipped with linear haptics (which are still rare outside of MacBooks), linear haptics in the controller itself (something none of these Chinese controllers have AFAIK), capacitive sensors in both sticks, and capacitive sensors in both grips.
If you don't use gyro or trackpads, then none of that's going to excite you, but as someone that plays with gyro and trackpads wherever possible on the Steam Deck, most of those are huge. The tactile feedback on the trackpads gives you a much better sense of how far you've moved your thumb, and using capacitive sensing for gyro ratcheting is way better (spamming a button ever time you want to turn more than 45 degrees gets tiring fast).
ProtoMan0X@reddit
I think the gyro implementation with the touch sensors on the handles are a larger cost than we'd assume.
Nextil@reddit
I own a bunch of Chinese controllers with hall/TMR + gyro but basically none of them have capacitive sticks like the Steam Deck (and now Steam Controller), which is so much better for gyro ratcheting than mapping it to a button. And this one has capacitive grips which may be even better.
With that + the track pads, I probably won't bother with mouse & keyboard any more except for competitive shooters, but even those are totally playable with gyro.
zeronic@reddit
I mean, that sounds nice, but we know that if microsoft ditched AAs they'd go to what their elite controllers use and require you to tear down the whole thing just to replace the battery. Call me crazy but i'd take AAs any day over having to teardown the entire thing once the battery starts to die after too many charge cycles.
Berengal@reddit
Even if the lithium batteries are easy to replace it's not easy to find replacement batteries. At the very least you have to order them online. And they're not interchangeable between different devices. And no matter how easy it is to replace, it's never as easy as swapping AA batteries, so it's not like you'll keep a fully charged lithium on standby in case your controller dies in the middle of a session.
I don't get why people don't like AA batteries. They have like no downsides and plenty of upsides.
n3onfx@reddit
Rechargeable AA and AAA batteries are goated, pop the back of whatever, swap them and boom you're instantly back to full without having to plug a cable in or flat-out having to wait to use the device. One of them somehow dies after a decade of use? You can replace it for cheap from pretty much anywhere.
VS a battery pack for a specific device that, if it can actually be changed, will only work for that device, you have no guarantee and will still be sold when you need it and will probably cost a lot more.
Sharpie1993@reddit
I’ve never understood the issue with the AA batteries in Xbox controllers, especially since you can buy rechargeable AA batteries or one of the Xbox rechargeable battery pack that makes it act like any other controller. In saying that the battery pack shouldn’t included with the controller imo.
DankoleClouds@reddit
You shouldn’t even use the sticks to justify the price. You can get Hall effect/TMR controllers for $45-60 all day.
The real selling points to me are the trackpads for computer navigation, not having to download extra software for full customization, and the ability to remap the extra buttons to any function you want without being limited to already bound controller buttons. Them’s some big features.
Dr_Valen@reddit
My biggest selling point is that I know it’ll work well on Linux with steam and the trackpads. Already got one been waiting for this controller
isotope123@reddit
For every poor or uninterested person that leaves a comment on Reddit, there are 5 rich or motivated to buy people who buy it instead.
theholylancer@reddit
its a captivated audience
not a lot of place is able to and is willing to do the work to make gaming possible with titles built for KBM work with a controller.
if you are that kind of player, you more or less only got valve servicing you
like, look at the effort to make AoE2DE run on xbox, it was a whole ass UI / design change (to allow for auto villager management, which works well enough until you get to the nitty gritty that there is no ladder cross play of PC vs xbox and only custom lobbies), while someone could conceivably play that with a steam controller (of old or likely the new one) with enough customization or even on a standard one if you were nuts.
it really is only valve doing that kind of work, be it the layer or the now hardware right.
and honestly... about the price... given the state of PC component nowadays, it really is a premium experience, a freaking 5060 is 350 and that is more or less a large part price of a PS5 and we can all say its stronger or more flexible, but it means that the people interested in this thing likely have above average spending power.
Inglorii@reddit
I've never used any valve trackpads, so maybe they are better then I imagine, but playing an intense micro game like aoe2 with my thumbs does not sound like a fun experience lol.
I agree with your points though
theholylancer@reddit
yeah the most i have done is turn based stuff (HBS Battletech for example, civ works well enough too), but there are demand for this, look at the xbox version of aoe2 right.
CookieEquivalent5996@reddit
It's a lot of money but exceptional value in its category. I wouldn't count on the price being lowered because I don't see how there could be room in the BOM costs.
monchota@reddit
A lot of people here, that was 100% a majority illusion unfortunately Valve failed to realize that. Anyone saying it was too much, isn't a person who would want ot. The people who wanted it, juat were waiting
shadowtheimpure@reddit
They are expensive for a controller, and cheap for a premium controller...if that makes sense.
You can get a vanilla controller for about $40. The Xbox Elite controller is almost $200. The Steam Controller occupies a happy middle ground at $90.
-praughna-@reddit
They got a boatload of money in 30 minutes. They don’t care.
Rye42@reddit
They thought no one is that interested because it is 100$. Imagine if this is the Steam machine.
MumrikDK@reddit
How much do they mind?
dieplanes789@reddit
I mean for the steam deck they were canceling orders for people they suspected to be scalpers.
Gobeman1@reddit
You know what is funny. When you'd go to the page on the browser it'd briefly talk about reservations instead of the buy button before it went live for sale. Just for a blip of a second as the page loaded.
But yeaaaah lets see how this unfolds with the following 2 releases cause oh boy... I do not look forward to missing out on the Headset myself due to Hobbies I have.
Fatigue-Error@reddit
I don't think they even had a limit on how many you could buy. Really could have kept that to one or two for this first order. It's brilliant for their own business though. Now, no matter what price they set for the Steam Machine, they'll be able to sell out for a while because scalpers will pick them up and then sell them at an even higher price.
Works in the short run only because Valve has huge brand equity and trust from their customers. Mess ups like this hurt the brand, especially when the real customers can't buy, but the scalpers do and make a huge profit from others (who are also Steam customers.)
Green0Photon@reddit
Idk if you were able to make multiple orders, but it is the case that you were limited to two in your cart at once.
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
i am fairly certain they'll limit the machine and the frame to one per customer at least that'd be the reasonable thing...
hackenclaw@reddit
IMO, they should have started with auctioning maximizing the profit, then eventually release as fixed price later as the initial demand lower down.
pimpeachment@reddit
I think they are making them as fast as parts are available. They also likely want to mitigate as much reseller exploitation as possible by allowing bot farmed reservations.
shortsbagel@reddit
It was a 100$ controller, by handheld controller standards that is on the expensive to VERY expensive side. I think they just really did not think it was going to land as hard as it did. They obviously put a lot of time and effort into making it as good as they could, and the fact that it sold out this fast is a testament to that. No big deal though, I can wait a few more months for them to restock.
Zoraynebow@reddit
I remember having to do the "Interested" checkout for the Steam Deck, then having to do the $100 pre charge. Why didn't they repeat that rather than just go "Here it is." Because it'll be on eBay now for $160 in a bit.
I was curious, still am, but I can wait.
Clear-Inevitable-414@reddit
$160 is like no profit. Try $300
austin_ave@reddit
Already on ebay for 250 lol
alwayswatchyoursix@reddit
I don't see why we shouldn't just report those listings as fraudulent. There's literally no way the sellers have received the controllers already, so they are trying to sell something they don't actually have.
Zoraynebow@reddit
........maaaaaaaaaaassaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
i am pretty sure the reservation for the deck was just ten bucks for me
Zoraynebow@reddit
It might have been, I just remember one step being a down payment so don't quote me on the actual price.
g0atmeal@reddit
It would be nice not to have to work my schedule around this type of thing. Especially when you're competing with bots anyway, what's even the point.
repocin@reddit
I mean, the reservation checkout for the Steam Deck took me well over an hour to get through back when it went live so it's not like Steam crumbling to dust when something is popular enough is a new thing.
ZenBacle@reddit
I prefer a real life battle royal. But I guess the 2ndary market on wait-list spots is close enough.
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Cautious levels because they don't know how demand will shake out? It's not exactly like it's a necessity or that gamers will suffer without it having mass availability on launch. They could build up stock for months and put more risk on themselves and make people wait longer or just release the thing and use those metrics to judge what to do on the manufacturing size. Also use the feedback in the meantime to start fixing and improving flaws.
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
reservations would be a good way for them to gauge interest well in advance
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Feels like it was more of an afterthought to sell the controller separately. And controllers are usually high enough margin and less complex manufacturing that when it gets rolling they predict to just fully saturate demand in a way they couldn't with actual PCs that rely on supply chains that are going through much worse shortages.
It's just not as serious as something like a console where you worry about scalping and real customers missing out. Some people will buy a cheaper controller or wait a couple months if they are interested in one this expensive.
Farados55@reddit
I kind of doubt they thought the controller alone was going to cause this much hype. I think anyways
ReasonableLimit3724@reddit
It is sold out and they are still advertising it on their front page.
Zatoichi80@reddit
Meh, madness for a controller.
g0atmeal@reddit
As someone who loved the first Steam controller, and recognizes that even today 11 years later, you still can't buy any controller that has all the same features... it's been a long time coming.
The 8bitdo Ultimate 2 BT comes pretty close, and for a bit cheaper, but it's buggy and takes effort to set up correctly.
KARMAAACS@reddit
I dunno why this controller is so popular. Don't get me wrong, TMR sticks and touchpads are nice features, but you can grab a Gulikit ES Pro for like $25-30 USD and get TMR sticks with an Xbox layout and the best latency (even over Bluetooth, check Gamepadla results if you don't believe me) for sticks and buttons. I'm not sure what all the hype is about. If you need the touchpads, I understand, but is it worth $60-65 more? I think it's a tough sell for me to get the Steam Controller 2, I paid $38 AUD for my Gulikit ES Pro, it's basically an Xbox Controller with TMR sticks, great layout that I'm used to. I can't see myself paying $150 AUD for a Steam Controller 2.
PolarizingKabal@reddit
I mean it's getting fairly glowing reviews and being labeled a sort of official 1st party PC pro controller.
Everyone is going to at least grab one to try. Even if they prefer k&m.
Soulstoner@reddit
It can only be used with Steam. Hardly a PC pro controller.
My dualsense edge can do everything, as well as my Xbox One pro controller.
kwirky88@reddit
I’ve had 2 dualsense controllers fail on my after the warranty period, one has major stick drift the other just completely stopped working.
Yebi@reddit
Madness, period. Standing in a line on release day, or spending a significant amount of time/effort to snipe sonething online on release has always been, and will always be, completely insane for any product
deedeekei@reddit
Especially at the price it's going for, I can't see how it's worth it
Seanspeed@reddit
Because there's literally nothing else that can do what it does. It's unique, very well featured, and it's designed and built by Valve.
I've seen so many people weird comments talking about how you can get some 8BitDo controller for cheaper or whatever, completely missing the point of the Steam Controller. It is NOT a normal controller and of course if all you want is a normal controller, you would probably want to look elsewhere.
-WingsForLife-@reddit
Yeah it's stupid, like it's very clear that if you don't see a point to the trackpads, you have dozens of options.
But there literally is no alternative otherwise.
Tuhajohn@reddit
It's insane.
HowlingGiraffe@reddit
Just remember. Don't be a chump and buy from a scalper. Make them sit on it. We already have usable controllers so let them keep those that the stole from everyone else (at this point you can't convince me scalping isn't a form of theft) and lose out on that investment. They will just have mountains of controllers that we can force them to be unable to profit off of. All you have to do is not buy from them. Make them hurt.
hunterczech@reddit
What's so good about those controllers that they sold out that quickly?
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
if you wanna use your pc without m&k this is your best option i guess
hunterczech@reddit
I don't. For console games I emulate or dark souls games I sometimes you cheap ass 20$ controller that does everything I need. But hey why not I understand It's not for everyone.
im_making_woofles@reddit
Don't know why people are rushing to buy this after the absolute dumpster fire that was the 2015 steam controller. I would literally rather use a dualshock 3 than that abomination
CrAkKedOuT@reddit
Wired 360 controller still working so I'll pass
kaden-99@reddit
It was my first controller for my PC back in 2016 where they were still available brand new and cheap. I sold mine to buy a DS4 because I wanted to go wireless, what a mistake that was LOL
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
mine lasted for so long the rubber on the thumb sticks was basically gone and then i eventually replaced it
CrAkKedOuT@reddit
Yep, I have no reason to drop $100 just yet.
F9-0021@reddit
Mostly to scalpers probably.
Stingray88@reddit
They’re already up on eBay for $300
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Insanity. It's such an unnecessary buy for short term as most PC gamers already have a controller/mnk and can just wait them out. Controllers and their parts have less manufacturing complexity so there's unlikely to be any kind of prolonged shortage of these as Valve ramps up production.
Hopefully everyone can see that and just let the scalpers sit with the stock.
Stingray88@reddit
I wish people never bought from scalpers, but they unfortunately always do.
ithinkitslupis@reddit
I mean I get it in some cases. Your kid wants a PS5 for the holidays so you make it happen, being considered a great parent in their eyes is valuable. There's scalped prices on GPUs but you need it for work and will actively lose time and money sitting around waiting to find one at MSRP.
This is a product that didn't exist yesterday, that for most doesn't fill an urgent need, that will likely be readily available shortly as Valve ramps supply. Feels like the scalping market should be very limited here.
Freaky_Freddy@reddit
or you could explain to your kid that some people are trying to take advantage of you and that you'll get him a PS5 when its back in stock.
Either he understands and you just taught them a life lesson or he throws a fit and you know you're raising a little spoiled c*nt
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Sure. Or some parents that can afford it could choose just to not tell their kids they paid scalped prices and let them enjoy a great Christmas gift they'll probably remember for the rest of their life (provided they aren't spoiled). Not every Christmas has to be a hard economic lesson for the kid, there are 364 other days for that.
I'm not saying you should, I'm just saying I completely understand why some do.
Freaky_Freddy@reddit
If a scalped product is the only way people can provide their kids with a lasting memory then they're failing as parents
There should be other gifts or activities that bring joy to a child that don't involve supporting bad practices
To me what you're saying is just parents choosing the path of least resistance. Pay extra money to make them happy without having to put any effort into it
ithinkitslupis@reddit
It's not the only way, it is the peak way. Their child begs for a PS5 all the time, it's clear what they want for Christmas. They can have a 10/10 Christmas gift giving the kid exactly what they are hoping for. I think it's understandable why a good parent with an unspoiled child might want to do that.
You support worse practices than scalping when you eat a bar of chocolate or do plenty of other pretty much unavoidable things in life. This idea that buying something scalped is some sort of unredeemable moral sin that defies comprehension as to why a decent person might do it is crazy.
richard_splooge@reddit
This is reddit, and these people aren't going to understand.
ithinkitslupis@reddit
I know, thanks for joining the party. Fully expected the 'scalping bad' downvotes even though it's irrational to pretend you don't understand why reasonable people might buy from them on occasion even if it's not just a function of being rich or impatient enough to not care.
The argument isn't even coherent because they acknowledge buying a console at MSRP for your kid is fine, but somehow buying a scalped one makes you a bad and lazy parent. The reality is paying the scalped prices is detached from the issue of parenting and its own separate thing.
InflammableAccount@reddit
This is horrible parenting advice. Absolutely awful.
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Getting your kid the present you know they want most for Christmas, within reason, is not horrible advice. Spoiling your child is bad advice, but one Christmas present a year if they are already well-behaved and respectful and you're willing to actively parent and limit them in how frequently they're allowed to game is fine.
Not every kid has to grow up in the hunger games.
F9-0021@reddit
That's why waiting is a better option. In a few months the supply will be better and the price will go down so pre-owned controllers from scalpers that need to recover costs should be readily available for less than $100.
ithinkitslupis@reddit
Even thinking about it more you could buy a brand new 8bitdo TMR controller for like $60 to tide you over if you need a controller, then pick up the steam controller at MSRP when it's well-supplied, and still save money vs scalper prices.
I don't get people who would pay these scalpers unless they're trying to run a youtube review channel or something and farm the release for content.
Jon_TWR@reddit
During the crypto booms it also made sense—GPUs were money printers!
danfay222@reddit
I can’t imagine scalping working out well for something like this, the vast majority of steam gaming is on windows PCs, which can use basically any random Xbox controller. Tons of people probably have one already, and if not they’re not hard to get, I would happily wait until the steam controller is back in stock and just use that
YeOldeMemeShoppe@reddit
I can buy a steam deck right now, no chance in hell I won’t be able to buy a steam controller in 3-6 months.
localhost_hero@reddit
I'll probably wait for the Frame + Controller bundle.
GolgoM16@reddit
What’s crazy is you can no longer gauge how “successful” an item like this is due to the ** scumbags. Things have gotten so bad that you can’t even get a damn controller for retail these days.
I’ll just wait.
Fatigue-Error@reddit
Exactly, that’s my assumption tooo. They know they can markup stuff that goes out of stock quickly. Sucks.
TheOnvoy@reddit
i was utterly disappointed i had waiting all night and kept refreshing the steam page and as i was in the buying process it kept failing and it ended up crashing so i couldn't buy the controller before they sold out
monchota@reddit
This whole thing was bullshit, I have been waiting forever for this. Not a single notification went out to anyone who. Had wishlisted it or favorited it to be notified, then to fail to have not queue or cart limit. The frames better be limited to accounts one yyear or older with multiple purchases. Just like they did with Steamdeck
upvotesthenrages@reddit
It'll be widely available in a few weeks.
bubblesort33@reddit
$150 CAD, and it's sold out. Which is weird because most games only have a 1.35x price on them, which would make it $135 so what the extra 15%? Tariffs?
At this rate they could really launch the Steam Machine at $999 US and it would still sell out I'm guessing.
SneakyBadAss@reddit
That's before provincial taxes. With them it's around 168.
RxBrad@reddit
Had it in my cart 2 minutes before the theoretical go live.
Never got past
There seems to have been an error initializing or updating your transaction...even after spamming the buttons in the cart a hundred or three times...SneakyBadAss@reddit
All you had to do is go back, add it back to the cart and proceed to pay.
diemitchell@reddit
took me 35 minutes of spamming to get past it
RxBrad@reddit
It truly is for the best.
I already have far too many controllers.
DJKaotica@reddit
I thought about buying one. My Elite 2 controller has been having problems lately, including the rubber bits on the side are slowly peeling away, and .... I really think I should buy a Steam Controller to place it and make it my main controller, but also my Elite 2 continues to generally work just fine....mostly.....so ..... do I wait? Do I buy one next time they are in stock and just not use it until the Elite dies for good?
OliveBranchMLP@reddit
i just bought the FlyDigi Vader 5 Pro. i can barely go back to not having the four back buttons, two extra shoulder buttons, or the OG Xbox white/black buttons.
eight remappable buttons, six of which do not require me to move my thumbs off the thumb sticks. it's insane.
but goddamnit i REALLY want those touchpads so goddamn bad.
RxBrad@reddit
I run Bazzite on a PC connected to my TV. So it's basically a "Steam Machine".
Part of me wants the controller that's made for this. But also, my 8Bitdo Ultimate 2 basically already does everything I want (I never use the trackpads on my Steam Deck in any games as it is).
g0atmeal@reddit
I tried clicking every 10-20 seconds to avoid getting timed out. (That happened to me in the past.) At some point I gave up and just spammed it, and it worked after like 5 clicks.
Stingray88@reddit
Same here, spamming from 9:58 when I could add to my cart, to 10:33 when it finally processed.
SpaceDandye@reddit
I clicked buy about 800 times, I'm not joking, I just sat there clicking and eventually it went through...
FilteringAccount123@reddit
I had to spam it a LOT in order to get it.
WizardMoose@reddit
I hate these "Sold out x minutes" stories. No. They sold out instantly. People had it in their cart at the millisecond it went live, and got errors for 30 minutes until the page changed to sold out.
1xltP3mgkiF9@reddit
Not really, I got it like 20 minutes later in Europe.
CyraxxFavoriteStylus@reddit
People were still able to get orders in, it wasn't sold out instantly. I added to my cart at 12 and was able to check out at 12:05 after spamming the continue button for that entire 5 minutes.
Magyman@reddit
Not really. I missed the mark, started trying to buy at 12:10, and got the confirmation email at 12:20, so there was definitely stock for at least 20 minutes
skinny_gator@reddit
What is special about the steam controller? What makes it better than any of the thousands of other controllers on market? I'm genuinely asking
1xltP3mgkiF9@reddit
You clearly never tried to play 1994 Lion King using gyro. You can do that using steam controller.
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
i can only answer this from my perspective: it allows me to use my pc/play games without getting mouse arm (hopefully)
cunningmunki@reddit
The two track pads, when used with Steam input, can allow literally dozens of additional inputs, TMR sticks, double back buttons, grip sense, that can be used to either turn gyro on/off or as extra inputs, a tested 50 hour battery life and a 2.4ghz dongle that connects up to four controllers.
There are few controllers on the market that even have any of these features let alone all of them.
NeroClaudius199907@reddit
valve
GlassIndependent4968@reddit
Do we care? The thing looks like a big old heavy fat pig. I never understood the obsession with Steams hardware. Sure the Steam Deck was successful and helped to get handheld PC's on the map. But I'd never pay for one. Especially nowadays. Not when you can grab an RTX 5050 laptop on sale for like 750 bucks.
You can find a powerful Handheld gaming PC for cheaper than a Steam Deck no problem.
996forever@reddit
How many did they make in the first place?
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
since they have a concurrent user base in the 35-40 million range i am going to guess they made 35-40
pppjurac@reddit
There was Steam Controller sale?
bad1o8o@reddit (OP)
aaaaand it's gone! dot gif
codythenoble@reddit
Scalpers…don’t forget these people exist. I’m sure we will see the controls up on eBay in a week.
Shamsonz@reddit
The scalpers existing it one thing.
People buying from them is another, separate issue.
youRFate@reddit
Ppl say they are already up, for $300.
onlymostlydead@reddit
There are a few listings with the old controller for $200+, too. The description is of what they're selling accurately describes the old controller, so they're not technically doing anything wrong, but......
Found a few "NIB" steam links being pitched as steam decks, too. Every photo had a steam link box and an unboxed steam deck. Reported them and can't find them now, so guess I wasn't the only one reporting them.
Gobeman1@reddit
Managed to get one but holy crap this could have been a reservation
timcatuk@reddit
I missed it going live by an hour. Shame they do t have a wait list. I would pay now and wait
WafflesAreLove@reddit
It's sold out quicker than that. It was throwing errors within a minute of launch
diemitchell@reddit
errors had nothing to do with stock
Sevastous-of-Caria@reddit
No stock means no payment process
HavocInferno@reddit
Site overload also means no payment process, even if there is stock.
Sharpie1993@reddit
You just had to spam the continue to payment button to get through.
diemitchell@reddit
Say that to my 35 minutes of spamming getting me a controller
SpectreTimmy@reddit
Can get one easily in the UK as of right now
anzbert@reddit
Same in Australia
chefchef97@reddit
Was on a plane this whole time but asked my sister to try, she couldn't get through and now that I've touched down and can try myself out of stock :/
NotFixingYourPCAgain@reddit
Ordered mine about 6:10pm, I kept getting an error about delivery address but then suddenly went through to the card details (3 digits), normal after that.
Just checked and is now out of stock.
SpectreTimmy@reddit
Nevermind lol
Proud-Obligation9479@reddit
I can't seem to check out (UK)
kcajjones86@reddit
I don't get it. It's a controller, with touch pads. It looks okay. I don't feel like the Xbox series controller I use needs a massive upgrade...?
cunningmunki@reddit
If an Xbox controller, with its 14 buttons, is good enough for you then that's great. Good for you. But some of us need more than that.
ZekeSulastin@reddit
The touchpads are neat, it has gyro aiming, it has four rear grip buttons, it has TMR sticks, it comes with the little wireless puck included, it's very repairable ...
... and most importantly for sales it's by Valve.
I'd have tried to order the thing if it didn't need Steam running to work as a gamepad; unfortunately the reviews said it does so I figure I can wait a while.
DJN2020@reddit
I’m more than happy with my 8bitdo ultimate 3.
cunningmunki@reddit
good for you
PrisonOfH0pe@reddit
I’m not sure why people like it compared to a much cheaper DualSense. The DualSense has full adaptive triggers and HD haptics, now also wirelessly on PC with Pico 2W. TMR doesn’t matter that much, since the DualSense has been reverse-engineered, so you can always reset the deadzone and remove drift until the spring eventually dies after a decade. But that’s basically the same for TMR. I think a lot of people simply don’t know this.
cunningmunki@reddit
I love the DualSense but honestly the haptics on the triggers is so very underwhelming.
As well as the two pads and the TMR sticks the Steam Controller also has the double back buttons, the grip sense, a reported 50 hour battery, a 2.4ghz dongle that connects up to four controllers.
All for £10-£15 more than a stock DualSense.
Tiny-Page-6249@reddit
your awnser? valve.
mca1169@reddit
are we really surprised scalpers bought out the supply?
Fatigue-Error@reddit
I’m not. Not sure why others are surprised. This have been a problem since COVID days.
chefchef97@reddit
It's spreading to literally everything like a cancer
The sneakerheads opened Pandora's Box for scalping, and it can never be closed
PualFromBoston@reddit
It can by laws prohibiting such behavior
Seanspeed@reddit
It has. Consumerism was always bad, but Covid seems to have really broken a lot of brains and made FOMO consumerism even worse.
Fatigue-Error@reddit
Social media helps things go viral and then everyone wants that.
Skensis@reddit
We don't actually know this.
For sure some are scalpers, but no way in knowing what percentage of controllers are being bought just to flip.
Fatigue-Error@reddit
We don't know what percent, true. But, that's a non-zero number. And I already see listings on eBay for $230 and higher. They also have bots which buy for them, which would help explain why it sold so quickly. One interesting tidbit would be to find out how many buyers bought more than two, I'd bet those were all scalpers. (Cause, who is going to buy four of a new controller just to try it out...)
Yebi@reddit
Listings existing does not prove the intention. If you buy one for youself intending to use it, and then later see people going crazy for it and buying it for more than double the price, why not use that(them)? Flip it, touch some grass until it restocks, and get yours for free
mpelton@reddit
You were limited to 2 per account, and only on 6 month old accounts with a purchase history.
So I very much doubt the majority were bots.
F9-0021@reddit
So there were a lot of steam users that bought one for themselves and one to sell on eBay for $300.
mpelton@reddit
Damn dude that’s cynical.
I like to think the scalpers and normal users are two separate groups for the most part.
F9-0021@reddit
For the most part they are, but you're kidding yourself if you think there aren't some gamers out there trying to make some cash by scalping the rich whales that absolutely have to have the shiny new thing.
unknownohyeah@reddit
I think it’s artificial scarcity. Make it sell out in seconds, make people get FOMO, then when it comes back in stock people will impulse buy instead of shopping around. Valve has gamer psychology down to a science.
IORelay@reddit
Yeah low stock sellout is the name of the game for PR. Especially when buyers blame it on thw scalpers instead of the manufacturers themselves.
cinemal1fe@reddit
Wasnt there a limit of two or three controllers? I remember that my cart was completely knocked out and I just added a second controller and suddenly it said that I have reached the limit of purchaseable items.
nittanyofthings@reddit
The steam account requirements would mean these scalpers had to be farming steam accounts a long time.
monchota@reddit
There was mot requirerequirements other than it being an account. Thats why people are upset, the Steamdeck you needed to have an account for a year and made purchases. For the controller you could make an account than juat buy it. It was a total mess up for Valve
dropthemagic@reddit
The ps5 one is better
MythTFLFan29@reddit
Don't buy the scalped ones on ebay. Just wait, don't give those bums anything.
Blurgas@reddit
And to no surprise I saw a listing on eBay for $400
garanator1@reddit
I'm convinced that a ton of scalpers got them
BaconFritter@reddit
Seeming like almost all sold to scalpers at this point
garanator1@reddit
Wonderful.......... I wish they just did two per household or at least let us pre order
deep_chungus@reddit
great, i'm probably not gonna get one but valve's hardware succeeding is a trend i want to see
Desistance@reddit
Steam Controller fans are at 1 million deep. They should have had at least that much.
Yankee831@reddit
Not any different from when the Deck came out. I had 4 computers and my phone refreshing over and over till I locked in on one.
iDontSeedMyTorrents@reddit
Obligatory fuck scalpers, but anyone paying scalpers for this deserves to be parted from their money. There is absolutely zero reason to have FOMO over not just a game controller, but a game controller that is obviously going to be produced for a long time to come. Valve still has a console to launch and supply controllers for, after all.
PolarizingKabal@reddit
I was able to secure mine. After spending several mins slamming the process button, because of the error on their site.
Stock will balance out at some point.
I also got to believe that Valve is holding a certain amount of stock back for themselves, since they will need unit to bundle with the steam machine when it eventually launches. They certainly can't go short changing themselves.
steve09089@reddit
This might be it too, since it’s like the Steam Machine is launching right after the Steam Controller
shu-to@reddit
I'm only surprised because my cursory research suggested this was unlikely. I hate being an early adopter but I saw the servers were buckling under the load this morning and realized I'd have to wait for the second run if I didn't spam the continue button.
Content_Dog7410@reddit
i didnt even get to buy one...... sad
Vanilla_177013@reddit
If you're in Australia, its still on stock which is not surprising since it went on sale at like 3am. I grabbed one just then.
pdrayton@reddit
Was quite willing to buy two, had them in the cart at 10:01am PT but the store shat the bed. Oh well, my Xbox controllers are just fine. Lost sale for Valve, but they be OK without my $200, and I’ll just spend the money on something else. Irritating but not the catastrophe that folk seem to be treating the launch as.
itsaride@reddit
That'll teach them! Even if they did sell all their stock.
Seanspeed@reddit
1) they obviously did not lose a sale lol
2) you clearly didn't want the controller that badly if not being able to buy one on Day 1 somehow kills all your interest
knflxOG@reddit
I mean it’s not a limited run, they probably have more on the way and will definitely make more of them. Or are you just not going to get them at all because you couldn’t get them on day 1? Not trying to defend Valve, they should have made more of them if they sold out in less than an hour
pdrayton@reddit
Agreed, I’ll just get it off the Steam store at MSRP later when the fuss subsides. Buying it off eBay for $200+ now seems mad to me, but if someone really wants one now and that’s the “fair” market value, then so be it…
Prince_Uncharming@reddit
Or you could just wait a couple days? Lost sale is such a ridiculous statement because you couldn’t get something Day 1 lmao
pdrayton@reddit
It objectively was a lost sale, to me, for today. Which they sold to someone else, so no harm for Valve. Just like I said.
I’ll get some eventually. No biggie. Simmer down.
youRFate@reddit
IIRC it took months for the first gen controller to come back into stock.
Dusty_Jangles@reddit
The controller is $200?!
JapariParkRanger@reddit
Divide that by the number of controllers they wanted to buy.
GolgoM16@reddit
No he was gonna buy two.
Although that seems to be the avg going price on eBay.
Dusty_Jangles@reddit
Ah ok fair enough.
TheCookieButter@reddit
Annoyingly, it went live early. Managed to get one at 18:06 in the UK.
I've been fortunate with launches, 3080, 5070TI, SteamDeck OLED, Steam Controller all at launch and MSRP. Also updated my PC just before the Rampocalypse.
pinionist@reddit
So they've made all 50 of them ?
youRFate@reddit
I forgot it was today, i thought it was on the 5th. It'll probably be months before you can order again, fml.
tripplesuhsirub@reddit
I give it two months to be easy to find. Mass production PC gamepad. Scalpers early on to then find that most PC gamers don't use gamepads and that gamepads aren't terribly cutting edge technology that have major production scaling challenges
tartare4562@reddit
Got through the "there has been a problem..." error by spamming the purchase button, only to have the transaction refused by my bank.
My keyboard was extremely worried about her wellbeing.
Carfar_Farcar@reddit
Added to my cart and spammed continue for 6 or 7 minutes before I got mine to go through, hoping to replace my controller+trackball combo but we'll see how it goes.
SuddenHonk@reddit
Hm, just ordered one in the UK (19:41) with no problems. Let's see how long it's going to take to arrive.
Pristine-Emotion3083@reddit
I just stayed in the checkout tab untill it stopped throwing the error and it worked, not sure if trying to go out and re-checkout fucks you or I got lucky
steve09089@reddit
This was such a travesty.
I was looking forward to ordering one for the summer, if it takes too long for them to restock, I might just wait until it’s on sale to get one.