Last November, Valve unveiled its vision for a new gaming console and controller in the living room. Then came RAMageddon, forcing a delay.

Now, without the Steam Machine, the Steam Controller is finally hitting shelves on May 4th, priced at $99 USD, £85 in the UK and €99 in Europe. It's like a downsized Steam Deck, designed to work with any computer running Steam or even as a smartphone peripheral.

Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais promises more updates on the Steam Machine and Frame headsets, but for now, gamers can enjoy the controller that almost everyone wanted—minus the fancy living room setup. Reviews from colleagues Jay Peters and Cameron Faulkner suggest it’s a solid upgrade from the original.

For now, the lack of the Steam Machine means some features like VR compatibility remain untested, but the controller is still a hit with its user-friendly design and muscle-memory intact profiles. Valve hints at future improvements, including optional adjustments to the speaker volume and better battery life monitoring.