Valve's £85 Steam Controller divides gamers ahead of May launch

["Valve has announced that its second-generation Steam Controller will be available to order from May 4, priced at £85 in the UK and $99 in the US. The controller, designed to work with PCs, Valve's handheld console, the Steam Deck, and the company's upcoming gaming PC, the Steam Machine, has raised eyebrows among some gamers due to its premium price tag.", 'The price has sparked a divided reaction among gamers on social media, with some questioning whether it\'s worth the cost. "The Steam Controller may be more expensive than the standard controllers from Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation, but we do live in a time where companies including Sony and Microsoft are selling premium controllers for £150-£200", said Chris Scullion, deputy editor of Video Games Chronicle.

On Reddit, one commenter noted that the price changed their initial enthusiasm from "insta-buy to thinking about it".', 'However, others have defended the price, citing the "more premium" tech involved. "The early hands-on verdicts on the Steam Controller appear to be positive, so while I don\'t see it taking over the Xbox Wireless Controller as the most commonly used PC controller, I can still certainly see it selling reasonably well among the smaller group of core enthusiasts willing to pay more for such a peripheral," Scullion told BBC News. Reviews have praised the wireless controller\'s haptic trackpads and magnetic \'puck\' for syncing and charging.', 'The Steam Controller\'s compatibility is limited to devices running Valve\'s PC gaming platform Steam, and it is not compatible with consoles.

The price sits between the standard and premium tiers of console controllers, which range from roughly £45-£65 ($60-$75) to £120-£160 ($150-$200). Some gamers have pointed out that the lack of "swappable parts" and customisation in the controller may be a drawback.', "The price has also led to speculation about the potential cost of the Steam Machine, Valve's second attempt at a gaming PC designed to bring PC games to the TV. Valve's first shot at the hardware was released in 2015, but it failed to gain traction in a market dominated by Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

The rising cost of computer components, driven in part by demand from AI data centres, has been linked to higher hardware prices across the industry."]