Valve’s newly-released Steam Controller has proven popular, selling out almost as soon as it was made available. And, of course surprising no one, that means the controllers are now popping up on resale sites like eBay.
Valve’s controller is an alternative to other gamepads, and has been designed to work across the Steam ecosystem. Sales for the controller went live last night, and in only 30 minutes, Valve’s first batch of stock was completely sold out.
Seeing the news this morning, I went onto eBay, to see if the Steam Controller was available to purchase there as an alternative, even though I already knew what I was going to be met with. Yes, there are plenty of resale listings, and of course scalpers gonna scale, meaning there is a not insignificant mark up on price.
Valve marketed its Steam Controller for £85 here in the UK, but on eBay the devices have already sold for in excess of £150. On the US side it is worse, and sales have been made at $300. For reference, Valve was selling the controller for $99 across the pond.
The Steam Controller was initially announced last year alongside the Steam Machine, a console which has yet to receive a release date or price. Valve has indicated the Steam Machine’s price will be more in line with the current PC market, though given current price hikes across the consumer tech industry, this has left some anxious. The console has also been delayed due to RAM shortages.
Last year, head of market analysis at video game industry analysis company Alinea Analytics Rhyss Elliott told our own Connor that the price point will be a real indicator of how the Steam Machine is perceived in the market. “If the Steam Machine launches above $500, it risks being perceived as an expensive niche PC (like the rumoured next-generation Xbox) rather than an accessible living-room gaming option,” Elliott said. “The sweet spot would be $400 with a controller. This would really send a message, as console manufacturers have been raising their prices.”
For more, be sure to check out all of Eurogamer’s previews on Valve’s gear – Steam Machine preview: a powerful, customisable mini PC for couch gaming, Steam Frame preview: a long-awaited standalone VR headset that runs Steam games on ARM and Steam Controller preview: a smart, touch-centric gamepad that also packs in traditional controls.
