Valve has released the 2026 Steam Controller, marking a return to the hardware segment ten years after the original device debuted in 2015. Boiling Steam reports that the new controller aims to address the fundamental friction between mouse-and-keyboard PC gaming and traditional couch-based play, similar to its predecessor. However, this 2026 iteration features "a different, and less radical execution" compared to the original, which was discontinued in 2019. Reviewers describe the new hardware as "mostly as if the Steam Deck was turned," suggesting a design philosophy influenced by Valve's recent successful handheld. This release follows Valve's renewed interest in hardware development signaled after the Steam Deck's introduction.