Valve says it can sell the Steam Controller while the Steam Machine is in AI limbo because "this doesn't have RAM in it"

Steam Machine with beige backdrop and sad face on front made from closed bracket and colon.

Valve will launch the new Steam Controller on May 4 for $99.00, and hardware engineer Steve Cardinali says the gamepad is coming before its console-like partner, the Steam Machine, because it doesn't have to contend with the ongoing RAM crisis or similar production hurdles.

Speaking with Polygon, Cardinali notes that the Steam Controller "doesn't have RAM in it, and it's not as complicated to start getting out the door for us." Steam Machine, meanwhile, had to go back to the drawing board earlier this year as Valve works to navigate a challenging environment for manufacturing components.