Valve Restarts Steam Controller Orders with Reservation System
Valve is reopening orders for the Steam Controller on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m. PST, implementing a new reservation queue system to manage high demand and prevent technical errors experienced during the initial launch. This approach aims to ensure fair access by limiting purchases to one controller per customer and barring users who already secured a unit. To deter scalpers and bots, Valve restricts reservations to Steam accounts that made prior purchases before April 27, effectively excluding newly created accounts. Once a reservation is made, customers will receive an order email when stock becomes available, granting them 72 hours to confirm the purchase. Fulfillment will begin next week for customers in the US and Canada, with the UK, EU, and Australia following in subsequent weeks. The company expressed surprise at the overwhelming demand, which led to rapid sell-outs and inflated resale prices on secondary markets like eBay. This strategy mirrors the successful reservation system used for the Steam Deck launch in 2021. Despite these measures, analysts warn that potential site traffic spikes could still cause technical issues, advising consumers to prepare for possible delays or errors during the reservation process.
Wire timeline
Valve Restarts Steam Controller Orders with Reservation System
Valve is reopening orders for the Steam Controller on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m. PST, implementing a new reservation queue system to manage high demand and prevent technical errors experienced during the initial launch. This approach aims to ensure fair access by limiting purchases to one controller per customer and barring users who already secured a unit. To deter scalpers and bots, Valve restricts reservations to Steam accounts that made prior purchases before April 27, effectively excluding newly created accounts. Once a reservation is made, customers will receive an order email when stock becomes available, granting them 72 hours to confirm the purchase. Fulfillment will begin next week for customers in the US and Canada, with the UK, EU, and Australia following in subsequent weeks. The company expressed surprise at the overwhelming demand, which led to rapid sell-outs and inflated resale prices on secondary markets like eBay. This strategy mirrors the successful reservation system used for the Steam Deck launch in 2021. Despite these measures, analysts warn that potential site traffic spikes could still cause technical issues, advising consumers to prepare for possible delays or errors during the reservation process.
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