While Valve's upcoming living room-friendly gaming PC, the Steam Machine, has been delayed due to memory shortages, its new premium $99 Steam Controller PC gaming accessory thankfully came out on schedule on May 4. Sadly, though, the manufacturer clearly didn't have enough supply to meet the ravenous demand for the controller, as it sold out mere hours after launch.

This has frustrated countless PC gamers who were hoping to get their hands on Valve's advanced gamepad, especially since scalpers — individuals who buy new products in bulk and then resell them for significantly higher prices — have begun to list Steam Controllers for upwards of $399 on sites like eBay. People are angry, to put things lightly. And they're right to be.

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While the new Steam Controller hasn't been without controversy — many feel that its high $99 price tag is too expensive, and its lack of compatibility with Xbox and PS5 consoles means that it's strictly relegated to Steam and PC gaming — the gamepad has nevertheless attracted the attention and demand of many users due to its advanced set of features.

In addition to having a standard layout of buttons you'd expect from a modern gaming controller, the Steam Controller also sports back buttons you can grip to enable gyro aiming, as well as trackpads that simulate mouse movement — similar to what you'll find on a Steam Deck.

Beyond that, the magnetic thumbsticks are incredibly high quality and support capacitive touch for motion control compatibility, while the gamepad's internal motors deliver immersive haptic feedback for those who enjoy the feel of controller rumble.

Indeed, there are plenty of reasons why a PC gamer might want a Steam Controller over more "standard" options like a regular Xbox gamepad, which makes the fact it instantly went out of stock all the more frustrated for interested customers. Hopefully Valve is able to get fresh waves of controllers on the market soon; if the company shares any further updates on the matter, we'll be covering it right here at Windows Central.

Are you interested in buying a Steam Controller, but haven't been able to due to how quickly it sold out? What about the gamepad makes it desirable enough for you to choose it over something more affordable, like an Xbox controller? I'm curious to hear from you, so please share your thoughts with me in the comments as well as in our poll.

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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).