Steam Controller Orders Being Refunded As Stocks Run Out Completely

If you haven't heard the news yet, Valve has been clearing out its inventory of Steam Controllers by selling at its cheapest possible price (excluding shipping and taxes). But if you were still planning on getting one, perhaps for posterity's sake, you can forget getting it at that low price. Valve has run out of stocks of the controller that wasn't meant to be and since it won't be making any new ones, it is giving buyers their $5 back, hopefully, to put towards buying a proper game controller.

Valve silently put the Steam Controllers on sale for only $5, though the actual price you'll have to pay could be twice or thrice that amount thanks to other fees. Valve probably didn't want to publicize it too much knowing that this exact situation will happen but who can resist spreading the word about a piece of gaming history about to become, well, history?

So some of the orders were processed but will never be fulfilled because Valve will no longer make new ones just to meet the demand. That's why buyers may have surprised that they're getting a refund as well as an apology. Unfortunately, refunds are messy and some are complaining that their refunds are going to their Steam Wallets rather than the payment method they used.

The Steam Controller going out of stock pretty much marks the end of Valve's Steam Machines dream. Steam, of course, remains the biggest PC gaming store and platform even with Epic Games' attack. The idea of a dedicated PC gaming console, however, just didn't seem to fly, especially given the problematic execution that Valve and its partners performed.

This development will, of course, open up new avenues to make a quick three-digit buck. Steam Controllers will most likely pop up in stores and on eBay selling for thrice their original price. And, of course, this will also lead to some fraudulent activities so best keep on your toes.