Does the Steam Machine Work With Xbox, PlayStation and Switch 2 Controllers?
Which controllers work with Valve's Steam Machine: Xbox, DualSense, Switch Pro, Switch 2 and 8BitDo, Bluetooth or USB, and what Valve hasn't confirmed.
Valve built the Steam Machine around its own Steam Controller, but the cheapest way to buy one leaves the controller out of the box. So most buyers want to know whether the pad already on the sofa will do. Mostly, yes: the Steam Machine runs SteamOS and the same Steam Input system that handles Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo controllers on Steam Deck and PC. Here's what Valve's own pages and update notes confirm, controller by controller, and where they say nothing.
Does the Steam Machine come with a controller?
Not the base models. Valve sells the 512GB Steam Machine at $1,049 (£879, €1,039) and the 2TB model at $1,349 (£1,149, €1,359). Each also comes in a bundle with a Steam Controller, at $1,128 and $1,428, so the controller adds $79 in the US. European prices are in our Steam Machine Europe guide.
How do controllers connect to the Steam Machine?
Valve's tech specs list three ways:
- Bluetooth 5.3, with a dedicated antenna.
- USB: two USB-A 3.2 ports on the front, two USB-A 2.0 ports and one USB-C 3.2 port on the back.
- A built-in 2.4GHz wireless adapter, which Valve says is "just for pairing with Steam Controller". It takes up to four Steam Controllers without their puck and lets you wake the machine from the sofa.
That adapter isn't a general receiver, so everything else connects over Bluetooth or a cable.
Does the Steam Machine work with Xbox controllers?
Yes. Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers are on Valve's list of devices Steam Input supports, and Steam's SteamOS update notes deal with Xbox pads regularly, most recently a fix for Xbox Elite paddle button prompts on 13 October.
Over Bluetooth there's one catch. Valve's notes, written for Steam Deck (which runs the same SteamOS), say Xbox controllers with older firmware can't connect properly, and Steam's Bluetooth screen now warns you when that happens. The fix is to update the controller on a Windows PC with the Xbox Accessories app.
Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Adapter, the USB dongle, isn't documented by Valve for Steam Machine or SteamOS, so don't count on it.
Does the Steam Machine work with PS5 and PS4 controllers?
Yes. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 controllers are on Valve's Steam Input list, and the PS5's DualSense runs through years of SteamOS update notes, with fixes for its rumble, gyro and Bluetooth connection. Steam's Big Picture library even has DualShock and DualSense tabs that show games supporting the controller you have connected. The DualSense Edge is supported too.
Does the Steam Machine work with Switch 2 controllers?
Over USB, yes. Steam's January 2026 update re-enabled "Nintendo Switch 2 wired controller support" after Valve briefly switched it off in December 2025 over crashes, and a July 2026 update added Turtle Beach's Switch 2 controllers. Valve hasn't mentioned Bluetooth support for Switch 2 controllers or singled out the Joy-Con 2, so plan on a USB-C cable for the Switch 2 Pro Controller.
Original Switch pads are better covered. The Switch Pro Controller is on Valve's list, and SteamOS 3.8.28 (25 September) fixed Bluetooth instability with it. Joy-Con work too, including as a pair with both gyros.
What about 8BitDo and other controllers?
Steam Input supports "any DirectInput gamepad", Valve says, and its notes have added specific 8BitDo models over the past two years, including the Ultimate 2C Wireless, the Micro and the 64 Bluetooth controller, plus paddle remapping on the Ultimate 2 Wireless over Bluetooth. For games without native support, Steam Input translates your pad into the Xbox-style input most games expect.
How many controllers can you use at once?
Up to four Steam Controllers on the built-in adapter, according to Valve. For Bluetooth and USB controllers, Valve gives no limit for Steam Machine: it isn't documented.
Do you need the Steam Controller?
Not to play. An Xbox or PlayStation pad covers most games. The Steam Controller adds trackpads, gyro and four back buttons, which Valve pitches for playing mouse-and-keyboard games from the sofa, and it's the only controller Valve says can wake the Steam Machine from sleep.
