The Steam Controller launched on May 4, sold out in roughly 30 minutes, and immediately started showing up on eBay at two to three times retail. Valve, meanwhile, is already thinking three steps ahead. The company has released official CAD files for the external shell of the Steam Controller and its wireless Puck, making them freely available under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
The package includes STP and STL files for both the controller and the Puck, along with engineering drawings that call out critical keep-out zones: antenna locations, LED positions, and other areas accessory makers should avoid covering or obstructing. The STP format is suited for precision CAD software, while the STL files are the standard for 3D printing. The accompanying stable Steam client update also adds full software support for the controller, so the hardware and software pieces landed at roughly the same time.
The CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license means you can share and remix the files as long as you credit Valve, distribute your creations under the same license, and do not sell them commercially. That last point is worth noting, because Valve quietly added an addendum to the license.txt file indicating that commercial use is negotiable: “If you are interested in creating a commercial product based on the Materials, please get in touch with Valve.” As PC Gamer notes, Valve has historically been relaxed about allowing commercial fan creations based on its IP, including merchandise sold through Shapeways as far back as 2017. So if you have a clever custom shell idea and a business case, it is at least worth asking.
This is not the first time Valve has opened up hardware files to the community. The Steam Deck saw similar treatment with CAD files and replacement part programs, and that approach helped kickstart a healthy third-party accessory ecosystem. The expectation here is the same: custom shells, grip modifications, adaptive designs for accessibility, docks, stands, and things nobody has thought of yet. Dbrand already has skins available and has teased a Companion Cube-themed shell based on these files.
Valve releasing these files days after launch, rather than months or years later, says something about the company’s intent. The Steam Deck modding scene was robust partly because Valve supported it. If the Steam Controller follows the same path, the accessory ecosystem should be lively well before the Steam Machine arrives to give the controller its ideal home. In the meantime: fire up your slicer, raid your filament drawer, and show us what you come up with.