A second OG Steam Controller prototype has turned up at Goodwill

Another rare Chell Steam Controller prototype has surfaced at a Goodwill thrift store — this time in Seattle, found by the father of a 14-year-old Valve fan. It's only the second time one of these has been spotted in the wild, with the first turning up at a Goodwill seven years ago.

The prototype, believed to date from around 2013 or 2014, has a recognizable inward-curved shape and two large trackpads, but it's missing the face buttons on the right side — those are relocated to the center of the controller instead. There are no thumbsticks either, and the Select and Start buttons sit at the bottom. The dad confirmed he bought it after recognizing his son's love of all things Valve, and also confirmed he now knows his son's Reddit handle. The controller reportedly functions as a generic controller, with the four center buttons acting as a D-pad. The price paid hasn't been disclosed, though the prototype found seven years ago went for $8 — three dollars more than the original Steam Controller sold for when it was discontinued.

The Chell prototype predates the Steam Controller that Valve officially launched in 2015, and shows just how much the design evolved before release. Valve recently launched a new 2026 Steam Controller, which keeps the dual-trackpad layout but adds two thumbsticks and a far more conventional ergonomic design — a long way from this buttonless oddity.

The teen owner described finding Valve hardware as "like finding ancient relics," which is either charming or a sign that the rest of us are simply very old. The community on the Steam Controller subreddit has taken the find well, with the dad's Reddit cameo earning as much attention as the controller itself.