A valve device - comprising a valve housing and - comprising a valve piston which is arranged to be able to move axially in a piston bore of the valve housing and via which a first load connection and a second load connection can be alternately connected to a pressure connection and to a tank connection (T1, T2) by the action of a first electromagnet and a second electromagnet, - the valve piston being able to be moved out of a centred, middle rest position for connecting the first load connection to the pressure connection and the second load connection to the tank connection (T1, T2) in a first direction and for the reversed fluid-conducting connection of the connections (A, B, P, T1, T2) can be moved in an opposite direction, - a pilot control unit being provided which has a first pilot chamber which pressurises a first piston rear side of the valve piston and which has a second pilot chamber which pressurises a second piston rear side of the valve piston, - the first and the second pilot chamber (8, 10) with one fluid-conducting connection (12, 13) each being able to be connected to the pressure connection, - a first pilot piston and a second pilot piston being provided which respectively clear or block a fluid-conducting connection (16, 17) between the pilot chambers (8, 10) and the tank connection (T1, T2), - the pilot control unit being made in the manner of a spool valve, and - at least one pilot piston (14, 15) having a ring channel on its outer peripheral surface which controls a fluid-conducting connection (16, 17) between the respective pilot chamber (8, 10) and the respectively assigned tank connection (T1, T2), - characterised in that a compression spring is disposed between the valve piston and each pilot piston (14, 15), and the piston stroke of the valve piston with the pilot control unit open is proportional to the magnet current of the controlling electromagnet (5, 6). - comprising a valve housing and - comprising a valve piston which is arranged to be able to move axially in a piston bore of the valve housing and via which a first load connection and a second load connection can be alternately connected to a pressure connection and to a tank connection (T1, T2) by the action of a first electromagnet and a second electromagnet, - the valve piston being able to be moved out of a centred, middle rest position for connecting the first load connection to the pressure connection and the second load connection to the tank connection (T1, T2) in a first direction and for the reversed fluid-conducting connection of the connections (A, B, P, T1, T2) can be moved in an opposite direction, - a pilot control unit being provided which has a first pilot chamber which pressurises a first piston rear side of the valve piston and which has a second pilot chamber which pressurises a second piston rear side of the valve piston, - the first and the second pilot chamber (8, 10) with one fluid-conducting connection (12, 13) each being able to be connected to the pressure connection, - a first pilot piston and a second pilot piston being provided which respectively clear or block a fluid-conducting connection (16, 17) between the pilot chambers (8, 10) and the tank connection (T1, T2), - the pilot control unit being made in the manner of a spool valve, and - at least one pilot piston (14, 15) having a ring channel on its outer peripheral surface which controls a fluid-conducting connection (16, 17) between the respective pilot chamber (8, 10) and the respectively assigned tank connection (T1, T2), - characterised in that a compression spring is disposed between the valve piston and each pilot piston (14, 15), and the piston stroke of the valve piston with the pilot control unit open is proportional to the magnet current of the controlling electromagnet (5, 6).