Valve continues to work on its Steam Deck handheld and has announced that in addition to various updates, many people will now be able to actually get one. Interested Steam Deck buyers can now order the Steam Deck without a reservation. According to Valve, they sought to clarify supply chain and manufacturing issues that forced them to implement a queuing system to manage orders. Players no longer have to pre-order just to order a unit in countries where the Steam Deck is available. Buyers with existing reservations will also be given priority. However, reservations are still required in places where the Deck is being received for the first time, such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Valve also revealed a custom Steam Deck Dock. Officially known as the Docking Station, the dock allows the Steam Deck to be plugged into a power source. It will also be able to use the video output to plug into a monitor or TV and the ethernet port for wired online access.
Check out Valve’s official Docking Station in the launch trailer below.
The dock houses three USB-A 3.1 ports, one USB-C port for power, one Displayport video output, one HDMI video output, and one ethernet port. It also supports up to 4k screens and Freesync. The Docking Station includes a power supply identical to the Deck, allowing users to use it to charge devices or use it as a mini desktop console. It is also designed to support the Deck so that the user can see the screen. However, the Docking Station is not necessary. Instead, users can choose to use most third-party USB hubs or hubs. Pre-orders for Docking Station are open at this link. The pier costs $89 USD.
Other updates to the Steam Deck operating system include additional language support, customizable options for working with dock, and improvements to offline stability. The “virtual menu” expands the range of inputs available for more complex games, and the “mode switch” allows players to re-edit controls while holding down a button.
Check out the brief trailer highlighting Valve-related Deck news below.
Steam Decks available to order from Valve’s Official website. Prices range from $399 USD to $649 USD, determined by storage size and speed.
