In a blog post, a Steam representative announced that Steam Decks are on track to ship by the end of February, uncommon but comforting news in the era of supply chain issues, chip shortages, and shipping complications. Customers will be relieved since their orders were expected to arrive in December before being delayed until 2022.
“First and foremost, we’re on track to ship Steam Deck on time. Global pandemic, supply issues, and shipping issues notwithstanding, it looks like we’ll be able to start getting these out the door by the end of February.”
The Steam Deck is essentially a handheld PC that can also be docked and hooked up with a monitor. It has a custom processor, can run high-end Triple-A games, and holds the user’s Steam library. Customers can choose between three units, each with a different amount of RAM and selection of features. Navigate to the Steam page here to see more details or to confirm a delivery date.
The post also reaffirmed to customers that the Steam Deck verification process is still underway. The Steam Deck Verified program tests steam games for their “seamlessness, display and system report” when running on the handheld PC. Steam games should be categorized under “verified,” “playable,” “unsupported,” and “unknown” in regards to Steam Deck compatibility. Developers have also received dev kits to test their games with the verified process.
The Steam Deck was first announced in July of 2022 amidst rumors of a powerful upgrade to the Nintendo Switch. The rumor, as of now, never saw the light of day, but the Switch OLED was announced, significantly updating the Switch’s screen. Now the Steam Deck joins the Nintendo Switch as one of the few handheld gaming options out there.
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