A day before release, Valve, shares the good news that the highly anticipated device will indeed start to roll out to customers from tomorrow. However, those with an eye on using the new PC gaming portable docked to the TV in a convenient manner, à la the Nintendo Switch, still have some serious waiting to do. Valve says the custom Steam Deck Dock won't be available until "late spring." Spring officially ends on June 21, but hopefully Valve won't leave it until the last day.
In the latest blog post from Valve, with regard to the dock, it says "we're excited to talk more about it soon," and we await further official details, beyond the specs outline provided by the Steam Deck store page.
(Image credit: Valve)
In the above diagram you can see a blueprint style illustration of the Steam Deck Dock. "The official dock props up your Steam Deck while connecting to external displays, wired networking, USB peripherals, and power," notes Valve. It honestly admits that you can use any other powered USB-C hub you might have available, if you like. However, not all hubs are made equal.
A further point of the official dock is that it provides a handy stand. Perhaps due to some design oversight, the dock is never going to be as convenient as the one that works with the Switch, for example, as the Steam Deck doesn't have the necessary USB-C connector on its base - it is on its top edge. The only port on its bottom edge is a microSD card slot. Perhaps we will get extra ports and handier docking with the Steam Deck v2.
In its defense, the Steam Deck goes one better than the Switch in that it doesn't hold back its performance mode for when it is docked, or plugged into power. "Steam Deck runs at full performance in portable mode," Valve has previously asserted.
We have provided extensive coverage of the upcoming Steam Deck hardware, as well as the software development and innovations which Valve hopes will ensure its success. While we have had hands-on time with the Steam Deck, and seen tear downs of the Deck, including SoC chip shots, we don't have full and final official information about the dock, particularly anything showing the finished design.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
Knowing Valve, they might never actually release the dock. I suppose it depends on how many sales of the deck there are. Then again, by the day of the dock's release, most people will have purchased a standard USB C multi-dongle adapter. For less. Probably.
The author mentions that the usb connector being on the top is a design "oversight" but its not. Its a "fix" compared to the switch. Ever tried to play the switch in portable mode while it's charging? It sucks. With the cables all coming out of the top its a much slicker design. For a dock you could just slide it onto the dock upside down. Its not like your going to need the display at that point.
Id much much prefer the switch dock upside down and be able to charge while playing without getting jabbed in the gut by the cable.
