All Steam Decks Now Expected to Be Available 'After Q2 2022'

Steam Deck Hardware Analysis
(Image credit: Valve)

Steam Deck customers will have to wait a while for their units to arrive. PCGamer today reported that Valve updated the handheld gaming device's reservation page to say that even the entry-level model's availability has slipped to "after Q2 2022."

All three Steam Deck models—the base model with 64GB of eMMC storage, the mid-level option with a 256GB NVMe SSD, and the high-end model with a 512GB NVMe SSD—were scheduled to ship in December when reservations opened on July 16.

Valve's estimated availability window for the two higher-end models quickly slipped to 2022, however, and then to the second quarter of 2022. Now the reservation page on the Steam Deck site says all three models will be available sometime after that.

Valve Steam Deck availability window slips

(Image credit: Valve)

PCGamer noted that Valve previously said in what quarter it expected each Steam Deck model to be available. Now the company's being more vague. "After Q2 2022" could mean anytime from the third quarter to, well, the heat death of the universe.

That ambiguity is justifiable. It's hard to predict when hardware products will debut even when there isn't a global chip shortage, the looming possibility of another COVID-19 surge, and other unusual challenges. Valve's simply being cautious.

It seems like existing Steam Deck reservations will still become available in their allotted time frame, which should be good news for early adopters. And scalpers,  who were asking for as much as $5,000 before they were kicked off eBay. That ban was temporary, though, so listings will pop back up as the device's launch nears.

Nathaniel Mott
Freelance News & Features Writer

Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.

  • AtrociKitty
    Or, you could buy a GPD Win 3 or a GPD Win Max right now, today.
    Reply
  • hotaru.hino
    AtrociKitty said:
    Or, you could buy a GPD Win 3 or a GPD Win Max right now, today.
    Which has a street price of around $1000+.

    I might be interested in a handheld PC, but I'm not that interested.
    Reply
  • Bazzy 505
    So they launched preorder to see if it would sell well, seeing the numbers, started talking to their OEM partners about commiting to specific production runs, and received the usual 6-9 months lead-in time estimate. Add a few weeks on top for container shipping and it's about ready in time for easter steam sale .
    Call me a cynic, but kinda saw that one comming from mile away :LOL:
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    All three Steam Deck models—the base model with 64GB of eMMC storage, the mid-level option with a 256GB NVMe SSD, and the high-end model with a 512GB NVMe SSD...
    "Base, mid-level and high-end" might not be the best way to put it, seeing as the only real difference between the various models comes down to storage, along with some anti-glare glass on the priciest option. As far as in-game performance goes, they should all be identical. And they all support storage expansion via MicroSD at a fraction of the cost. For $85, one can get a relatively fast 512GB MicroSD (or as little as $70 for a slower one), and while it's probably not going to load games as fast as an NVMe SSD, the 512GB model costs around 35% more than the 64GB model plus a 512GB MicroSD, and even the 256GB version costs around 10% more for less than half the total storage. It also sounds like it might potentially be possible to install a compact NVMe drive in the 64GB version, though it remains to be seen how practical that might be.

    If these are still around a year away from release, that seems like a rather long wait though. How many of those interested in getting one now are going to still be interested a year from now?
    Reply