At this point, it’s safe to say that Valve’s Steam Deck is the biggest thing to happen to PC gaming in 2022. And, despite being in incredible demand, the company has managed to step up production to meet it. Starting this week, users no longer need a pre-order and a waiting period to buy one of the portable PC gaming gadgets. All you have to do is just order it and it’ll ship out within a week or two. At the time of writing, all three models ($399, $529, and $649) are in stock.
Valve is also announcing that its long-delayed Steam Deck Docking Station, the USB-C connector that allows the Steam Deck to easily plug into a TV Nintendo Switch-style, is ready. The add-on is $89 and it allows you to easily plug in a 4K display with audio via HDMI or DisplayPort, wired internet with gigabit Ethernet, and three USB 3.1 accessories. The Docking Station is a pretty slick way to connect the Steam Deck to a display, but thanks to the generic USB-C connection, there are cheaper solutions on Amazon.
Valve’s runaway success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In addition to a boom in PC-based portable game machines like the AyaNeo, both Logitech and Razer have announced Android-based, high-end game machines in the same Nintendo Switch-style with a focus on streaming PC games via services like Xbox Game Pass and Geforce Now. And, naturally, somewhere deep in Valve’s R&D department, a second-gen Steam Deck is taking shape.
