All Hands on (Steam) Deck
While some lucky pre-order customers are already getting to grips with the powerful handheld hardware known as the Steam Deck, many are still left twiddling their thumbs and eagerly eyeing up the mailbox. Hopefully, this wait will not be too much longer, as developer/manufacturer Valve spoke of its hopes to speed up the pre-order rollout process as we enter the second quarter of the Steam Deck launch period.
“Starting today we’re ramping up Steam Deck shipments, and will be sending more order availability emails every week. Sometimes even twice a week!” wrote Valve on its official Twitter. “We’ve just sent out the first set of order emails to Q2 reservers (in order of reservation time).”
While the comments feature many surly complaints from reservists still awaiting the delivery of the expensive kit, the leisurely paced rollout is an unfortunate inevitability in these heady days of tech shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic, (which is still ongoing despite what your red-faced neighbor insists), has led to slowed production and a lack of components for many sought-after products, including PS5 consoles, graphics cards, and other PC components. The Steam Deck is yet another victim of these manufacturing woes.
Valve also notes that it has updated its Steam Deck product page, with an aim to offer further clarity on its distribution plans. Many pre-order customers have, to date, merely received “Quarters” as their delivery window. Logging in to the new site hopes to provide more up-to-date info on the timeframe each respective customer can expect their Steam Deck to arrive. If you have ordered the pricey tech and are still waiting to receive your unit, maybe visit the site and see your latest update for your personal delivery time.
