The wait for future Steam Deck owners may have got up to three months shorter, but only if they’ve opted for the top-spec 512GB model.
Reservations for the new console opened up on July 16 for all three models of the Steam Deck (64GB, 256GB and 512GB), with the predicted release date fluctuating from early 2022 to the third-quarter of 2022.
- Find out how to reserve your Steam Deck
- Or check out Steam Deck vs. Switch OLED — Which should you buy?
- Plus: Valve's Steam Deck is getting one of the PS5's most exciting features
Initially, Valve estimated that all three versions of the Steam Deck would be ready for release in Q1 2022. But for the most expensive 512GB version, this was quickly pushed back to Q3 2022, an additional wait of up to six months. The other two options, 64GB and 256GB, were pushed to Q2 2022.
However, good news is on the horizon — if you head to the Steam Deck reservations page as of today (July 23), you’ll see that the expected availability for the 512GB model is now listed as Q2 2022, the same quarter as the other Steam Decks. This means the wait could be shorter by as much as three months.
So, why did the release date come forward again? Well, we can only speculate — it’s possible that the previous release date was a simple mistake, a miscalculation, or that Valve has changed its production schedule to accommodate the demand for the 512GB model. Plus, the release of the Steam Deck is battling against a global chip shortage, so it’s no surprise that the availability date keeps changing.
Whatever the reason, we’re not going to complain about the fact that the Steam Deck could arrive sooner than expected. People have been waiting for a good way to play PC games on the go for a long time, and the Steam Deck looks to be the first handheld device to properly enable that.
It basically serves as a handheld PC, with the ability to play all the games from your Steam library and run Windows, and it could even be a pseudo work device. Additionally, a dock can be purchased separately which would allow you to connect it to a TV or monitor. Compare it to the likes of the upcoming Nintendo Switch OLED and the Steam Deck looks like a much more flexible and intriguing machine,
Hopefully production of the Steam Deck stays on track and we get the chance to try the handheld PC out, so we can give you the lowdown on whether it’s the game-changing device Valve has suggested it could be.
For more Steam Deck information, check out our guide on the Steam Deck's UI, and how Proton will power the Steam Deck. Or get ready for its release with the best PC games in 2021.
- More: Check out the best gaming PCs in 2021
