Valve wasn’t joking a few weeks ago when it said that its upcoming handheld Steam Deck was going to hit current shipping targets. Today, the company announced the first batch of Steam Decks will start to be sold to customers on February 25 and sent out shortly after.
More specifically, Valve plans to send out emails to those lucky early reservation holders starting on February 25. From there, customers will have 72 hours to respond and confirm the purchase. If that process proceeds smoothly, a shiny new Steam Deck will be delivered to its new home starting on February 28. Steam Decks held for those who fail to complete the purchase within that three-day period will be available for the next reservation in line. Valve did make it clear that the model that you reserved is locked in as the one you’ll have the opportunity to buy. There won’t be a way to switch when the confirmation email comes through.
Make sure to keep an eye on your inbox if you think you’ll be eligible to buy the device close to launch. Valve says it plans “to release new order email batches on a weekly cadence.”
For those interested in how the Steam Deck handles, the same announcement came with some information regarding coverage and reviews. According to Valve, hardware review units will be sent to outlets shortly, and the embargo for final verdicts will also be on February 25. Considering the 72-hour grace period on confirming a purchase, this at least gives potential buyers the chance to inform themselves a little more before pulling the trigger on picking up the anticipated handheld PC. Other preview information may be allowed before the review embargo, but there are no specifics as to what or when.
If you have the Steam Deck reserved, but don’t know where you are in line, check out the Steam Deck page in the Steam client or website.
Are you buying a Steam Deck? Which games are you looking to play on it if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one? Let us know in the comments!
