After a couple of quiet years, the handheld games console market has sprung into life in 2021.
First up was One XPlayer, a brand-new premium device that launched via a crowdfunding campaign in May. If its US$1,159 RRP put a lot of people off, the new Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will be available for around a third of that. It’s not the Pro model many were hoping for, but the upgraded display comes with only a modest price increase.
Valve has dabbled in hardware in the past, but the new Steam Deck is arguably its most exciting announcement yet. Despite having a relatively similar footprint and display to the Switch, the Steam Deck uses a custom Zen-2 AMD chip and runs on the Linux-based Steam OS 3.0 instead.
If you’re interested in picking one up as soon as they’re officially available, you’ve come to the right place. The process is slightly complicated, but should be worth it in the end.
When does the Steam Deck come out?
Valve officially announced the Steam Deck on 15 July. Reservations open on 16 July, ahead of expected availability in December 2021. More on that below.
How much will the Steam Deck cost?
During the announcement of the Steam Deck, Valve also revealed full pricing. Its starting price is relatively competitive with the Switch OLED, but these climb quickly if you’re looking for more storage. Here’s the full breakdown:
- 64GB SSD- £349/US$399
- 256GB SSD – £459/US$529
- 512GB SSD – £569/US$649
Considering the size of some game files, those smaller capacities might be filled up quickly. Despite the option for microSD expandability, serious gamers will probably need to pay for the top-spec model.
How to pre-order the Steam Deck
The Steam Deck is expected to be widely available in early 2022. However, if you want to get your hands on one at launch this December, you’ll need to act fast.
Valve’s pre-orders take the form of an online reservation process via the . This begins at 10am PDT on 16 July, which translates to 1pm ET, 6pm BST or 7pm CET.
Units will be available on a first come, first served basis, with customers entered into an online queue after submitting the initial reservation. Once stock becomes available, Valve will then send an email to each user, prompted them to complete their purchase.
To help protect against scalpers, Valve is limiting supply of the Steam Deck to one per user. For the first 48 hours after reservations go live, all accounts must be “in good standing”, with at least one purchase prior to June 2021.
Making a reservation also won’t be entirely cost-free. You’ll need to pay a US$5 (UK price TBC) deposit, although this is fully refundable once you complete your purchase.
In summary: Make sure you from 16 July.