The Steam Deck is one of the newest pieces of hardware in the games industry. Much like the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, it’s been hard to find. All three systems launched during a tumultuous time in the industry, where supply chain issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect operations. Production is on the upswing for some things, though. Valve’s recent announcement regarding Steam Deck production suggests improved availability later this year.
With more Steam Decks arriving out of the factories, Valve intends to offer a more consistent flow of supply to match the demand for the new system. Valve’s initial strategy with the Deck’s rollout has been to stagger shipments. By releasing new units in batches, early adopters have essentially been receiving it on a first-come-first-serve basis. As production increases, purchasing the system should soon become a whole lot easier.
More hands on Deck
The Steam Deck has become a “little darling” of sorts in the PC space, thanks to its customizability both in terms of how the hardware can be used and the modification of its software.
Big companies in the industry have also fully embraced the system. Microsoft developed a somewhat crude way of running the Xbox Cloud Gaming service on the device. Windows is also available to load up onto the Steam Deck, but proper support for the OS still has a ways to go.
Hello! Some great news on the production front. We just sent the last batch of Q2 emails, and we’ll start sending Q3 reservation emails on the 30th.
Production has picked up, and after today we’ll be shipping more than double the number of Steam Decks every week! pic.twitter.com/kAHE0zRrV7— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) June 27, 2022
On that note, should you still not be able to track down a Deck of your own within the next few months, that may very well work in your favor. Valve released a steady stream of updates for the system, improving issues both large and small. While this is true for most new hardware these days, the Deck has had some rather notable growing pains, which early reviews didn’t hold back from pointing out.
The Steam Deck should be much more consumer-friendly in the near future, making it ready for primetime as availability continues to improve.
