The Steam Deck from Valve is coming soon. MeinMMO explains what you need to know about the release of the Steam Deck and what to consider for pre-orders.
Surprisingly, Valve officially introduced the Steam Deck in the summer of 2021. Unsurprisingly, there were immediate comparisons to a potential Nintendo Switch Pro, with clear differences between the Switch and Steam Deck.
You will find the following information in this article: We explain everything important you need to know about ordering and the release. We also explain whether the Steam Deck could be worth it for you. You can find the following info in our article:
- When is the Steam Deck actually coming out?
- What is the current state of reservations?
- Is it worth it for me to buy a reservation now?
- When can I actually order?
MeinMMO presents all the important details regarding the release and additionally explains for whom the Steam Deck from Valve could actually be worth it.
Release: When is the Steam Deck being released in Germany?
When is the Steam Deck release? Officially, you can order the Steam Deck starting February 25, 2022. Until now, you could only reserve the Steam Deck. Now you can pay the full price, order, and receive the device by mail. The reservation fee of 4 euros is, by the way, deducted from the order. According to Valve, no additional shipping costs are incurred.
Starting February 28, 2022, the first devices should then be shipped. By early March, the first users should have their devices in hand.
What else happened? Valve postponed the Steam Deck release to February 2022. Hence, the first devices will be available for shipping about 2 months later than planned. This applies at least for the first users who pre-ordered a Steam Deck (via steampowered.com).
In the meantime, Valve has commented on the release of the Steam Deck in February. Here, Valve explained that they would meet the deadline in February and then begin delivery.
However, it is still not clear when you will actually have your ordered Steam Deck in hand, as Valve did not specify when in February the first devices would be delivered.
Should we expect further delays? No, February 25 is the official release date of the Steam Deck. Orders will start here, and the first reviews are already online. The first reviews and impressions of the Steam Deck have been summarized for you by MeinMMO.
When you receive your Steam Deck depends on your reservation
Since when can you pre-order? Pre-orders have been possible since Friday, July 16, 2021, against 7 PM. You must pay a reservation fee of 4 euros and can only pre-order one console. According to Steam, this is to ensure fairness. However, this does not prevent greedy scalpers from selling their reservations for the Steam Deck for a lot of money on eBay.
If you want to reserve a Steam Deck now, you will have to wait until about June 2022 before you can order the console. When it will be delivered is still unknown. Valve states on its own website that orders will be possible “after the second quarter of 2022.” Despite the delay, the delivery time is still in the second quarter of 2022 (as of November 12, 2021).
Where can you pre-order the device? You can pre-order the Steam Deck directly from the Steam Store.
What you should keep in mind:
- The ordering date for the base model has recently been postponed to the first quarter of 2022.
- In the meantime, the ordering date is again in the second quarter of 2022.
- The current shortage of resources for electronic devices is likely to further delay the delivery of the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck is intended as a supplement to the gaming PC
What does the Steam Deck offer? The Steam Deck is a handheld console from Valve and is roughly the size of the Nintendo Switch. However, the device is not limited to using Steam games. You can also install other operating systems or software on the device and use it in a completely different way.
How much performance does the Steam Deck offer? Valve has already explained that you can play pretty much any game on the Steam Deck. Meanwhile, there are also first unofficial benchmarks for the Steam Deck that show how much performance the console could provide. In theory, the Steam Deck has 1.6 TFLOPS and should deliver roughly as much computational power as the PS4.
What can you do with Steam Deck? You can also install Windows on the console, for example. This way, you can play your favorite games from GOG or Battle.net on the console or try out various launchers. In this respect, the Steam Deck is more like a mini-PC than a console like the PS5, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch. In theory, you can also use the device for multimedia or office tasks instead of just for gaming.
Everything else you should know about the Steam Deck can be found on our overview page here on MeinMMO:
Steam Deck – For whom is Valve’s Steam Deck worth it?
In conclusion, we want to explain for whom the Steam Deck could actually be worthwhile and for whom Valve’s handheld console is rather less recommendable. If Valve releases further information about the Steam Deck, we will update our list:
For whom is the Steam Deck worth it?
- You are looking for a small, powerful device that allows you to game on the go.
- You don’t need a large display for gaming.
- You want to play small or indie titles while on the move.
- You want to try out new hardware right at its release.
- You like Valve’s open-source approach in the gaming sector with SteamOS.
For whom is the Steam Deck not worth it?
- You do not want to rely solely on Steam OS or cannot/will not install Windows.
- You want to play all games in Full HD with maximum settings.
- You fundamentally prefer mouse and keyboard for gaming.
- You are looking for a device that you can use for both multimedia and office applications.
What would be an alternative for mobile gaming? A portable alternative for gaming would be a gaming laptop if you want to use the device not only for gaming but also for general tasks. You can read all the tips and tricks you should consider before buying a laptop in our overview:
