Valve's Steam Deck Officially Released at the End of February

Valve wasn’t joking when they said a few weeks ago that their upcoming handheld Steam Deck would meet their current shipping targets. Today the company announced that the first batches of Steam Decks will go on sale to customers on February 25th and will ship shortly thereafter.

More specifically, Valve plans to send an email to lucky early booking holders starting February 25th. From there, the customer must respond within 72 hours and confirm the purchase. If all goes well, starting February 28th, shiny new Steam Decks will be delivered to your new home. For those of you who haven’t completed your purchase within 3 days, your Steam Deck can be redeemed for your next reservation. Valve has made it clear that the model you book is fixed as a model you have a chance to purchase. When you receive a confirmation email, there is no way to switch.

If you think you’re eligible for an upcoming device, keep checking your inbox. Valve said it plans to “release a batch of new order emails on a weekly basis.”

For those interested in how the Steam Deck handles it, the same announcement has been made, along with some information regarding coverage and reviews. According to Valve, a hardware review unit will be shipping to stores soon and there will be an embargo for a final verdict on February 25th. Given the 72-hour grace period for purchase confirmations, this gives potential buyers a chance to at least inform themselves. A little more before pulling the trigger when picking up the expected portable PC. Other preview information may be acceptable prior to the review ban, but no specifics as to when or what.

If you’ve reserved a Steam deck but don’t know where it is, check the Steam Decks page in the Steam client or website.