Yesterday, Valve announced plans to release the Steam Deck. It's a handheld PC device intended to offer a way for Steam users to play their games on the go. Today, Valve launched early reservations for the Steam Deck's launch, allowing those interested in making a purchase to put down $5 to secure a device as they become available. It may come as a surprise to some, and not to others, but the Steam Deck has already sold through its reservations for the platform's 2021 availability.
All three Steam Deck SKUs are currently available for reservation, though they may not all have the same expected availability for final ordering. As of this moment, the $399 Steam Deck expects orders to be available in Q1 2022. The $529 Steam Deck has already sold out through Q1 for an expected Q2 2022 release. Lastly, the $649 Steam Deck has sold out through both Q1 and Q2 and is expected in Q3 2022. That means all expected 2021 launch stock (and quite a bit more) of the Steam Deck, for all three SKUs, is reserved.
Valve is taking an interesting approach to launching a new piece of hardware. Rather than assuming it'll have a certain amount of stock, allowing pre-orders to claim that stock, and then not allowing anymore pre-orders, Valve is making a queue. Early reservations will be able to acquire a Steam Deck when it launches, but later reservations will have to wait for additional stock to come in. But even if a person makes their reservation late, they'll still know approximately when they'll get a Steam Deck.
There's always a chance that those reserving a Steam Deck will get their handheld PC earlier than usual, of course. Not everyone making a reservation will necessarily follow through and purchase a Steam Deck. It's very likely Valve is also being conservative with these predictions to avoid overpromising. That way reservations can arrive early but not late.
Suffice to say, the Steam Deck is a very popular device. It's astonishing to see a piece of hardware go from being announced on a Thursday to selling out into the next year and beyond on a Friday. Valve has a hit on its hands.
It just goes to show that Valve is tapping into a market that's been left unrealized. PC gamers are clearly excited about the potential of the Steam Deck and playing Steam games on the go. That doesn't mean that any other company other than Valve could have put a device like the Steam Deck together, though. The combination of hardware, access to games, and likely support from developers is unlikely to have come from anywhere else.
The Steam Deck begins shipping in December 2021.