After months of wondering just when the Steam Deck was finally going to be released, there's now an official launch date. Valve announced on Wednesday morning that the first batch of Steam Deck game systems would be launching on February 25 and that more will get released in waves after that.
When the Steam Deck was first offered up for reservation, Valve was only willing to give a window as to when people who were first in line could expect to see their orders ship. Then, in November Valve announced that shipments were going to be pushed back by a couple of months. While the company also issued assurances that the delay was the only one that would hit, some wondered if another was coming down the pike thanks to the resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic. It turns out those worries were apparently misplaced.
Announcing the February 25 launch date, Valve also laid out how exactly it planned to get the various kinds of Steam Deck into the hands of those who were quick on the draw when reservations went live. The company said it will start sending invites to actually order and pay for the device a little after 10 AM PST. Customers will then have three days to confirm they still want their Steam Deck and pay the remaining price. For those who act quickly, Valve said units will start shipping on February 28.
Those who have been told they're in the first batch of reservations who don't receive their email on February 25 apparently shouldn't fret too much. Valve said it's going to be sending out batches of emails on a "weekly cadence."
There are a few caveats when these emails start coming in to customers. The biggest one is that a user can only purchase the model of Steam Deck they reserved. There's no changing one's mind and either buying a bigger or smaller version after the fact. The company also stayed true to its word when the device was first announced, reiterating that the reservation amount already paid will be applied to the final purchase price.
While there have been questions about whether or not the Steam Deck is worth its cost since it was first announced, there has been news trickling out over the last few weeks that should be seen as good signs for anyone planning on laying out the cash for the $349, $529 or $649 price tags.
Steam Deck is set to officially launch on February 25.
Source: Steam