Valve delayed the Nintendo Switch-like Steam Deck in November, saying the system would start shipping in February 2022. February is almost here and Valve has confirmed that that is still indeed the plan by announcing a more specific date. The Steam Deck will begin heading out on February 25, but only for a select few.
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Valve relayed the date on Steam and said that those who reserved a system in the first batch will get an email on February 25 at 10 a.m. PT. Those lucky few will get 72 hours to confirm their reservation and failing to do so will forfeit their spot in line. Potential buyers can also only order the model they reserved and the reservation deposit will be applied to the final price of the system. Given the three-day buffer, units will start actually shipping out on February 28. Valve said it plans to have new order email batches every week. The press embargo will also lift on February 25, meaning users can also wait for reviews before confirming their order.
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Of course, this date is not for everyone. Many have had their shipping dates moved to various quarters around the year and will likely not be getting their system until then. Those who reserved one can check their order status on Steam.
Valve has also been building up to its release by putting out or retweeting footage of various games running on the handheld through the Deck’s Twitter account. Recent examples include Maneater, Valheim, and Night in the Woods. Half-Life 2 even saw an update that made it more friendly for the Deck. Head of Indies Initiative at Sony Interactive Entertainment Shuhei Yoshida also got in the on the action and posted a picture of a Steam Deck playing the newly released and Sony-published PC version of God of War.
