Valve delays Steam Deck to next year, cites component shortages

By Emily Morrow November 10, 2021

Valve’s Steam Deck has been delayed until February 2022, according to an email sent to people who placed a reservation on the handheld device. In the email, Valve apologizes for the delay and cites the global supply chain issues and material shortages that have been plaguing both consoles and GPUs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Due to material shortages, components aren’t reaching our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial launch dates,” states the email sent to those with a reservation. The email did not provide information for those who want to purchase a Steam Deck but don’t want to place a reservation. The current backups in the global supply chain and issues with part sourcing and manufacturing will likely also push back the date of widespread availability for the handheld.

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The issue affects all Steam Deck models, which were previously expected to begin shipping in December.

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Valve notes that February 2022 is still an estimate, but it appears to be putting its faith in the new street date regardless. Those who reserved a Steam Deck will keep their place in the purchase queue, but the dates “will shift back accordingly” to start in February rather than in 2022.

Valve originally announced the Steam Deck in July. While the handheld’s form factor and design drew comparisons to the Nintendo Switch, Valve intends for the Steam Deck to be more like a portable PC. Players will have access to their entire Steam library of games on the go and will be able to play games with the Steam Deck’s built-in controller, as well as hook up the handheld to a TV or monitor to game on a bigger screen.

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Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…

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