The day is finally here. Valve has removed the reservation queue for the Steam Deck, so you can buy it right now. Additionally, the Steam Deck Docking Station is also now available.
We've been seeing reports a lot recently about people being able to reserve a Steam Deck, and get an email within a week or even a few days. So the end of the reservation queue was very much expected. This is great news though, as hopefully people who were sitting on the fence will now just jump right in and order. Some might perhaps jump back to a queue, if they do get overwhelmed by orders though.
Along with the news, Valve revamped the Steam Deck website as well, with a little celebration video of a Steam Deck with fireworks along with the prominent note on the Docking Station too.
As a reminder, the Steam Deck comes in three editions: 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. The two bigger storage models have faster SSDs, and the top-end model has an anti-glare etched glass screen.
Direct Link
Note: the original copy of the above video, featured the Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu in an apparent woops by Valve. They re-uploaded to remove it.
Since it's now much more readily available. Do you think there will be another surge in purchases? It's quite likely — I think there will be. We also had news recently from a KDE developer, that Valve had crossed the one million mark in Steam Deck shipments. So things are going very well for Valve's latest hardware entry.
For the Docking Station, it also has a brand new flashy looking official page, which mentions:
Steam Deck™ Docking Station is designed to add extensibility to your gaming setup. Whether connecting your Steam Deck to your living room TV, setting up on your work desk, or charging on your night stand, the Dock is perfect for extending the places and ways you can use your Steam Deck.
Not too big or too small, Docking Station is exactly the right size and shape to hold Steam Deck securely. From the right angle USB-C connector at exactly the right length, to the molded rubber seat to ensure there’s no scratching, the Dock was made for Steam Deck.
Priced at £79 / $89 / €99, it's perhaps a little steep when compared with a number of readily available high-quality third-party docks on the market, however you can't really beat the first-party support we've come to see from Valve. Here's the main Steam Deck Docking Station Specifications: 3 x USB-A 3.1 Gen1 Ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, USB-C Power Delivery passthrough input (power supply included) and a 6" USB-C captive cable with low profile 90° connector to connect to the Deck.
Valve also posted a Tweet to clarify some details in it:
- MST (multi-stream transport), enabling multi-monitor support.
- DisplayPort 1.4 + HDMI, supports up to 1440p 120 hz, or 4k 60 hz.
- FreeSync support • Easy firmware updates via Steam Deck.
- 45W Type C power supply.
Image Credit - Valve
Their Docking Station will get upgrades too, and they said it might need a firmware update out of the box but updates will happen as easily as plugging your Deck in and following the instructions. When it comes to compatibility, Valve do include a note in the Docking Station FAQ you should be aware of:
Note: There is a known compatibility bug that we're still chasing down. With some LG displays, when the Docking Station is connected via HDMI, sleep / wake can result in visual noise. Another sleep/wake cycle or unplug/plug of the dock cable solves it. We're actively working on fixing this bug and there will be a software update once it's resolved.
I've got the official Docking Station ordered now, so I'll let you know what I think when it arrives.
All good news for Linux Gaming as a whole too, since so much of what goes into the Steam Deck helps Linux as a platform. It's also my own personal choice on where to play my games now, because it's just so convenient.
In case you missed it, another big SteamOS and Steam Deck Stable Client update went live as well. Here's a look:
Direct Link
Finally, I’ll end this with a plea to Valve. Please make a new Steam Controller. Don’t make me beg. You've clearly learned a lot with the Deck, I bet a Steam Controller 2 would be awesome. Do it.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Eh, I'll probably still get it, but have to digest it a bit first.
RavenWings Oct 6, 2022
KacperTheLinuxGamer Oct 6, 2022
People who keep saying that Valve is "the good guy" will get a rude awakening once more questionable decisions will be made.
I will go with the JSAUX dock instead.
Last edited by KacperTheLinuxGamer on 6 October 2022 at 6:58 pm UTC
The price of the docking station is absurd.I don't quite get the outburst here. Yes it's more expensive but it also has DisplayPort (JSAUX don't have that), USB 3.1 (JSAUX has 3.0) and direct Valve support from a much more known company. Naturally, it will also have the absolute best direct support for the Deck, since it was made specifically for it. I'm not a big fan of the price either, but it doesn't suddenly make them some kind of evil. Bit weird.
People who keep saying that Valve is "the good guy" will get a rude awakening once more questionable decisions will be made.
I will go with the JSAUX dock instead.
As an addition: the official Docking Station doesn't even need to be used. It's an added extra, and they continue to improve the docked experience for third-party stuff all the time. You use whatever you want, Valve even made that point clear in their video.
Last edited by Liam Dawe on 6 October 2022 at 7:07 pm UTC
rustybroomhandle Oct 6, 2022
The price of the docking station is absurd.
People who keep saying that Valve is "the good guy" will get a rude awakening once more questionable decisions will be made.
I will go with the JSAUX dock instead.
First off, the Deck itself is quite cheap, so it's not unreasonable to expect them to make other things more spendy.
Secondly, yes, you can use the JSAUX dock instead. They let you do that. Nintendo does not.
As a reminder, the Steam Deck comes in three editions: 64GB, 256GB and 5125GB.(emphasis added)
What? A 5TB edition? Why didn't they have that earlier, when I ordered mine?
Anyway:
Why did they add a PSU with the dock? Especially if it's the same that comes with the deck? Should be an option. I don't need another one just lying around with no use at all. Would also make it cheaper because a hundred euro is really a lot for that thing...
Why did they add a PSU with the dock? Especially if it's the same that comes with the deck? Should be an option. I don't need another one just lying around with no use at all. Would also make it cheaper because a hundred euro is really a lot for that thing...
Yeah, I'd definitely prefer a charger-less dock for 20-30 euro less. I'll hold off buying just in case they introduce such a version in the coming months.
Last edited by pb on 6 October 2022 at 7:21 pm UTC
muadib1988 Oct 6, 2022
Jasux - 40 Euro + ?? Power supply.
I Take one from valve 😅
(emphasis added)An obvious error, which we have a corrections feature for ;)
What? A 5TB edition? Why didn't they have that earlier, when I ordered mine?
Great to see! 
As a reminder, the Steam Deck comes in three editions: 64GB, 256GB and 5125GB.(emphasis added)
What? A 5TB edition? Why didn't they have that earlier, when I ordered mine?
Anyway:
Why did they add a PSU with the dock? Especially if it's the same that comes with the deck? Should be an option. I don't need another one just lying around with no use at all. Would also make it cheaper because a hundred euro is really a lot for that thing...
I wonder if the PSU that ships with the Dock is more powerful than that which ships with the Deck?
According to the steam store page it's exactly the same that ships with the steam deck.
Yep, but it's more fun to make stupid/funny comments on some typos.(emphasis added)An obvious error, which we have a corrections feature for ;)
What? A 5TB edition? Why didn't they have that earlier, when I ordered mine?
KacperTheLinuxGamer Oct 6, 2022
The price of the docking station is absurd.I don't quite get the outburst here. Yes it's more expensive but it also has DisplayPort (JSAUX don't have that), USB 3.1 (JSAUX has 3.0) and direct Valve support from a much more known company. Naturally, it will also have the absolute best direct support for the Deck, since it was made specifically for it. I'm not a big fan of the price either, but it doesn't suddenly make them some kind of evil. Bit weird.
People who keep saying that Valve is "the good guy" will get a rude awakening once more questionable decisions will be made.
I will go with the JSAUX dock instead.
As an addition: the official Docking Station doesn't even need to be used. It's an added extra, and they continue to improve the docked experience for third-party stuff all the time. You use whatever you want, Valve even made that point clear in their video.
Yes, I'm glad that we are not restricted to the official dock.
My comment wasn't meant to be an outburst, I've just noticed a trend of people who can't take any criticism of Valve, mostly on the Steam forums which is the designated channel for bug reporting.
I got blamed by the users there for a software issue I was having.
Criticism is important in developing products, I hope those people realise that it will make the Steam Deck better.
Mohandevir Oct 6, 2022
As a comparison... JSaux Dock (60$CAN) + 45w PSU (30$CAN) = 90$CAN... Valve's Deck Dock 120$CAN. It's more expensive, but nothing catastrophic, imo.
Will I buy it? Probably not. I barely use mine.
As for the price, I think that's okay, as it includes the required PSU - which is proven and has a good cable length. Might get the dock in addition to my JSaux one.
My comment wasn't meant to be an outburst, I've just noticed a trend of people who can't take any criticism of Valve, mostly on the Steam forums which is the designated channel for bug reporting.
I got blamed by the users there for a software issue I was having.
Criticism is important in developing products, I hope those people realise that it will make the Steam Deck better.
It felt a bit outbursty though, imo. The pricing is premium, but hardly absurd, as other comments have shown (better spec, addition of premium charger). And Valve still are the good guy, I think, by not demanding you use that premium product - go buy the JSAUX if that suits your price point. Other vendors won't let you do so (Apple, Nintendo mainly).
And as for making the product better - nah. As much as I love GamingOnLinux, and as much as I appreciate Liam's relationships with Valve staff and everything he does to promote Linux as a viable platform... a comment on a thread on GOL isn't going to help improve anything, sadly. If only it did!
But hey, we all enjoy a rant (to a point), and this site does a remarkable job of allowing most/all voices to be heard, providing they stick to the rules.
While I appreciate them providing both - especially for new users - I'd appreciate a no-power supply option for a discount.
*cursor itches closer buy button*
... I mean it's a lot of money right?
*cursor gets closer*
I really shouldn't buy anything else *clicks add to cart*
because I did say I'm not spending any money on games today *enters address details*
But I guess it's not really a game right? *adds card details*
But I really shouldn't *clicks pay*
.. but I did *sighs*.
CyborgZeta Oct 6, 2022
But hey, for people that want/need the dock, it's good to see it's finally becoming available.
Last edited by CyborgZeta on 6 October 2022 at 8:45 pm UTC
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