Steam Deck release date: Valve announces when exactly the portable gaming hardware will go on sale

The wait for Steam Deck is almost over as Valve has finally set an exact date when the portable PC gaming hardware will be available to order. However, its release is not unlike most gaming product launches because people cannot simply visit Steam and place an order.

It can be recalled that the first shipments of Steam Deck were originally scheduled to go out last month. But Valve was also affected by the global supply chain issues, leading to a two-month delay. The good news is there are delays in sight now, and Valve has confirmed a release date set for February.

In a blog post on Wednesday, Valve announced that the Steam Deck would be available on Friday, Feb. 25. But only people who will get an email from Valve can place an order. Said emails will be sent to customers who secured early reservations for the device starting Feb. 25, at 10 a.m. PST.

Simply put, there will be a virtual queue to order the Steam Deck. Upon receiving Valve’s email, customers will have 72 hours to place an order for the Steam Deck. If they fail to complete an order in that period, their reservation slot will be passed on to the next customer in line.

Valve added that the first batch of Steam Deck orders would be shipped out starting Feb. 28. The reservation system should tell PC gamers that Valve has limited quantities of the device at launch. But the company said they plan on sending more order email invites every week after Feb. 25.

“Order emails are sent in the same order that reservations were made,” Valve wrote. That means customers who secured a reservation at a later time or have only done so recently might have to wait weeks to receive an order email from Valve.

The company also collected a $5 reservation fee, which will be deducted upon purchase of Steam Deck. Also, customers may recall that they were made to choose the Steam Deck variant they wanted to order when they signed up for a reservation. And Valve noted that customers could no longer change the model they originally picked.