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In a recent interview with IGN, Valve designer Lawrence Yang had some good news for those waiting to get their hands on a Steam Deck. Citing supply chain issues as the reason for the initial delays and slow rollout, Yang is confident that production will be ramping up very quickly. "In the first month very quickly we'll be in the tens of thousands, by the second month we'll be in the hundreds of thousands," says Yang. "And beyond that it'll grow even quicker." Yang also said those in the queue who's Deck is marked as coming "after Q2" should be getting more concrete information soon. "Once we launch, the 'after Q2' time slot will become more granular and clearer. And we'll be updating those dates for folks in that window as we go."

However, despite Yang's confidence, Valve president Gabe Newell is less sure of when users will be able to buy a Steam Deck without being put into a queue. Speaking to PC Gamer, when asked when purchases without a queue could happen, Newell simply said "No, because the demand is high, so it's going to be a while 'til we can make them… 'til we're caught up some."

 

[kisamesama]

Nintendo doesn't target the "average consumer" though, they target mostly a younger and more casual audience. SteamOS 3 will be pretty damn easy to use for those that choose to stay within the confines of it (it includes Firefox, as well as a music and video player), so I think a lot of the 16+ crowd will gladly take the upgrade. Especially those with any sort of existing Steam library (and Steam does have 100+ million accounts). Gonna be a good long while before another $400 portable device pops up that can play games like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War (2016), and even not-so-well optimized games like Elden Ring.

from the reviews.. steamOS is more for pc gamers who are used to some tweaking... it is not as straightforward as a switch... and so steam deck is the ideal device for me personally as I am used to tweaking

 

[Xzi]

from the reviews.. steamOS is more for pc gamers who are used to some tweaking... it is not as straightforward as a switch... and so steam deck is the ideal device for me personally as I am used to tweaking

You can tweak stuff (which there are quick menus for), but you can also just set everything to auto and then configure individual in-game settings. You can also exit SteamOS 3 to the Linux-based desktop environment, and that will require a more intermediate or advanced user, but it's not a necessity. A number of people will treat this just like a "Switch Pro" and stay within the SteamOS UX.

 

[ZeroFX]

be sure to produce mine

 

[subcon959]

A number of people will treat this just like a "Switch Pro" and stay within the SteamOS UX.

I'm really curious to see how Nintendo manages this situation. It seems to me they really screwed up by milking the current hardware instead of releasing a true upgrade last year. The Deck being able to emulate all the Switch games has effectively killed any point of a Pro.

 

[kisamesama]

You can tweak stuff (which there are quick menus for), but you can also just set everything to auto and then configure individual in-game settings. You can also exit SteamOS 3 to the Linux-based desktop environment, and that will require a more intermediate or advanced user, but it's not a necessity. A number of people will treat this just like a "Switch Pro" and stay within the SteamOS UX.

yeah I thought so but all reviews say the experience on steamOS ux is not smooth enough for mainstream players.

 

[tech3475]

Nintendo doesn't target the "average consumer" though, they target mostly a younger and more casual audience. SteamOS 3 will be pretty damn easy to use for those that choose to stay within the confines of it (it includes Firefox, as well as a music and video player), so I think a lot of the 16+ crowd will gladly take the upgrade. Especially those with any sort of existing Steam library (and Steam does have 100+ million accounts). Gonna be a good long while before another $400 portable device pops up that can play games like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War (2016), and even not-so-well optimized games like Elden Ring.

I see this as more a product for PC gamers and enthusiasts, especially given the need for compatibility lists, workarounds for certain games, etc.

If we sold this where I work, I could definitely foresee problems and multiple returns because ‘it doesn’t work’ or ‘it doesn’t run X’.

 

[Deleted member 42501]

https://gbatemp.net/threads/the-portable-pc-market-is-going-to-change-to-game-forever.608393/

Oh yes.

And I'm not even buying this Game Gear Redux but applaud the strategy. Looks comfy but its just way too unwieldy for a handheld but I wish it success.

 

[Bladexdsl]

I'm really curious to see how Nintendo manages this situation. It seems to me they really screwed up by milking the current hardware instead of releasing a true upgrade last year. The Deck being able to emulate all the Switch games has effectively killed any point of a Pro.

actually it's the opposite they now need to make the pro of they will get overtaken by the deck it's going to happen it's already happening. why buy an under powered tablet to play steam ports when you can cut out the middle man and get 100% better hardware as well?! the monopoly they had on the handheld market IS OVER

 

[Xzi]

I see this as more a product for PC gamers and enthusiasts, especially given the need for compatibility lists, workarounds for certain games, etc.

Won't be a problem if the user stays within SteamOS, since it'll only point you to games that are either playable or verified. Plus it's only a matter of months until Deck's list of verified games is bigger than Switch's entire library, particularly where AAA games are concerned.

 

[K3Nv2]

That doesn't mean much. Every game/hardware subreddit has only a fraction of the people who own it subscribed. There's like 18 million PS5s out there, and only 2 million on the PS5 subreddit.


Uhh...what? This suggests the opposite: that the reservation queue will be staying in place for the foreseeable future because supply cannot meet demand right now. What Yang is talking about here is pretty standard when it comes to manufacturing something brand new, production starts super slow and then speeds up exponentially.

Similarly, the overall chip shortage was caused more by a sudden surge in demand from the auto industry rather than too little supply. They stopped ordering chips for on-board computers at the beginning of the pandemic because a lot fewer people were buying cars.

This, a lot of parents generally buy kids Nintendo products rather than a gaming pc. The amount of parents that just want to throw a tablet like device in little Timmy's hands just to shut him up out weighs the amount of people that are PC is God gaming. So personally don't think SD will hurt switch sales one bit.

The only way it may change is when they actually get on store shelves and someone might say huh, that looks pretty cool and grab that instead of something like a switch.

I fear it might not even out weigh Psp sales in number but obviously the factors of chip shortages are very real Valve still isn't obviously a more known company than Nintendo or Sony. I'm curious if they have said a rounded up amount of pre-orders in their back log last I heard it was around 100k during first announcement run.

 

[tech3475]

Won't be a problem if the user stays within SteamOS, since it'll only point you to games that are either playable or verified. Plus it's only a matter of months until Deck's list of verified games is bigger than Switch's entire library, particularly where AAA games are concerned.

It’s still potentially an issue, looking at my library of “playable” games, some of the issues range from the icons used on screen (i.e not really a problem) to potential difficulty setting up a game or even graphical glitches in game.

If Valve were to sell this on the high street, they’d definitely would need to market it differently than they are on their website because I can imagine people skipping the ‘not all Steam games are compatible’ part or assuming that Steam/PC == Windows OS.

 

[Dr_Faustus]

See, I told ya the 'chip shortage' was fake. I never fell for that bullshit.

I feel that in the start of the pandemic it was more realistically true due to shortages in production line (even with the workforce China has) but even then that would have been short term.

I feel that this scenario was more along the lines of the Seagate/WD Factory "Floods" that happened years ago, where a massive flood seemed to have taken out Seagate's and WD's mainline Factories for awhile causing hard drives to rise up in price due to shortages, which took years to climb back down in price again. Mind you before this happened hard drives were getting really cheap in the market. Its all about straining demand to escalate prices. We will probably see the outcome of this persist for probably another two or 3 years before everyone is over this shit especially if international conflicts gets thrown in as an excuse.

Also the Scalper market is another problem in this but that is another problem in itself.

 

[Kraken_X]

I preordered mine at 3PM on the preorder day and it says Q2 for availability. If you preordered it in the evening, you are looking at Q3 or Q4 and if you didn't preorder at all, you probably won't get one until next year.

It's unclear whether or not I'll actually get more utility from this than my phone with a controller clip, emulators, and Steam Link (over wifi 6) though.

 

[djpannda]

Nintendo doesn't target the "average consumer" though, they target mostly a younger and more casual audience. SteamOS 3 will be pretty damn easy to use for those that choose to stay within the confines of it (it includes Firefox, as well as a music and video player), so I think a lot of the 16+ crowd will gladly take the upgrade. Especially those with any sort of existing Steam library (and Steam does have 100+ million accounts). Gonna be a good long while before another $400 portable device pops up that can play games like Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War (2016), and even not-so-well optimized games like Elden Ring.

idk, again don't get me Wrong I AM SUPER SIKED for my SD, but what you described is the literal stance from psp/vita vs Nintendo argument. ( music videos internet, ps3 like games) but Nintendo name alone is a juggernaut. Parents and Young kids will always Gravitate to Nintendo, and especially if a Parent can just walk in Walmart and get a switch RIGHT NOW instead of waiting for a undisclosed time Frame) for something that might be too difficult for them/ kids to set up

 

[chrisrlink]

give us steam OS 3.0 for PC already

 

[urbanman2004]

Not that I plan on buying one of these Steam Decks, but I think a product like this helps further progress the PC community in its mass adoption while bringing awareness to PC gaming and whatever beneficial hardware/software modifications and/or open-source/3rd party devices resulting from that as a byproduct.

 

[guily6669]

The Steam Deck subreddit has about 80k subscribed users. Honestly less than I would have guessed given the whole "hundreds of thousands" thing.

I wonder how many people are only just now jumping on board to buy, now that reviews and footage is plentiful. Let alone as the community builds itself over time. GabeN's estimate sounds a bit more accurate tbh.

I have preorderered steam deck and I'm not on Steam deck subreddit, never even went there...

Not that I plan on buying one of these Steam Decks, but I think a product like this helps further progress the PC community in its mass adoption while bringing awareness to PC gaming and whatever beneficial hardware/software modifications and/or open-source/3rd party devices resulting from that as a byproduct.

and the fact that even at launch the library of games is bigger than any console specially compared to portable ones is also beyond amazing.

And the biggest point is that the games are not poor portable adaptations of known games but rather the true full games experience and the fact that it's a full PC.

And if Valve continue doing a good job we might get to the point of having the whole PC library working on Steam OS and in the future when we get proper windows drivers a dual boot will be amazing.

 

[Xzi]

idk, again don't get me Wrong I AM SUPER SIKED for my SD, but what you described is the literal stance from psp/vita vs Nintendo argument. ( music videos internet, ps3 like games) but Nintendo name alone is a juggernaut. Parents and Young kids will always Gravitate to Nintendo, and especially if a Parent can just walk in Walmart and get a switch RIGHT NOW instead of waiting for a undisclosed time Frame) for something that might be too difficult for them/ kids to set up

True, but that's why I said much of the 16+ crowd will be looking to upgrade from Switch to Steam Deck. I don't expect Valve to grab control of the pre-teen and younger crowd.

 

[RichardTheKing]

had some good news for those waiting to get their hands on a Steam Deck

Not for us Aussies. Damn you, you northern-hemispherist pigs!