Valve says the Steam Deck Docking Station has been delayed indefinitely

[midian182]

What just happened? Owners of (and those waiting to own) the Steam Deck who are hoping to buy an official docking station for the console may have to temper those expectations for a while. Valve has announced that the accessory has been delayed from its original late Spring launch, with no new release date given.

Valve posted the announcement on the Steam Deck Events page. The delay is being blamed on factors that have become all too familiar: parts shortages and Covid closures impacting manufacturing facilities.

The good news is that the delay doesn't extend to the Steam Deck itself. The handheld console's production schedule and reservation windows are unaffected as its parts are different from the dock's and it is manufactured at different factories.

The Steam Deck Docking Station, to give it its full official name, received a development update earlier this year that saw its two USB 2.0 and one USB 3.1 ports switched to three USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A connections. Whether the change played a part in the delay is unclear.

In addition to those ports, the official Steam dock has one HDMI 2.0, a DisplayPort 1.4, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, a power port, a USB-C Power Delivery passthrough input, and a USB Type-C cable for connecting to the Steam Deck.

Valve confirmed last year that, unlike the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck won't get any sort of performance boost when connected to its official dock.

One thing Valve still hasn't revealed is how much the Steam Deck Docking Station will cost. Don't expect it to be cheap once it arrives, whenever that might be. But you could always just use a powered USB Type-C hub.

In other Valve news, the company's latest Steam survey results show that more people are buying the latest graphics cards as their prices continue to fall closer to MSRP.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/94801-valve-steam-deck-docking-station-has-delayed-indefinitely.html

 

[Dimitriid]

The good news is that the delay doesn't extend to the Steam Deck itself. The handheld console's production schedule and reservation windows are unaffected as its parts are different from the dock's and it is manufactured at different factories.

I wouldn't go as far: there's still a reservation system, it's still unavailable in many countries and because of the reservation system it means that for most people not in the 'Global North' it's still pointless to buy: it's only available second hand and demand is so high you might as well buy a competitor device if you end up paying that much of a premium for a steam deck.

Please don't assume that limited, reservation only primary sales for the US and parts of the EU = "Production is not affected" that's quite the leap to make.

 

[Kotters]

I wouldn't go as far: there's still a reservation system, it's still unavailable in many countries and because of the reservation system it means that for most people not in the 'Global North' it's still pointless to buy: it's only available second hand and demand is so high you might as well buy a competitor device if you end up paying that much of a premium for a steam deck.

Please don't assume that limited, reservation only primary sales for the US and parts of the EU = "Production is not affected" that's quite the leap to make.

They're not making that assumption at all. You should read the article and announcement before posting; that claim comes from Valve themselves.

Additionally, the Index has had a similar history of availability.

 

[passwordistaco]

Shocked, I say!

 

[VaRmeNsI]

I wouldn't go as far: there's still a reservation system, it's still unavailable in many countries and because of the reservation system it means that for most people not in the 'Global North' it's still pointless to buy: it's only available second hand and demand is so high you might as well buy a competitor device if you end up paying that much of a premium for a steam deck.

Please don't assume that limited, reservation only primary sales for the US and parts of the EU = "Production is not affected" that's quite the leap to make.

I think 3rd worlders have bigger issues than getting a handheld PC.

 

[kenny loris]

I wouldn't go as far: there's still a reservation system, it's still unavailable in many countries and because of the reservation system it means that for most people not in the 'Global North' it's still pointless to buy: it's only available second hand and demand is so high you might as well buy a competitor device if you end up paying that much of a premium for a steam deck.

Please don't assume that limited, reservation only primary sales for the US and parts of the EU = "Production is not affected" that's quite the leap to make.

Totally Agreed with what you said here.

 

[Puiu]

We'll most likely see third party docks.

 

[Kotters]

We'll most likely see third party docks.

It's a PC. They've existed for years.

 

[Puiu]

It's a PC. They've existed for years.

And so have docks, but getting one specifically made for the steam deck is not the same thing.

 

[Kotters]

And so have docks, but getting one specifically made for the steam deck is not the same thing.

It really is.

 

[Puiu]

It really is.

Having something that fits the Steam Deck design wise is worth it if the price isn't too wild.

 

[ZedRM]

The SteamDeck isn't very compelling as it is, but no dock? Seriously Steam? Are you trying to fail?

 

[Puiu]

The SteamDeck isn't very compelling as it is, but no dock? Seriously Steam? Are you trying to fail?

I doubt the dock will be the deciding factor for many, although I personally would like a Valve made one instead of using a third party dock.

 

[Kotters]

The SteamDeck isn't very compelling as it is, but no dock? Seriously Steam? Are you trying to fail?

You really need to quantify how you think a dock with a Valve logo is going to make a difference to this PC.

 

[ZedRM]

You really need to quantify how you think a dock with a Valve logo is going to make a difference to this PC.

For starters, it will make it for more useful. Beyond that, the rest is obvious.

I doubt the dock will be the deciding factor for many, although I personally would like a Valve made one instead of using a third party dock.

That's a fair point.

 

[Kotters]

For starters, it will make it for more useful. Beyond that, the rest is obvious.

How does a valve logo make a dock more useful?

 

[ZedRM]

How does a valve logo make a dock more useful?

An officially supported product? Granted most people don't need that, but it helps.

 

[Kotters]

An officially supported product? Granted most people don't need that, but it helps.

Supported how? It's a USB Dock.

 

[ZedRM]

Supported how? It's a USB Dock.

Yes that would fit the system perfectly. Either you get it or you don't.

 

[Kotters]

Yes that would fit the system perfectly. Either you get it or you don't.

It's a USB port, they're standardized lol.