Steam Deck Is In Final Production Stages, Dev Kits Now Being Sent Out
The Steam Deck is now in its final production stages, and dev kits are being sent out ahead of the handheld console’s launch in December. Valve took the gaming community by surprise when it announced the Steam Deck in July, which many took to be a core gaming alternative to the highly successful Nintendo Switch.
The premise and appeal of the Steam Deck is the ability to take one's library of PC games with them on the go, although it was recently confirmed not every game on Steam will be supported on the handheld right away. There have also been a few concerns from hesitant consumers regarding the Steam Deck’s storage and unusual control layout, but Valve has reassured these concerned parties that the Steam Deck will avoid the pitfalls of the Switch, a console which sparked numerous lawsuits against Nintendo last year over Joy-Con stick drift. Even after the Steam Deck launches this winter, Valve promises to continue to add new Steam Deck features through post-launch updates.
Sure enough, production on the Steam Deck appears to be going smoothly, and it won't be long before developers can take the new hardware for a spin. A recent post from Steam showed behind-the-scenes photos of Steam Deck dev kits being updated before shipping, as well as divulging that the console is entering its final production stages. These dev kits allow game developers to test out a new console's hardware and get a better sense of how to make games for it. They will also let developers offer feedback to Steam ahead of the Steam Deck’s planned December launch.
In August, early previewers' responses to the Steam Deck was overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the new system's portability, performance, and ergonomic design. Additionally, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed the Xbox xCloud streaming service will be compatible with the Steam Deck at launch. Not everyone is ready to embrace the Steam Deck though, as Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated his company wants to wait and see how successful the new console is before it is ready to make its games available on the Steam Deck.
The Steam Deck is looking very promising, and the fact that development kits are already being sent out means it won’t be long before Valve is ready to launch its new portable system to the masses. Steam players will finally get the chance to take their PC games on the go when Steam Deck orders begin shipping in December.
Source: Steam