TL; DR
- Valve has released details on how Steam Deck pre-orders work.
- You must pay a deposit starting July 16 and paying the rest in December.
- Once you have decided on a model, you cannot change your mind.
Today, Steam parent company Valve surprised us all with the announcement of a new handheld gaming PC console. The Steam Deck looks like a Nintendo Switch but has a lot more power under the hood – enough to play most AAA titles.
Initially, Valve said that pre-orders would begin tomorrow, July 16, with delivery coming sometime in December. However, the company did not provide any further information. However, now we have the full process for Steam Deck pre-orders, and they are a bit complicated.
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We’ll get into what to do in a moment, but remember that it is Well that is not easy. The Laissez-faire The systems introduced by Sony and Microsoft for the PS5 and Xbox Series X are a big reason why they’re so difficult to get. Valves that make things more complicated could prevent scalpers from taking over all Steam Decks – at least in theory.
With that said, here’s what you need to do.
Steam Deck Preorders: Here’s How It Will Work
Starting tomorrow, July 16, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET), Steam Deck pre-orders will open exclusively through the Steam Shop. Valve calls these pre-orders reservations.
You have to choose which of the three variants you want (64 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB). Once you have made your choices, there is no way you can change your mind, so make sure you choose wisely. Whichever configuration you choose, you pay $ 5 to reserve. That $ 5 is all you need to spend now.
When inventory becomes available in December 2021, Valve will notify people who have made reservations that it is time to buy. Notifications are sent in the order they are received, so you should receive your Steam Deck pre-orders as soon as possible.
Once you receive this notification, return to the Steam store and pay for the rest of the console (with $ 5 credit from your reservation). The shipments are then rolled out.
Note that there are several requirements for a reservation:
- Your Steam account must be good and in the US, Canada, UK or the European Union.
- Must have purchased from Steam before June 2021. This means that new accounts or accounts that have never bought anything cannot place a pre-order.
- Steam Deck pre-orders are limited to one per person.
For a full FAQ on the pre-order process, click here. Otherwise, good luck in getting this exciting device!