Steam Deck shipments “more than double” this week—so let’s estimate how many

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images)

For anyone trying to buy a modern piece of gaming hardware, good news is beginning to peek through the dreary clouds of chip shortages and manufacturing hold-ups. This week's optimism comes from a player outside the expected console- and GPU-making fray.

Valve, the longtime software maker responsible for the mostly brilliant Steam Deck handheld PC, announced on Monday that it has caught up with that system's "shipping estimate" schedule. According to Valve, everyone who ordered a Steam Deck system with a "Q2 2022" shipping window has been emailed with the option to order and pay for their own device.

The real news begins with buyers in the Q3 2022 window, as they'll be contacted beginning on June 30—at higher volumes.