- Hardware
Valve will ramp up Steam Deck production, expects ‘hundreds of thousands’ of units
Supply will improve in the months ahead.
Valve designer Lawrence Yang made the company’s lofty Steam Deck production goals for the upcoming months clear after addressing the Steam Deck stick drift experienced by some early adopters.
Talking with IGN, Yang revealed that Valve expects Steam Deck production to ramp up to “hundreds of thousands” of units just two months from launch. Yang also addressed the supply chain issues that initially hampered Steam Deck production, an issue many companies were faced with throughout 2020 and beyond.
Because these supply chain issues have drastically affected Steam Deck production, Valve took to the practice of giving reservation holders a ship window instead of a concrete date. While speaking with IGN, Yang hinted that these windows will become “more granular and clearer” with updates for those who have orders that fall into those broader timelines.
While Steam Deck supply may have come up short, demand has exceeded Valve’s expectations. IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey pressed Yang for a total order count, asking if it surpassed a million.
“We’re not talking numbers today,” said Yang. “We’re really happy with the number we’ve gotten on reservations, especially given that a lot of the reservations people are putting in right now are, you know, there’s not very much information about when they’ll get it, so it’s great to see that the demand is there.”
The vocal demand has helped Valve solidify its production schedules and forecast what can be expected in other regions where the Steam Deck might launch, according to Yang.
Valve’s Steam Deck launched Feb. 25 with a ship date of Feb. 28. While first-round reservation holders have their Steam Deck in hand, many other reservation holders are waiting for the Q2 2022 release window. But it doesn’t sound like the wait will be quite as long as anticipated if Valve continues to skirt supply chain issues.