Steam Deck release on pace as dev kits begin to ship

Following the surprise announcement of the Steam Deck, fans have been eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of the Valve-developed handheld device. With the earliest shipments set for December this year, Valve has now begun to send out development kits, allowing developers to prepare their games for the upcoming hardware release.

While one of the biggest advantages to the Steam Deck is the fact that the handheld machine is essentially a mini PC, optimisation can always take place, and it seems Valve is betting on developers doing such for the device. With that, they have now begun to ship out development kits for the Steam Deck.

As announced by Valve, “We're thrilled to announce that Steam Deck dev kits are ready to ship, and we've opened up the Steam Deck Dev Kit request form,” adding that “We can't wait to get all of these dev kits into your hands, and we'd love to get your feedback on Steam Deck.”

Steam Deck Dev-Kit requests are now open! Steam Developers can learn how to request a dev-kit for testing and development at https://t.co/QRl4IX8LSv pic.twitter.com/367TqnatYS

— Steamworks (@Steamworks) September 2, 2021

While these dev kits are limited, it does show that not only is Valve on pace to launch the final retail device later this year, but that they are putting a lot of stake into the idea that developers will optimise their games for the Steam Deck.

Being a mini PC, the Steam Deck will allow for the full suite of customisation options seen with any PC game. Still, more optimisation means that the Steam Deck will be able to run bigger games even better, and so to see Valve sending out developer kits is an encouraging set of moves by the creator.

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KitGuru says: Have you ordered a Steam Deck? Which SKU did you pre-order? What do you plan on using it for? Let us know down below.

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