Valve’s latest hardware is the Steam Deck, a Nintendo Switch-like handheld, the company announced on Thursday. The console can play Steam games on the go and is slated to launch from $ 399 in December 2021. If you want to grab one yourself, this is what the pre-order system looks like.
To process orders, Steam uses a reservation system, which is expected to be available on. is opened Friday, July 16 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Once the slots are open, you can reserve one of the three models available for purchase on the Steam website for a fee of $ 5. According to the company’s website, one Steam Deck can be reserved and ordered per customer.
As with any expected console version, there will likely be high demand. To curb scalping, Valve said it would take an extra precaution: if you want to reserve a console, your Steam account must have made a purchase on Steam before June 2021. This rule applies to the first 48 hours of the reservation.
“We are aware of potential unauthorized resellers, and as an additional security to ensure a fair ordering process, we have added the requirement that the reserve has made a purchase on Steam for the first 48 hours of reservation availability before June 2021.” Ventil said in an FAQ on the Steam website.
If you’d like to order a Steam Deck, make sure your account meets the requirements before attempting to sign up for one during this time window!
The additional measures make sense because it was so difficult to get hold of new consoles like the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X. Scalpers often buy and drive prices up to ridiculous proportions. It’s gotten so intense that the hunt for a PS5 has become a whole subculture in itself. All of this has been weighed down by slower production due to the pandemic.
When this works, scalpers have just one more hurdle to overcome when trying to buy the consoles for resale.
