The Best Steam Deck Accessory Just Got Delayed

Back in April, I predicted that the Steam Deck Docking Station would launch in late June, “barring any last-minute delays.” And it seems that I jinxed everyone, because the Steam Deck Dock just got delayed indefinitely. We have no clue when it will launch.

Valve says that part shortages and temporary factory closures are responsible for the delay. And really, that’s not much of a surprise. The Steam Deck launched without a dock for these very reasons, and recent improvements to the Dock’s design suggest that Valve hasn’t actually entered manufacturing yet (or kicked off manufacturing within the last two months, at least).

“Due to parts shortages and COVID closures at our manufacturing facilities, the official Steam Deck Docking Station is delayed. We’re working on improving the situation and will share more info when we have it. This has no effect on production schedule and reservation windows for Steam Decks (different parts, different factories).”

This delay will not impact Steam Deck manufacturing—thank goodness. And Valve says that it will continue to expand Steam Deck support for third-party docks and monitors. At the time of writing, you can buy a cheap USB-C hub to connect your Steam Deck with a big screen and add wired internet to the console.

Pricing for the Steam Deck Docking Station is still a mystery, though I don’t expect it to be very cheap. After a recent upgrade, the Dock now features three USB-A 3.1 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 video, plus passthrough charging over USB-C PD.

Source: Valve