Valve's Steam Deck Docking Station is finally available for order and comes with the SteamOS 3.3.2 firmware update.
The long-delayed official Steam Deck is now available for pre-order, according to Valve, the company behind it. The dock was originally planned to launch closer to the Steam Deck, but was delayed this summer due to supply chain challenges.
Officially called the “Steam Deck Docking Station ,” it functions as both a docking station for working with an external monitor or TV and a charging station. It features three USB-A 3.1 ports, a USB-C charging port with passthrough, DisplayPort 1.4 , HDMI 2.0 , and a gigabit Ethernet port . It also includes a power supply like the one that comes with the Steam Deck. Valve says it can also run on the Steam Deck’s battery power, but that affects the ports’ bandwidth.
Unlike the Nintendo Switch in dock mode, don't expect your Steam Deck to perform differently while docked.
The Steam Deck Docking Station costs $89, and at least right now, you can buy it with relatively short shipping times. That said, Valve says the product may move to a pre-order process if demand starts to outstrip supply.
Speaking of reservation-based ordering processes, there's also big news for Steam Deck.
See also: Valve: Expanding Steam Deck availability in Asian markets
For months, would-be Steam Deck buyers had to place pre-orders for the device and wait for an email from Valve. Demand far outstripped supply, but Valve said it was managing to keep up. The company had previously said it planned to fulfill all outstanding pre-orders by the end of the year.
It looks like the process went well. You no longer need to pre-order to buy the Steam Deck in the US and Canada. Even those without pre-orders can expect to receive the device within one to two weeks of ordering.
There's another key development to consider regarding the dock: the Steam Deck has received a firmware update (SteamOS 3.3.2), which Valve promised will significantly improve the Steam Deck not only with the official dock, but also with third-party USB-C docking stations.
See also: Hackers steal Steam credentials via Browser-in-the-Browser phishing attacks
Before the official dock was introduced, third-party docks were the only option, but users and critics often complained that they were a bit of an overkill – a far cry from the plug-and-play of the Nintendo Switch.
For example, SteamOS 3.3.2 adds an "External display output resolution and refresh rate UI option in Display Settings" and "automatically avoids problematic resolutions like 4096×2160 or 30 Hz modes on external displays."
The firmware update is available to all Steam Decks at this time.
Source: arstechnica.com
