Valve confirms that the Steam Deck will start shipping out by the end of February

Valve hasn't had a particularly stellar history in manufacturing hardware. However, the upcoming Steam Deck has a lot riding on it due to its hype. Those who have pre-booked the handheld will be pleased to know that they can get their hands on one soon. Valve has confirmed that the Steam Deck is on track to ship by the end of February on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Valve is working on a "Steam Deck Verified" program that allows developers to optimize their games for the console. As a reward, their games will be earmarked as such (with a green checkmark) on the listing. Such titles are not to be confused with exclusives, though. Valve clarified in a developer Q&A earlier that there will be no such things as Steam Deck exclusives. We could, however, get a Half-Life game optimized for the handheld.

Valve rounds things off by stating that it has shipped out "hundreds" of devkits. We recently saw one being unboxed in the wild, and another video showcased its retail packaging (carrying case included). Although it is advertised as a Nintendo Switch alternative, the Steam Deck has more in common with lesser-known devices such as the Aya Neo, Onexplayer Mini and soon, Qualcomm and Razer's joint venture. One can only hope that Steam Deck doesn't end up like the Steam Controller and Steam Machine, especially in the face of such fierce competition.