Valve Looking to Make Steam Deck Available in More Countries by the End of the Year

ign.com:

Valve recently sent out the second batch of emails to those that are expected to order a Steam Deck in Q1 2022. And while that news is good for those eager to get the portable gaming PC, the more interesting news the company also announced that it is "looking into making Steam Deck available" in more countries.

As noted in the latest press release, Valve confirmed that it is looking to expand Steam Deck's reach into other markets "by the end of the year." While the company did not go into specifics such as exactly what countries it will make Steam Deck available, it did mention Japan was one market it was looking to make the handheld available next. Further noting that the team is "continuing to push on all these fronts" and promising to share more updates on additional markets as it receives more information.

Currently, those looking to place a $5 reservation on the Steam Deck (or the few that have been lucky enough to buy one finally) must be a resident in the United States, Canada, European Union, or the United Kingdom.

The news that Valve is looking to make the Steam Deck available in more countries is unsurprising. The idea of a portable gaming PC from a company as well-known as Valve, along with a sub-$700 price tag for a gaming PC that is not only portable but capable of playing the latest game sounds appealing to some. Even Valve admitted that demand for the Steam Deck was higher than it anticipated.

For more on Steam Deck, check out our initial impressions on the Steam Deck and seven unexpected things we discovered since getting our hands on the portable gaming PC.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.