Valve's Steam Deck Docking Station Has Been Delayed Indefinitely

thegamer.com:

Valve has delayed the Steam Deck’s docking station. Originally set to release in spring 2022, Valve now says that parts shortages and COVID-related closures have forced it to delay the Steam Deck dock indefinitely.

"Due to parts shortages and COVID closures at our manufacturing facilities, the official Steam Deck Docking Station is delayed," wrote Valve in yesterday’s update. "We're working on improving the situation and will share more info when we have it."

Related: The Steam Deck Is Not Fit For Purpose

Valve noted that the dock delay has "no effect on production schedule and reservation windows for Steam Decks," which use different parts from different factories. The Steam company reminded all users that the dock is still mostly an aesthetic device as the Deck can connect and charge perfectly fine using USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort 1.4 ports.

Although COVID-19 restrictions have largely relaxed in North America, things aren’t quite the same out east. Shanghai only recently ended a two-month lockdown in order to get a COVID-19 outbreak under control, which undoubtedly hampered the local economy and has caused a ripple effect to other industries.

Meanwhile, the global chip shortage is still raging and is expected to continue into 2024. That’s according to Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, who told CNBC last month that shortages have also hit equipment used to ramp up production.

"That’s part of the reason that we believe the overall semiconductor shortage will now drift into 2024, from our earlier estimates in 2023, just because the shortages have now hit equipment and some of those factory ramps will be more challenged," Gelsinger said. Intel expects to have its own chip factories online sometime in 2025 to ramp up global