Valve shows off final packaging, carrying case for the Steam Deck


Valve’s Steam Deck hardware might have been recently delayed by a couple of months, but the portable PC gaming device is still barreling toward release. As evidence of this, Valve posted some quick pictures late Thursday evening of the final packaging that will hopefully be reaching preorder customers early next year.

Yup, it's a box all right.
Enlarge / Yup, it’s a box all right.
A multi-language lining.
Enlarge / A multi-language lining.
<a href="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/sd3.jpeg" class="enlarge" data-height="2000" data-width="3000" alt="Unlike recent iPhone packaging, the Steam Deck will come with a region-appropriate power supply to enable the unit’s USB-C charging.”><img alt="Unlike recent iPhone packaging, the Steam Deck will come with a region-appropriate power supply to enable the unit’s USB-C charging.” src=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/valve-shows-off-final-packaging-carrying-case-for-the-steam-deck-2.jpg” width=”640″ height=”427″ srcset=”https://rassegna.lbit-solution.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/valve-shows-off-final-packaging-carrying-case-for-the-steam-deck-7.jpg 2x”>
Enlarge / Unlike recent iPhone packaging, the Steam Deck will come with a region-appropriate power supply to enable the unit’s USB-C charging.

From the outside, the shipping packaging is a standard plain brown box, but Valve joked about the usual warnings on the side, urging customers to “not use the shipping box as an umbrella, smash [it] on the ground, or use [it] as a magnet.” On the inside of the box, meanwhile, the design includes recommendations for where to play in multiple languages. Among the English suggestions: “On the toilet, on the subway, on a ferris wheel, on the moon, in a test chamber, on the couch, in a hammock, in a tent.”

The case includes the Steam Deck's minimalist "circle and a curve" logo.
Enlarge / The case includes the Steam Deck’s minimalist “circle and a curve” logo.

Valve also provided a look at the form-fitting carrying case that will accompany the lower-end 64GB and 256GB editions of the system. The new case, which includes an understated Steam Deck logo on the front outside, differs from the Valve-logoed carrying cases the company showed when Valve started shipping dev kits in September. Those who purchase the 512GB system, meanwhile, have been promised an “exclusive carrying case,” likely this one, which has a white lining and an embedded Valve logo. The case was first shown when the Deck was announced.

The final carrying case for low-end models, containing a near-final "design validation" prototype.
Enlarge / The final carrying case for low-end models, containing a near-final “design validation” prototype.

Valve’s post also includes a quick glimpse at the final “design validation” prototype, which is being used to test the fit of the packaging. While Valve says this build includes “improvements from the EV2 [engineering verification] build” that was previously sent to developers, those improvements aren’t readily apparent from this single external photo. Valve writes that there will only be “minor changes” from this DV build to the final product.

Valve still expects to ship the Steam deck to the first of its preorder customers in February. Orders placed today are being given an expected order availability of “after Q2 2022.”

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1817914