In fact, things have not only been going smoothly, but have been speeding along at a fascinating rate, with Steam Deck Q4 reservation emails being sent out recently. Valve increased production on the device not long ago, and the result is that those who are in the queue should hopefully be in line to purchase theirs in time for Christmas. In light of this success, Valve has spoken about the rationale behind releasing the Deck to one particular country.
RELATED: Rumor: Genshin Impact May Be Getting Official Steam Deck Support
In an interview with Automaton Media, a Japanese gaming website, Valve’s marketing rep Erik Peterson spoke about releasing the Steam Deck in Japan. While some may think it would be an obvious market for a handheld console, it seems as though home consoles are the dominant system in the country and PC gaming is less popular. However, Peterson said the Japanese PC market is quite sizeable and growing all the time, so that was one reason for releasing it in the country.
The other reason, Peterson goes on to say, is due to Japan being the “hometown of portable gaming consoles.” Older gamers will remember the days of Nintendo’s iconic Game Boy handheld being a phenomenal force in the industry, pretty much ahead of its time during those early periods of gaming. For Peterson, it only seemed “natural” to want to bring the Steam Deck to the place where portable game systems took off, especially if the PC market continues to grow.
With it being such a powerhouse in the mobile video game market, it’s inevitable that the Steam Deck will have some competition. In fact, the likes of the OneXPlayer could offer a rivalry to Valve’s device. On top of that, the developer has already said it’s interested in producing a follow-up, so there’s a chance that gamers could see variations of the Deck in the future, which could lead to an influx of alternative portal gaming PCs being unleashed unto the world.
MORE: Best Deck Verified RPGs For The Steam Deck
Sources: The Gamer, Automaton Media (translated by Google)
