While Steam Deck owners may still have a bit of a wait until they lay their hands on the officially supported Steam Deck dock themselves, Valve is using its own dock hardware whilst exhibiting at Tokyo Game Show.
Though not for sale, they're being used to demonstrate games at Japan's big gaming show, and Steam Deck fans have caught sight of the units and are sharing pictures on the subreddit forum, drawing particular attention to the ports on the back of the docking systems.
clear_look_at_the_back_of_the_official_steam_deck from r/SteamDeck
"[Here's a] clear look at the back of the official Steam Deck Dock from Tokyo Game Show," reported one Redditor (thanks, NME). "Every unit they had on display was on a dock."
The post included a wonderfully clear shot of the back, which appears to show some USB-B ports, an Ethernet port, HDMI port, and a USB-C port which seems to be powering the system.
It's caused a little consternation with fans who were hoping for more USB-C ports, but on the plus side, using the docks in public like this hopefully means the dock may go on sale sooner rather than later. Let's watch this space, eh?
Don't forget that Valve is still inviting players to wishlist the dock if they're interested in buying one, so head on over to the official Steam page if you've yet to do so.
Valve confirmed in June that its official Steam Deck docking station had been delayed indefinitely due to production issues.
The company said that the delay was "due to parts shortages and COVID closures at our manufacturing facilities", although those parts shortages would not affect the manufacturing of the Steam Deck units themselves. Valve previously said it hoped to have the official dock available in late spring, but it seems that plan won't come to fruition.
Valve said that regardless of the delays, "the team is continuing to work on improving the docked experience for Steam Deck with all USB-C hubs and external displays" and while the official dock won't be coming out anytime soon, you can already enjoy that functionality with any number of generic USB-C docks, many of which offer HDMI output, allowing you to connect your Steam Deck to a TV, Nintendo Switch-style.
Looking for something new to get stuck into on your Steam Deck? Here are the best PC games right now.
