Valve Steam Deck Docking Station Hands-On

One of the great aspects though of this being the official dock for the Steam Deck, when plugging in the Steam Deck Docking Station for the first time I was immediately prompted on the Steam Deck to apply a firmware update.

The Steam Deck Docking Station firmware updates are integrated nicely with SteamOS for an easy and optimal user experience, which can't be said the same about third-party USB-C hubs / docking stations.

The Steam Deck Docking Station is rather small but just large enough to effectively support the Steam Deck vertically and to not block the exhaust port on the Steam Deck for adequate cooling. I did have issues using a cheap DisplayPort to HDMI adapter with the Steam Deck Docking station but when it came to trying out various HDMI and DisplayPort displays with the Steam Deck Docking Station, they had worked out fine.

When analyzing the Steam Deck Docking Station under Linux, the Gigabit Ethernet adapter is using an ASIX AX88179A chipset that is commonly used by various USB-C to Ethernet adapters. The USB hub IP is from VIA Labs and as part of that the VIA USB Billboard Device for Alt-Mode handling.

From the time I've been using the Steam Deck Docking Station thus far, it has worked out well. It is unfortunately much more expensive at $89 USD than alternative, unofficial docking stations for the Steam Deck or any simple USB-C hub. However, it is built well and the added benefit of firmware update integration with SteamOS for a nice out-of-the-box experience. If you can afford it, great, otherwise there are plenty of other Linux compatible USB-C hubs/docks/adapters on the market depending upon your needs.

To order or learn more about the Steam Deck Docking Station, visit SteamPowered.com.