I am not sure if what Valve should glean from the most expensive model being the most ordered is folks must want more expensive options.
For me, I have wanted a handheld PC for ages, but the price points have always sat in this weird space where I could upgrade my main machine, at one point even build a new one, or get a slightly more performant laptop.
The stars aligned here with GPU shortages and overall shortages that have resulted in higher prices for everything else and Valve swooping in with an aggressively priced device that would normally cost a fair bit more, even putting aside this current environment. All told, this is a litmus test to see if the handheld PC market is underserved and larger than the small niche it is assumed. Being too quick to pivot to higher priced devices may just keep handheld PCs a boutique or enthusiast device (or at least fail to shed the perception of it).
For me, I have wanted a handheld PC for ages, but the price points have always sat in this weird space where I could upgrade my main machine, at one point even build a new one, or get a slightly more performant laptop.
The stars aligned here with GPU shortages and overall shortages that have resulted in higher prices for everything else and Valve swooping in with an aggressively priced device that would normally cost a fair bit more, even putting aside this current environment. All told, this is a litmus test to see if the handheld PC market is underserved and larger than the small niche it is assumed. Being too quick to pivot to higher priced devices may just keep handheld PCs a boutique or enthusiast device (or at least fail to shed the perception of it).