Steam Deck is Valve's handheld gaming PC, and even though it's currently in the middle of its second generation, we've only just received word that it will officially release in Australia. That's right: after more than two years of bothering Valve about it, Steam Deck will ship to Australia from November 2024.
The announcement was made in mid-October, with official Australian prices starting from AU$649 for the 256GB LCD model, through to AU$1,049 for the 1TB OLED. Those are reasonable prices compared to grey market prices, so it turns out waiting to buy direct from Valve has been worth it (albeit, not without dollops of FOMO!).
Here's the official list of Australian Steam Deck prices, all of which include shipping:
- 256GB LCD: AU$649
- 512GB OLED: AU$899
- 1TB OLED: AU$1,049
But what's the difference between the LCD and OLED models, you ask? Following the launch of the OG Steam Deck in 2022, Valve released the Steam Deck OLED last year, which proved a nice improvement over the original. "The Steam Deck OLED refines an already fantastic handheld gaming PC," Tyler Colp wrote. "While it may not push the performance higher, the OLED screen, improved battery, and larger storage make it the most valuable device available."
From Steam Deck's February 2022 launch, the unit only shipped to the United States, UK, Canada and the European Union. Then in August 2023, Valve partnered with Komodo to make the Steam Deck available in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea.
Should I buy a Steam Deck in Australia via a third-party?
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It is possible to buy a Steam Deck in Australia without going ordering direct from Valve, and given Valve's move into Australia it may prove worthwhile if a bunch of grey market sellers want to offload their stock.
Retailers such as Amazon, eBay, Kogan, Dick Smith, Catch and even Woolworths have listings for purchasing Steam Deck for Australians, though none of those reputable retailers are actually selling it direct: All listings for Steam Deck are via third-party sellers.
It's not just us warning to be cautious: Valve itself has said to be careful. In a tweet on January 11, the official Steam Deck account had this to say. "A quick note that the only official ways to purchase Steam Deck are directly from Steam (in the US, CA, EU, and UK), or from Komodo (JP, KR, TW, and HK). Steam Decks sold via any other websites or retailers are unofficial - please be careful."
Should you buy a Steam Deck in Australia via a third-party seller? It's a risk, but if the prices end up somehow cheaper than Valve's own then it may be worthwhile. If you're buying via eBay, and with PayPal, there should be protections in place.
I'm throwing all caution to the wind and buying a Steam Deck via a third-party. Where is it currently cheap?
Below are the current best prices for all Steam Deck OLED models including 512GB and 1TB models. Again: check the seller, and check their reviews, before deciding to take the plunge.
When is the Steam Deck's official release date in Australia?
The Steam Deck will start shipping to Australia direct from Valve from November 2024. There doesn't appear to be pre-orders: trying to purchase one from Steam results in a "coming soon!" button. In other words, it looks like transactions are being held off until November.
How much will Steam Deck cost in Australia?
Now that Valve has announced official prices for the Steam Deck in Australia, the old grey market prices look a little extortionate, but only by around AU$100 in most cases. Here are the official Australian prices for the Steam Deck. These prices include shipping.
256GB LCD: AU$649
512GB OLED: AU$899
1TB OLED: AU$1,049
That almost checks out with how we predicted Valve would price the Steam Deck in Australia. We were expecting AU$920 for the 512GB OLED and AU$1,080 for the 1TB OLED. So we were close!
Are there alternatives to the Steam Deck that are available in Australia?
The ASUS ROG Ally is the first major device to compete with the Steam Deck, and unlike Valve's device, it's available in Australia. In our ROG Ally review, Dave James wrote that "the ROG Ally is the best handheld gaming PC on the market, and probably the best budget gaming PC full stop." Still, it's not exactly the same as the Steam Deck, and you should read Dave's full review for benchmarks, feature comparisons, and more.
The ROG Ally released in 2023 in Australia for AU$1,299. It's available to preorder through JB Hi-Fi or via ASUS direct.
