If you're looking to buy a Steam Deck in Australia then you may already know that it's not possible to buy from Valve directly. If you didn't, then spoiler alert! But, that doesn't mean it's impossible. We've taken a look at the ways you can buy a Steam Deck in Australia, and listed them below.
For the uninitiated, the Valve Steam Deck is a handheld games console that was released to critical acclaim in the US on February 25, 2022. Back then, it was only released in the US, UK, Canada and the European Union. Sadly, no Australian launch date was revealed.
And now, over a year since launch, the Steam Deck still isn’t available to buy in Australia directly from Valve, leaving keen gamers Down Under having to sit, wait and wish for an update.
Fortunately, despite Valve not offering it directly, there are now a few ways you can get your hands on the Steam Deck, which we'll explain in this article
Steam Deck: Where to buy one in Australia
In our opinion, the easiest and safest way to get your hands on a Steam Deck in Australia is to buy one from the likes of Kogan, Dick Smith or Amazon. These local retailers have all imported stock, so you can be safe in the knowledge that you will indeed get a genuine console.
While Kogan and Dick Smith in particular do clearly state it’s an international import, they both ship the Valve Steam Deck directly from their warehouses. Perhaps more crucially, they also include a warranty and you can choose to extend this to three or five years for an additional cost.
The same applies if you want to try your luck on eBay. The massive online marketplace isn't the first place we'd recommend buying a Steam Deck from, but if you do find listings from reputable Australian sellers then you will be protected by Australian Consumer Law.
Steam Deck: Pricing & availability in Australia
Because there’s no official Australian pricing and resellers know that the console is in demand, they’re free to charge pretty much whatever they want.
In the US, the Steam Deck starts at $399 for the 64GB model and rises to $649 for the 512GB model. If US pricing was converted directly to Australian dollars, this is what you would expect to pay for a Valve Steam Deck (conversion correct at time of writing):
- 64GB ($399): around AU$589
- 256GB ($529): around AU$781
- 512GB ($649): around AU$958
Because of the not-so-straightforward way for Australians to buy a Steam Deck, those who do want one should expect to pay more than the figures listed above.
You could pay the direct conversion, but to do so would mean you needing to use one of the best VPNs to visit the US Steam Deck order page, and place an order with a pre-paid virtual credit card, and having one shipped via. US freight-forwarding service.
Steam Deck: Specs and configuration in Australia
While these retailers do clearly state it’s an international import, they both ship the Valve Steam Deck directly from their warehouses. Perhaps more crucially, they also include a warranty and you can choose to extend this to three or five years for an additional cost.
Customer reviews appear to paint a positive picture too, with some claiming they received their Steam Deck within a week and that the whole ordering and delivery process can be trusted.
We should point out that Kogan and Dick Smith do host multiple listings for the Steam Deck, some of which are from third-party resellers. Direct listings from Kogan and Dick Smith will offer First Member pricing and will state it’s a direct import in the product description. You can also check which retailer is selling it in the shipping information box on a product listing.
As for pricing, both Kogan and Dick Smith charge more than the direct conversion, but not excessively so. And, considering they’re legitimate sources and include a warranty (not to mention the fact there’s no real other way to get a Steam Deck Down Under) we’d argue the pricing is fair.
Pricing for all three storage configurations at the time of writing is as follows:
