Almost three years after it first launched overseas, Valve is finally offering its gaming handheld to Aussies.
Following a tease last month, the Steam Deck has made its debut down under on the show-floor of this year's PAX Australia in Melbourne. Those who are planning to attend the convention this weekend can drop by the Steam booth to check out the hardware for themselves, though they won't be able to walk away with one.
If you are keen to drop the cash on the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED, you won't have to wait long though. Valve is taking orders for the handheld directly through Steam, with the device available to wishlist from today. According to the company, it will start taking Australian orders for Steam Deck in November with units shipping out immediately from a local warehouse.
"We’ve been working on bringing Steam Deck to Australia for a while. It took a bit more time than we expected, and we’re pleased that we can finally make this announcement," the company said.
Given Valve's past pitfalls with the ACCC and Australian Consumer Law, it's little surprise that the company plans plans to play nice with the aforementioned legislation this time around. That might sound like a low bar, but it means that the customer service (and potential return or refund processes) involved should be much better than what you'll get if you import the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED through a grey-market reseller.
As for how much it'll cost you, the asking prices here are more reasonable than you might expect and a lot cheaper than the cost of importing a Steam Deck has been to date.
The 256GB version of the original Steam Deck is priced at $649, the 512GB version of the Steam Deck OLED is priced at $899 and the top-of-the-line 1TB model is priced at $1049.
In Australia, the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED will go on sale in November 2024.
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