How to buy a Steam Deck in Australia
The newest gaming console in the market, the Steam Deck created by Valve, is a handheld device made specifically for Steam games.
It’s similar to the Nintendo Switch in that you can play on the go or dock it to play on your TV.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t had an official Australian release and there isn’t even a meep from Valve if it will even come to the Aussie market.
But never fear, you can still get your hands on a Steam Deck. Read on.
How to buy a Steam Deck
If you want to purchase a Steam Deck from Valve and not a third-party online marketplace, you’ll have to go through some hoops.
Step 1
For starters, you’ll need to use a VPN to appear as if you’re located somewhere in the world where the product is available. You’ll also have to update your steam account's home country and address to that location. Note that this cannot be an Aussie address, but if you don’t have an overseas address, there’s still a way to complete this step.
NOTE: If you don’t want to change the location of your main Steam account, you can instead make a new one using the location of your choice.
Step 2: How to get your Steam Deck delivered
Currently, you can only ship a new Steam Deck to the US, Canada, the European Union or the United Kingdom. So you’ll either need to send the package to a friend in one of these locations or use a mail forwarding service to get it to Australia.
Mail forwarding services let you use their overseas address to receive goods, then the item will be shipped directly to you in Australia. You’ll also want to use the mail forwarding company’s address when updating your Steam address. Be mindful, this is not a free service so remember to budget for the extra shipping costs.
Okay, that step is done. Now onto payment, which again isn’t a straightforward process.
Step 3
Steam will require you to use a local payment service, like a travel money card that can pay in the currency you need. So if you were to purchase your Steam Deck from the United States, you’d be converting your AUD to USD for the purchase.
After that, all that’s left is to wait for it to arrive. Congrats!
Where to buy a Steam Deck in Australia
Alternatively, if you want to skip this process, you can purchase a Steam Deck from a third-party online marketplace. But you must do your due diligence and ensure they are reputable before giving them your money.
Some online marketplaces that currently offer Steam Decks are:
Be aware that third-party sellers tend to charge significantly more than the cost of your average Steam Deck. And if the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
Current Steam Deck deals
Here are some of the latest Steam Deck deals in Australia.
Does the Steam Deck work in Australia
Steam Decks do work in Australia. A few people in the Mozo office own one, and they work well. Plus, they’re connected to Steam AU accounts and run without issues.
When you receive your Steam Deck, you’ll need to log in to your Steam account and change clock settings to Australia.
Related: What do gamers need from an NBN plan?
After it downloads some software, you can start playing through your Steam library*.
*Note: Not all Steam games are compatible with the Steam Deck.
If you’re looking for some new games for your Steam Deck, check out our online shopping hub. There are some great video games you can start playing today!