Valve's Steam Deck released early last year in the US on February 25, 2022, and to the continuing frustration of Antipodean gamers, there's still no word on an Australian release of the handheld gaming PC. Thankfully, it's relatively easy to buy a Steam Deck in Australia.
For those unfamiliar with the device, the Steam Deck is an ultra-beefy Nintendo Switch-style handheld that's designed to provide portable access to your Steam library of games.
While the Steam Deck has yet to be officially released Down Under, several reputable retailers in Australia have started selling imported stock of the device. Of course, buying a Steam Deck on the grey market will undoubtedly bring to mind some concerns, usually involving pricing and warranty.
With that in mind, we're here to clear up any questions you might have about purchasing an imported Steam Deck, such as where you can find one, how much they typically cost and what you can expect in terms of international support.
Alternatively, you could instead opt to pick up the Asus ROG Ally — a Steam Deck competitor which one-ups Valve's handheld by actually having an official release in Australia.
Additionally, a new contender has arrived on the handheld PC scene in the Lenovo Legion Go — a device with a huge 8.8-inch 1600p display and Switch-style detachable controllers. We recently went hands-on with the Lenovo Legion Go and came away thinking it has a shot at becoming the new handheld champion.
Of course, it's too early to know if a device like that will be able to hold a candle to Valve's Steam Deck, which has the beautiful and approachable SteamOS 3.0 interface all to itself. Here's everything you need to know about buying a Steam Deck in Australia.
Steam Deck in Australia: specs / configurations
Valve's Steam Deck is sold in three different storage configurations overseas, and while each model's specs are mostly the same, there are a few key differences to take note of.
The entry-level model includes 64GB of eMMC storage, as opposed to the SSD storage found on the 256GB and 512GB models. The reason for this is that eMMC storage is said to be faster than SSD when the storage amount is small, while SSD performs better over larger storage sizes. You can also expand the amount of storage available thanks to the inclusion of a microSD card slot.
All three models are powered by the same AMD Zen 2 CPU, with an RDNA 2 APU for integrated graphics. You also get the same 7-inch LCD display (1280 x 800) regardless of which model you choose, however, it's worth noting that only the 512GB model sports anti-glare etched glass.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| CPU/GPU | AMD Zen 2 + RDNA 2 APU | 4-core, 8-thread with 8 RDNA 2 compute units for GPU |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5 | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| Screen | 7-inch 1280x800 LCD Display | 512GB model to include anti-glare etched glass |
| Battery | 40-watt hour | 7-8 hours for 2D games/web browsing |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| Storage | 64GB; 256GB; 512GB | 256GB and 512GB models will use faster NVMe SSD storage. 64GB will use eMMC. |
| Expansion | Micro SD Card slot | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
| Other | Built-in microphone, ambient light sensor | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
Steam Deck in Australia: Where to find one
Without question, the easiest way to acquire a Steam Deck in Australia is to simply purchase one from a reputable local retailer — well-known stores such as Amazon, Dick Smith and Kogan are all stocking imported Steam Deck units via third-party resellers, though be prepared for inflated pricing.
Of course, you can also buy Valve's Steam Deck from eBay, though we recommend only buying from a recognisable Aussie seller, even if you have to pay a little more. Not only will you receive your Steam Deck quicker, you'll also be covered under Australian Consumer Law with regards to warranty (more on that later).
Steam Deck in Australia: Pricing and availability
In the US, the Steam Deck is priced at $399 (around AU$602) for the 64GB model, $529 (around AU$798) for the 256GB model, and $649 (AU$980) for the 512GB model.
Unfortunately, there's no straightforward way for Aussies to purchase a Steam Deck directly from Valve — that means a direct price conversion is out of the question unless you're willing to use a pre-paid virtual credit service such as StatesCard and a US postage freight-forwarding service like Shipito. Both of these come with their own additional costs, not to mention the extra hassle of organising it all.
Aussies can expect to pay around AU$849-AU$889 for an entry-level 64GB model, roughly AU$1,049 for the 256GB version, and somewhere in the AU$1,212-AU$1,250 region for the top-end 512GB variant. That said, prices from third-party sellers may fluctuate.
Steam Deck in Australia: Is it covered by warranty?
If you've purchased a Steam Deck from a reputable retailer within Australia, you can rest assured that is indeed covered by Australian Consumer Law, regardless of it being an import. That means you are entitled to a refund or replacement if your Steam Deck happens to fail.
That said, warranty claims will likely require your Steam Deck to be returned to the retailer's supplier (likely in the US) for assessment, and this process could take some time. It will be up to them whether your device can be repaired, replaced or refunded.
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