PAX Aus 2024 has wrapped! At this year’s event, Steam made its first-ever appearance. The juggernaut of PC gaming made one of the most overdue announcements for Australian gamers. Their popular gaming handheld, Steam Deck, is coming to Aussie shores much sooner than anticipated.
I remember when the Steam Deck was first released back in 2022. I saw an image of the system, and I was initially confused. PC gaming is an avenue I have yet to become familiar with, but I am aware of the necessary tech and parts you need for a PC to run games at the best possible specs. Straight away, I thought that there was no way this could be capable. I showed my girlfriend an image of the Steam Deck, and she mistook it for a Nintendo Switch. She was confused as well.
The more I thought about the system, the warmer my reception became. It felt like a clever evolution for casual gamers to enter PC gaming. It was a more convenient way for PC gamers to play their favourite games. These thoughts shifted to excitement when more news about the system came out. Steam would provide icons of the games tested for the system, allowing gamers to see which games are compatible with the handheld. Not to mention, Steam’s massive library of releases is a central selling point. The handheld arguably has the most extensive library of games ever released for a dedicated handheld, with thousands and thousands of games to experience.
All this excitement waned when the news came that Valve would not bring the Steam Deck to Australia. The disappointment was felt hard by the Australian gaming community. You can purchase the Steam Deck in Australia through online stores. However, you would have to pay heavy import fees, and none of the sellers were authorised sellers licensed to sell the system down under. Now and again, I have seen a Steam Deck in the wild in Australia; the last time was at a cinema where the man sitting in front of me was playing Hades while waiting for the film to start (the guy certainly had good taste).
Since the Steam Deck, other PC handhelds have hit the market, like the ASUS ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. These systems are available in certain Australian retailers and can be ordered online without added fees. I love the ROG Ally, but deep down, I always wanted a Steam Deck. I appreciate Steam Deck’s dedicated operating system the most, and Windows on the ROG Ally can be annoying occasionally.
These frustrations are now history. Steam announced the Steam Deck’s arrival at PAX, and Valve updated their website with an announcement:
“Your games, down under November 2024.
We are excited to announce that Steam Deck is coming to Australia in November 2024.”
SYSTEMS COMING TO AUSTRALIA AND PRICING
Steam Deck LCD (256GB) — $649
Steam Deck OLED (512GB) — $899
Steam Deck OLED (1TB) — $1,049
I am pleasantly surprised with the system's pricing. The ROG Ally retails for $1,099 at JB Hi-Fi, and the recently released Ally X retails for $1,499. The OLED 1TB variant of the Steam Deck is cheaper than the base ROG Ally. Granted, the Ally allows you to use Xbox Game Pass and Steam, so more games are available. But if you already have a library of games on Steam and you primarily use Steam for PC gaming, it is a no-brainer to go for the Steam Deck over the ROG Ally. The Steam Deck is still expensive, but compared to the competition, it is more affordable.
Valve has not announced an exact November release date for the Steam Deck, but you can wishlist the system on your Steam account. Stay tuned for more updates on the Steam Deck’s anticipated arrival in Australia.
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