With the Steam Deck now available on various Australian sites, Australians are finally able to buy this device easily. In this article, we’ll look at a few ways of purchasing in Australia as of February 2023.
Buying from Kogan
Kogan is likely the biggest name selling the Steam Deck. There are two options here:
- Buying from Kogan directly
- Buying from a marketplace seller.
Kogan has the Steam Deck in stock and appears to ship the Steam Deck with an Australian power adapter.
Buying from other retailers
In addition to Kogan, you could also look for devices on
- Australia’s other marketplace sites – For example, Catch
- Amazon
- eBay
As always, remember to check feedback for individual sellers.
Importing directly – Mail forwarding
If you can’t find a reasonable price from an Australian seller, you can always import the Steam Deck directly from the US. This is an amalgamation of various guides with a bit more detail and my personal experience.
New Steam account + VPN
A US steam account is essential to buy a Steam Deck.
I established connection to the US using NordVPN. As I don’t fully trust client software, I ran this inside a VM running under Virtual Box.
Mail Forwarders
There are various options, however I choose to use a commonly recommended mail forwarder – Planet Express. They allow shipping to an Oregon warehouse with their premium plan which means there is no sales tax.
I also took advantage of consolidation to buy a SSD which fit neatly into the Steam Deck box when shipped.
US Phone Number
There are numerous options here:
- OpenPhone
- Google Phone
I used OpenPhone with an Oregon phone number to match the Planet Express shipping address. From what I could tell, this is unlikely to be needed. One benefit is that a unique phone number may assist in preventing your account from being flagged. There is a 7 day trial available and it is likely that the Steam Deck would arrive within this time window, so it may be worth while for safety.
Paying in USD
There are a few services available:
- US Unlocked
- Wise
I choose wise which has a $10 fee to get a physical card shipped. Using this service, I loaded a card with $399 USD required to buy the Steam Deck. If you plan ahead, you could bank transfer which would save you more money.
SSD Purchase, Consolidation
In addition to buying the Steam Deck, I purchased a 512GB 2230 m.2 NVME SSD from eBay and had it shipped to the mail forwarder.
Timeline, Costs
So, now everything is done, what did the whole process look like:
| 21/01/2023 | Ordered from Steam US |
| 22/01/2023 | Tracking provided, shipped |
| 22/01/2023 | Ordered SSD from eBay |
| 25/01/2023 | Delivered to Planet Express |
| 29/01/2023 | SSD Expected |
| 31/01/2023 | SSD delivered (Missed expected) |
| 31/01/2023 | Consolidation requested |
| 01/02/2023 | Planet Express order shipping requested by Fedex |
| 01/02/2023 | Tracking information received |
| 04/02/2023 | Arrived in Australia |
| 09/02/2023 | Delivered |
Costs are done using Mastercard’s exchange rate.
| Costs | USD | AUD |
| Planet Express Premium | $10 | $14.18 |
| Open Phone | $17 | $24.11 |
| Steam Deck | $399 | $565.87 |
| 512GB SSD | $57.95 | $82.19 |
| Consolidation | $9 | $12.76 |
| Shipping | $77.56 | $110.00 |
The approximate cost is $809.11AUD. This figure does not include a few misc charges like currency conversion through Wise, or membership cost.
FAQ
Is the overseas charger usable?
Yes, but it requires an adapter for Australian sockets.
What charger do I need?
You need one that supports 45W(15V/3A).
What are the risks of buying from a third party?
If the device is sold by an Australian seller, Australian Consumer Law applies. You are more likely to be able to succeed in making a claim with a larger Australian seller.
Can I upgrade the SSD myself?
Yes, https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989