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In 2021, Valve turned the gaming world upside down by announcing the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming device most similar to the Nintendo Switch, complete with a small screen and controls on the left and right.

The Steam Deck has been available abroad for months. And there’s no word on when it’ll be released in Australia other than “somewhere soon.” Well, today Valve has expanded the markets in which you can get your hands on one. Why it’s getting closer and closer to Australia, we miss again.

When is the Valve Steam Deck release date?

The Valve Steam Deck was released in a few markets on February 25, with the first pre-order models being sent to early buyers around February 28. Since it went on sale, Valve has been sending regular emails to reservation holders telling them they can buy the Steam Deck. That means many people have been patiently waiting to get their hands on the highly sought after gadget.

Unfortunately, each market recognized by Valve for release was the US, UK, Canada, Germany and France. Today, Valve has expanded that. It announced that the Steam Deck is coming to new regions, allowing those in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong to pre-order consoles.

Valve has outlined some rough estimates on when to expect the Steam Deck in other markets, but it’s actually “after Q2 2022”. Sorry Aussies, we don’t have an exact release date for the region yet.

How to reserve the Steam Deck in Australia

In fact, through some online wizardry, it’s possible for an Australian to pre-order a Steam Deck from, say, the US. You’ll need a VPN set up in a US location – once you set this up, the order page should unlock and you should be able to pre-order when supplies become available. This is the same thing Aussies had to do to get the Valve Index early. So yes, it’s possible to get the Steam Deck in Australia, but it’s best to fully understand what that can mean for small things like access and charging and big things like your consumer protections and warranties.

Steam deck price

This is not a cheap piece of kit and will cost you hundreds of dollars. There are three models available, so you get quite a bit of choice in what you want to get out of the device. We will convert the prices below from USD to AUD, but as we know, simply converting the cost of technology in the US to Australian dollars does not give us the full price (how good* is the Australian tax?).

Also consider shipping costs when making a purchase. If storage is super important to you, you can also expand it with a MicroSD card.

  • The cheapest option is $US399 (converted, that’s about $555), packed with 64GB of eMMC internal storage and a carrying case.
  • The mid-range model costs $529 (about $740, direct conversion), with 256GB SSD internal storage, a carrying case, and a Steam Community profile bundle (for your Steam profile).
  • Finally, the most expensive model is $649 ($903 converted, so probably $1,000 tip), complete with 512GB NVME storage, anti-glare etched glass, an “exclusive” carrying case, an exclusive bundle of steam community profiles, and an exclusive virtual keyboard theme.

Here’s a quick teardown video of the Steam Deck

Last year, Valve released a nifty little video of a Steam Deck teardown, revealing what it looks like internally.

The company mostly did this as a warning and advised users not to try this at home, but did not discourage disassembly and modification of the system. You can do it, it’s just… be careful.

Even though this is, or will be, your PC once you receive your Steam Deck and you have every right to open it and do whatever you want, we at Valve really don’t recommend you ever open it, the narrator says.

What are the specifications of the Steam Deck?

The most interesting question for a PC gamer like me: what are the specs? Well, they are actually quite impressive for such a small device. Here’s a quick overview:

  • Processor: AMD Zen 2 APU
  • GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs
  • Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5 built-in RAM
  • Storage: 64 GB eMMC, 256 GB SSD or 512 GB NVMe SSD (all models are upgradable with a MicroSD card)
  • Display: 7-inch 1280 x 800 IPS LCD touchscreen with 16:10 aspect ratio, 60 Hz refresh rate and 400 nits brightness
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 and Dual Band Wi-Fi
  • Sound: 3.5mm headphone jack, multi-channel audio over USB-C, two built-in microphones and onboard stereo sound
  • Battery: 40Wh battery for 2 – 8 hours of gameplay depending on the game
  • Port: USB-C charging and data port
  • Mate: 298mm x 117mm x 49mm, weight 669 grams
  • Software: Steam OS 3.0
  • Operating modes: handheld and connected to a display.

Steam Deck Features and Design

The Steam Deck is most similar to the Nintendo Switch, both in form and function. It is designed as a modern portable game console, rectangular in shape with your hands intended to grip the sides of the device, where the buttons are located.

The main way Valve wants people to use the Steam Deck is in handheld mode – using the built-in buttons, joysticks and triggers, Valve wants gamers to use the Steam Deck on the go or just away from their main setup. It also features cloud capabilities for Steam owned games and MicroSD storage.

However, the Steam Deck can also be used when connected to a display. Like the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck can be played on a monitor or TV. Unlike the Switch, you don’t need a special Dock for this. Instead, the user just needs to connect the USB-C port to the display of their choice. It’s that simple.

In addition to the two modes of use, the Steam Deck has a range of features. Games can be played from the cloud on the Steam Deck (provided you own them on Steam and have them installed on a computer), and your storage can be expanded with a microSD card. The device is powered by SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system, but can also run Windows 10.

However, a dock is coming

While you don’t need a dock to connect the Steam Deck to a TV or monitor, Valve is currently developing one. Though you can’t preorder it, the dock comes with three USB 3.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, HDMI 2.0, and a USB-C cable that plugs into the Steam Deck. There is also an Ethernet port that supports gigabit speeds. It’s not necessary, but those ports are handy. As of June 3, the dock was delayed.

Steam Deck gameplay

While we haven’t gone hands-on with Valve’s handheld yet, our colleague in the US has. This is an excerpt from his review:

Valve is rushing to fix bugs, add features, and improve the performance of its software before the Steam Deck gets into the hands of customers. Even today, after releasing updates for weeks, the software still remains a work in progress. You should be somewhat relieved to know that things are going in the right direction. I’m a fan of the overall SteamOS interface.

If you want specific gameplay footage, you’ll find Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V and Elden Ring gameplay below, as captured by TheRelaxingEnd.

Cyberpunk 2077

Grand Theft Auto V

Elden Ring

If you’re looking for some gameplay footage from Valve itself, here’s the trailer the company released.

Valve is in the process of verifying games for the deck, Valve has a running list of what you can expect to play and we’ve broken that down a little further from that link.

Steam deck accessories

Ordering the device will get you a carrying case for the console, but that’s about where it ends as far as official accessories go, aside from the aforementioned dock.

While there are no official accessories other than the carrying case, the device is compatible with keyboards, mice, headsets, headphones, Bluetooth devices, and wireless devices such as controllers. Functionally, it is capable of all the accessories you would expect from a PC for basic games.

Can I use the Steam Deck for more than just Steam Deck games?

This is an interesting question – yes, the console can do more than just play Steam Deck (or just play Steam) games. Here’s how it works: Steam doesn’t use Windows, although it does use a Linux-based operating system, SteamOS. SteamOS on the Steam Deck includes a compatibility tool called Proton, which allows any game built for Windows to run on the Steam operating system. It’s a fun trick. Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of SteamOS, the system can dual boot into Windows 10, and Valve even works with AMD to make sure Windows 11 works properly on the device.

What’s even neater is that you can have more than just the Steam Launcher built into the device, meaning you can run non-Steam games on it, provided they’re compatible with the hardware.

How does the Steam Deck compare to the competition?

The Steam Deck has some competition, but until the device is commercially available it will be hard to say how it compares to these other consoles.

steam deck
L to R: The Steam Deck, the AYA Neo, the ONEXPLAYER and the GPD WIN 3. Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia

Compared to other PC-based handhelds, its closest counterpart is the AYA Neo, a crowdfunded PC gaming handheld running Windows 10. It boasts impressive specs similar to the Steam Deck, with two models available at higher prices. Prices.

Moving on to the AYA Neo, there are a few other options. The OneXPlayer is very similar to the AYA Neo, packed with a larger screen and similar specs. The OneXPlayer also has an Intel CPU and an Intel Iris XE GPU, unlike the Steam Deck’s AMD CPU.

In addition, the GPD Win 3 is a portable Windows 10 machine intended for handheld gaming (including a sliding screen that reveals a small keyboard), with an Intel CPU instead of the Deck and Neo’s AMD CPU.

The Australian availability of these Steam Deck alternatives varies, but if you’re just looking for a portable gaming device, the Nintendo Switch is readily available.

This article has been updated since it was first published and we’ll keep it updated as we learn more, so be sure to check back.