You can currently score a 512GB Steam Deck OLED in Australia for as little as $1,151 via a grey market import seller on Kogan until the clock strikes midnight AEDT tonight, 16 January. The deal is part of the marketplace’s 24-hour flash sale deal.
Buyers who sign up (or are already a member) for a Kogan First subscription — which also has a fourteen-day free trial period for new users, just in case you want to take advantage of that — can throw in the code FLASHTEN at checkout to save $148 on the regular sale price of the 512GB version of the Steam Deck OLED. Depending on the storefront, the 1TB version regularly retails on various Australian reseller marketplaces for between $1400-$1549.
While a sale on the Steam Deck OLED in a storefront based in Australia might be tempting for those keen to get their hands on Valve’s handheld console, it’s worth remembering that this is a grey import Steam Deck. Valve has yet to officially start selling Steam Decks in Australia, and there’s yet to be any indication of when we might see the console hit our shores in an official capacity, either.
While Kogan offers a one-year warranty on the 512GB Steam Deck OLED and a customer guarantee under Australian consumer law, it’s likely to be a complicated experience should buyers experience any issues. While Valve does generally offer a manufacturer’s warranty, the fact you’re buying from a third-party who has imported the console into Australia does mean the hardware won’t be covered by Valve themselves. Such is the risk of purchasing grey import tech.
Based on multiple reviews, the Steam Deck OLED sold via Kogan appears to come with an EU charger and an Australian USB-C wall adapter; therefore, the accessories provided can’t actually be used to charge the hardware on their own – you’d need to source your own USB-C charger, despite the product description indicating an AU/NZ charger is included. The average rating for the listing is 4.5 stars, with most of the four-star ratings being due to this charger mishap.
As we’ve previously mentioned, when Steam Decks first started cropping up via platforms like the Woolworths and Big W marketplaces via resellers, it was very much a buyer-beware situation. If you’re bursting a vein to get your hands on a Steam Deck OLED and don’t want to wait for Valve to (hopefully) eventually bring them to Australian shores in an official capacity, there are plenty of importers racing to bring them to Aussies earlier – if you’re willing to accept the risks and hope for the best when it comes to your shiny new hardware.
At the very least, should you decide to jump in on an OLED model early, the Kogan sale will save you a few dollarydoos, at least until 11:59 PM tonight, if you’re willing to go through the Kogan First membership rigmarole.
Image: Valve
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