Steam Deck OLED hits retail stores on December 12th in Asia

This is wonderful for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan! Kinda envious of them, honestly!
Being from the US, it's sad not to see the Steam Deck at a retail store (probably because the US is letting the retail space die, I only say as half a joke). I was in a Best Buy a few weeks ago and stopped when I thought I saw a Steam Deck on display. Got a little excited thinking "Oh wow, Valve is finally putting their console in stores!"... then I realized I was looking at the Ally and immediately was saddened.

Not to rain on the Ally's parade at all! I love that there's competition in the mobile console space and bringing those prices down, but, I will admit I'm a Steam Deck fan boy of sort and I just really think it'd do even better if it was available in a way that Grandma and Grandpa could get one to give to little Tina or Timmy for the holidays.

Also, I have the original Steam Deck and would love to see/feel the new OLED version in the flesh (so to speak) to really see the difference before deciding to spend money on it.

Quoting: ObsidianBlkThis is wonderful for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan! Kinda envious of them, honestly!
Being from the US, it's sad not to see the Steam Deck at a retail store (probably because the US is letting the retail space die, I only say as half a joke). I was in a Best Buy a few weeks ago and stopped when I thought I saw a Steam Deck on display. Got a little excited thinking "Oh wow, Valve is finally putting their console in stores!"... then I realized I was looking at the Ally and immediately was saddened.

Not to rain on the Ally's parade at all! I love that there's competition in the mobile console space and bringing those prices down, but, I will admit I'm a Steam Deck fan boy of sort and I just really think it'd do even better if it was available in a way that Grandma and Grandpa could get one to give to little Tina or Timmy for the holidays.

Also, I have the original Steam Deck and would love to see/feel the new OLED version in the flesh (so to speak) to really see the difference before deciding to spend money on it.

I agree, I'm quite shocked that Valve hasn't tried to work with the few brick and mortar stores around, like Walmart. Though I guess some of them have questionable pay rates for their customers. Hell, even selling through Amazon would maybe lighten any load of shipping it out themselves. But the Best Buys, Game Stops, etc would be a good place to see them.

Kind of sad that so much of the shopping experience is going away. There definitely are things where it sucks to buy them online, like clothes, for example.

I wonder what the hold up is in places like Australia and New Zealand for example? They're in the same region and still nothing, nadda. I don't get it.

I would think Valve would want to be selling in as many places as possible.

Quoting: ObsidianBlkNot to rain on the Ally's parade at all! I love that there's competition in the mobile console space

I'm perfectly happy to rain on the Ally's parade unless and until they sell it with Linux instead of Windows.

Valve should really figure some way of getting it to happen in China.

Quoting: slaapliedjeI agree, I'm quite shocked that Valve hasn't tried to work with the few brick and mortar stores around, like Walmart. Though I guess some of them have questionable pay rates for their customers. Hell, even selling through Amazon would maybe lighten any load of shipping it out themselves. But the Best Buys, Game Stops, etc would be a good place to see them.

Kind of sad that so much of the shopping experience is going away. There definitely are things where it sucks to buy them online, like clothes, for example.

I myself am still definitely a fan of brick and mortar stores . . . and I don't even like shopping. Certainly I think it's usually a bad idea to buy clothes or above all shoes over the internet . . . but my main things to buy are books, and I definitely hit the actual bookstore for them whenever at all possible. Especially my favourite bookstore, the fantasy and science fiction specialty bookstore White Dwarf Books, which has the serious advantage that when I'm looking at a new release I can say "Jill, is this one any good?" and the proprietor will say "I haven't read that one but people have been saying X and Y about it."

As to selling through Amazon, I hear that is not nearly as compelling as it used to be if you have any alternative. Amazon have been jacking up their rates for third party sellers, charging for good search placement and generally nickel and diming them to death, and simultaneously they have provisions in their contracts (somewhat like Steam's own provisions on this topic) prohibiting selling the thing cheaper anywhere else. They have sellers over a barrel and they are increasingly exploiting it in what Cory Doctorow calls "enshittification". Valve are probably wise to instead rely on their own sales channel that they control.

Meanwhile Australians just sitting around waiting for Valve to remember we exist..

Quoting: Purple Library GuyAmazon have been jacking up their rates for third party sellers, charging for good search placement and generally nickel and diming them to death,

That explains why the place looks like a reskinned Wish.com or similar these days, with counterfeit goods prioritised above all else.

Quoting: lejimsterI wonder what the hold up is in places like Australia and New Zealand for example? They're in the same region and still nothing, nadda. I don't get it.

I would think Valve would want to be selling in as many places as possible.

Quoting: gradyvuckovicMeanwhile Australians just sitting around waiting for Valve to remember we exist..

Valve probably still pissed at the 3 million dollarydoo fine we gave them a few years ago for not offering refunds and this is our punishment........

Quoting: gradyvuckovicMeanwhile Australians just sitting around waiting for Valve to remember we exist..

Steam probably got in discussion with EB Games months ago. And EB Games are deadlocked on terms and conditions that are not acceptable to Valve.

Would not surprise me.