Will Steam Deck be sold in stores?

Valve launched its Steam Deck handheld gaming PC back in February of 2022. At the time, it was available by preorder only, sparking the question of whether or not it would ever be sold in retail stores.

Since the device’s launch, preorders have cooled down a ton. In fact, in October of 2022, Valve began selling the Steam Deck from its website without the need for preorders.

But as of now, the device is still not quite available in retail stores. It’s not surprising, given today’s tendency to shop online. But does that mean Steam Deck will never make its way to retail stores?

Is Steam Deck going to be sold in stores?

Short answer: Not at this time.

The answer is still up in the air when it comes to the Steam Deck making its way to a store near you. As of October 2023, Valve hasn’t said anything about selling the consoles in a retail environment. But that could certainly change.

The Steam Deck FAQ page used to have a section about the possibility. It claimed Valve might eventually partner with retailers to bring Steam Deck to brick-and-mortar stores.

However, since then, Valve has updated the FAQ page, and that entry no longer exists. It’s unclear if Valve scrapped any plans to go retail or if the company is keeping things close to the chest.

As of now, though, the prospects of seeing one of these in a local GameStop seems slim.

Where to buy a Steam Deck

Your only option to purchase the Steam Deck is to buy one online. Fortunately, however, you don’t have to worry about waiting for a preorder.

Valve says it has enough stock of the Steam Deck for now that orders can go out as soon as you place one. The company says that could change in the future.

Where can you buy the Steam Deck?

To buy your Steam Deck, head to Valve’s website and pick which option you want. You can choose between 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options for your Steam Deck, and Valve says they’ll be delivered in one to two weeks.

Previously, the company exclusivly sold the device via its online storefront, but now third-party sellers are hawking them at retailers like Walmart, Newegg, StockX, and more.

However, it’s worth pointing out that most third-sellers are selling these at a markup. Not to mention, some of these listings could even be scams or involve stolen goods so just keep that in mind the next time you see a juicy offer.

There’s still a chance that Steam Deck could come to stores

Hey, maybe it wouldn’t have been a good idea to sell at these in stores at launch. Launching in retail stores when the Steam Deck first launched would have likely been disastrous.

But now that things have calmed down and inventory is in order, it seems like Steam Deck might come to a store near you.

However, the company has yet to say anything that would suggest that. So to answer your question, sadly, there’s no option to buy a Steam Deck in stores.

So if you’re looking to get your hands on a Steam Deck as quickly as possible, you’ll have to head to the Valve website and order one directly.

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