Scalpers selling Steam Deck reservations for up to $5,000 on eBay

Massive demand and interest has emboldened scalpers to hike secondhand sales of Valve's new Steam Deck.

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Pre-orders for Valve's new Steam Deck handheld-PC console went live today, and predictably, securing an order is pretty tough. Valve is doing a $5 reservation to gauge how many units they need to produce to meet initial shipments in December 2021 and throughout 2022. It's been a frustrating process so far.

Consumers who can't seem to secure a reservation pre-order or don't want to mess around with long queues have another option: Buy from a scalper. eBay listings have popped up commanding up to $5,000 price tags for the 512GB NVMe SSD Steam Decks. These auctions are extra tricky because no one has actually pre-ordered a Steam Deck yet--they've just bought a reservation, or a chance to fully pre-order the Steam Deck, for $5.

The auctions assume the seller will actually pay for the full pre-order once they become available. Valve also warns that reservations do not guarantee an actual pre-order invitation, so the eBay listings may not be for an actual available product.

Read Also: Valve Steam Deck technical specifications confirmed: PC gaming meets portable

The Steam Deck currently has three SKUs with varying storage:

• Steam Deck 64GB eMMC - $399
• Steam Deck 256GB NVMe SSD - $529
• Steam Deck 512GB NVMe SSD - $649

Here's a tidbit from the Steam Deck FAQ:

When will I be able to order?

We are aiming to start sending order invitations by December 2021. We will make every effort to convert all reservations to orders but we are not able to guarantee availability.

Can I cancel my reservation?

Yes, you can cancel your reservation on this page. If you cancel within 30 days, you will be refunded to whatever payment method you used. If you cancel after 30 days, your reservation fee will be refunded to your Steam Wallet.

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