We recently saw the entry of Valve’s Steam Deck, a handheld gaming console that features some juicy internal specs. However, it’s also an undeniable fact that during this trying time when the demand for consumer electronics is high, there is bound to be a commotion whenever a new gadget enters the market.
According to sources, due to the intervention of scalpers, the price of Valve’s new Steam Deck is as high as $5,000. And this event took place just one day after the gaming device went up for pre-order.
As we know, the original prices offered by Valve for its three different versions of the Stream Deck is as follows: A $399 base model that features 64GB of eMMC storage, a $529 model that includes a 256GB NVMe SSD, and a $649 model with a 512GB NVMe SSD as well as anti-glare glass for the display.
However, the company didn’t expect that the Demand for its handheld device was higher than what it originally predicted. When the device went for pre-orders, the server’s got strained due to heavy traffic, and as a result, now the delivery dates have slipped to 2Q22 for the 64GB and 256GB models and 3Q22 for the 512GB one.
What Valve offers is that it provides these pre-orders as reservations, with a $5 deposit applied to the final order during shipping. However, the scalpers are selling the reservation, meaning that the buyers will buy the device from Valve. This makes it harder for the buyers to determine the true cost of the system, and scalpers can maximize their profits,
However, due to this incident, the secondary market value of the handheld gaming device is soaring above the official price. On eBay, the device is being offered to range from $800 for reservations for the 64GB model to as high as $5,000 for reservations for the 512GB model.
