I know it’s not the intended audience of scalpers. They aim for the people with too much money and fomo. But just remember that scalpers are the only way that the global south will ever get access to this hardware. Valve won’t sell me this computer, I get zero access to the lottery, they won’t ship to my country. But a random scalper on eBay will, without hesitation.
I don’t like consoles, but for contrast, I could go to my nearest mall and buy any current console in a brick and mortar store for a reasonable price, just a bit over the us dollar cost.
I know there’s probably a lot of price fixating cartels for a bunch of hardware stuff. Valve is fighting a losing battle in a space the have zero reputation. But at the same time, scalping, much like piracy, is a service problem. It’s the result of a poor and fragile supply chain and not enough marketing and commerce channels available.
Despite all the measures to deter scalping used on the steam controller, for example, which I think are fine. The fact that 80% of the planet can’t buy it directly from valve means that there will always be a scalping market. Even today the original LCD steam deck with the small ssd sells on eBay for absurd prices. It’s not a healthy second hand market or a bunch of people with desperate FOMO, the original deck is old news already. It’s people using the only purchase means available.
The fact that 80% of the planet can’t buy it directly from valve means that there will always be a scalping market.
I think it’s moronic to rely on scalping. This is a large market share that any competitor worth their money should be ready to jump on. It doesn’t take an MBA to slap together PC components, install SteamOS or Bazzite and sell an unofficial knock-off “console”. The global memory shortage being maybe the only serious obstacle.
Yet here we are 4 years later and 90% of the planet can only buy a Steam Deck via resellers with outrageous markup. Where are those well meaning competitors?
I know it’s not the intended audience of scalpers. They aim for the people with too much money and fomo. But just remember that scalpers are the only way that the global south will ever get access to this hardware. Valve won’t sell me this computer, I get zero access to the lottery, they won’t ship to my country. But a random scalper on eBay will, without hesitation.
I don’t like consoles, but for contrast, I could go to my nearest mall and buy any current console in a brick and mortar store for a reasonable price, just a bit over the us dollar cost.
I know there’s probably a lot of price fixating cartels for a bunch of hardware stuff. Valve is fighting a losing battle in a space the have zero reputation. But at the same time, scalping, much like piracy, is a service problem. It’s the result of a poor and fragile supply chain and not enough marketing and commerce channels available.
Despite all the measures to deter scalping used on the steam controller, for example, which I think are fine. The fact that 80% of the planet can’t buy it directly from valve means that there will always be a scalping market. Even today the original LCD steam deck with the small ssd sells on eBay for absurd prices. It’s not a healthy second hand market or a bunch of people with desperate FOMO, the original deck is old news already. It’s people using the only purchase means available.
I think it’s moronic to rely on scalping. This is a large market share that any competitor worth their money should be ready to jump on. It doesn’t take an MBA to slap together PC components, install SteamOS or Bazzite and sell an unofficial knock-off “console”. The global memory shortage being maybe the only serious obstacle.
Yet here we are 4 years later and 90% of the planet can only buy a Steam Deck via resellers with outrageous markup. Where are those well meaning competitors?