Buying Steam Games from another region?

TheLaserSonic on 02/12/2021 - 09:18

I'm looking to try and do is use my VPN to purchase steam games, and I'm wondering how some others do this. It's not like GOG, where I can just change my region, log on through the website and pay, since Steam actively tracks the region you are from (and seems to limit how many times you can change that region to prevent exactly what I'm doing).

So I'm wondering about ways to still make use of regional pricing. A couple ways I can think of include:

  • Creating a new steam account from another region and gifting my main account games. I'm not sure if this will work, because I will still need to put in my (AUS) payment details, and if they ask for an address, I can't provide one.

  • using a VPN to buy Steam Keys (from sites like Greenmangaming, GameBillet, etc.). Possible, but not every store like that has every game I want, so either I'd have to make multiple accounts, or I'd need to purchase from steam anyway.

Does anyone have any advice?

Gaming PC Game Steam Game Video Game

Related Stores

Steam
Steam

Comments

  • freefall101 on 02/12/2021 - 09:40
    +3

    Steam blocks you from buying in a cheap location and gifting it to a user in an expensive country to stop exactly what you're trying to do. You also need to use a local payment method so you can't use your AUS payment details. That said, you get around that by buying giftcards for that country.

    Some keys are location locked too, so you won't be able to use it in your main account unless it's a global key.

    Just buy it from G2A or somewhere like that. Cuts out the effort, they're getting global keys from lower cost countries and selling them. Also decreases the risk of Valve up and banning your main account because what you're saying is clearly against their terms and conditions.

    • TheLaserSonic on 02/12/2021 - 10:12

      I've heard some less than stellar reports about G2A; something about it being not an official store, and selling keys that are not official.

      I'd rather not tussle with that if I don't have to.

      • freefall101 on 02/12/2021 - 10:32

        G2A used to have a big issues with games bought with stolen credit cards, so there's that issue too. Sometimes the games just get revoked later down the road.

        But basically Valve weren't born yesterday, they've cracked down on the easiest ways of doing this and could just ban your account if you start buying all your games this way. There's no easy way to get a lot of games on your main account that were bought in a cheaper country without risking getting the whole account banned.

  • SnowDragon on 02/12/2021 - 10:11
    +2

    You can do it, but most of the time you need to fire up the VPN to launch the game so it's not worth the hassle.

    The one thing I've found useful is DLC though. Once bought a whole lot of cosmetics in the game really cheap using a VPN, but I was kind of afraid Steam would bring down the ban hammer so I've been legit since.

    It's not worth losing your main account for.

    • KaTst3R on 02/12/2021 - 12:36

      No you dont need the VPN when starting a steam game that is from a different area. My steam is from SEA region. As long the location is updated and you have a payment method from that country, you start Steam without VPN and you can see regional pricing. Everything works as normal.

  • raptormesh on 02/12/2021 - 10:31

    Does anyone knows what happens if you move regions permanently? aka relocate.

    • freefall101 on 02/12/2021 - 10:39
      +1

      I moved countries legitimately a few years back from Canada to Australia, you just log in, update your location (you need to have an IP address in that country) and it'll ask you to update your billing address and payment method (the billing address has to match the payment method). Then it just works as normal again.

      At one point they asked for proof of residence (like a passport or visa), thankfully those days are gone.

      • raptormesh on 02/12/2021 - 10:42

        Thanks! Seems a lot less involved than I expect though this means i will have to update my paypal details first.

  • sticky8anana on 02/12/2021 - 12:10

    I don't think it's worth it.

    Just grab cheap steam keys from sites like Instant Gaming or CDKeys

  • orangetrain on 02/12/2021 - 13:33
    +1

    Steam likes charging Australians a lot. Australia seems to be 4th most expensive and it's not just the third party publishers, Valve/Gabe does the Australia tax too with their own games: https://steamdb.info/app/546560/

    Just throwing it out here.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join