Gifting from China/Other region related issues

[j.]

I am in the Chinese region, and I realized how annoying it is to not be able to gift someone outside of China. I just want to ask if there are any ways around it, like vpns/changing ip. Also, will it get me banned if I do so? I've heard both voices and I want to make sure.

Such is the sad reality I guess...but I should be thankful that Steam is still available in China, unlike some others...*cough* Origin *cough*

[76561198218426745]

Using a VPN or proxy to bypass region restrictions will result in your account being suspended. Don't do that. Games in the SEA region are significantly cheaper than in other regions, the restrictions are to prevent abuse. You can send your friend some money and have them purchase the game themselves.

[j.]

What about purchases then? Will I be able to play or activate the games purchased in China? I know some games have specified statements, but most games don't

[76561198218426745]

The answer is slightly complicated. Steam changed the way store countries work, in that you now keep your country no matter where you are in the world. So if you live in China but visit the US, you will see Chinese prices and can pay using a payment method tied to an address in China.

However Steam expects users to set their country to the one they permanently reside in, so if you moved from China to another country permanently, some of the games purchased in China may no longer be playable. It's a decision by the game developer, and will vary from game to game.

[j.]

Interesting. My most recent travel was back in summer, and I remember switching countries without any problems, just like before. Is it just updated recently?

[76561198218426745]

You can still change countries, though you will be required to use a payment method tied to an address in the country you have chosen.

[j.]

That makes sense now. Hey, thank you for your explanations. Appreciate it.