Microsoft’s method to age verification in Australia is additional proof that Valve is taking the everloving piss

Many are justifiably irritated about Steam’s new age verification necessities in Australia. Whereas most platforms and shopfronts provide a number of methods to confirm one’s age, Valve affords just one, and it is amusingly ill-suited to the Australian market. To show that you just’re over 18 years outdated and thus, legally allowed to buy video games like Metal Gear Solid 4, Doom Eternal or Rimworld, you might want to present particulars for an energetic bank card.

The downside? Very few Australians use bank cards.

Even for those who opened your Steam account way back to 2003 and personal a handful of R18+ video games already, Steam will nonetheless require that bank card.

I do not wish to massive up Microsoft for doing barely greater than the naked minimal, however an electronic mail I acquired in a single day does at the least forged renewed gentle on how horrible Valve’s method is. An electronic mail from Microsoft concerning my “Microsoft Age Verification Status” had this to say:

“Due to your longstanding account activity, we’ve estimated your profile to be an adult account and updated its age verification status to “Verified.” At this time, you are no longer required to complete further age verification for uninterrupted access to features across certain Microsoft products, including Microsoft and Xbox storefronts.”

(I’ve made no edits to that message, other than eradicating the brand new all-caps in Xbox as a result of it is lame).

I do not like having to confirm my age to purchase videogames, and truthfully, I’d want to offer bank card particulars than scan my face or present a government-issued proof of existence. Age verification techniques increase extremely pertinent security and privacy concerns.

But Valve offering only one option is pretty much the epitome of a pisstake, especially since the one option it has presented is extremely ill-suited to the Australian market. It could possibly even pass as malicious compliance: Valve is technically adhering to the law, but doing so in a way that’s likely to lead to even more chaos.

The fact that my Steam account can be over 20 years old and I still have to prove my age, is also kinda insulting.

Whatever the case, if you want to buy an R18+ game on PC right now, I’ve compiled all the Steam alternatives that make it much easier.