Asus and Lenovo’s handhelds get price hike as Valve pauses some Steam Deck sales

Pre-ordering physical goods is fine, especially if you expect a price hike and supply limitations after launch. I wouldn't, but I can see how it would make sense.

It's the digital goods that make no goddamn sense to buy before they're out. They're not limited in supply, and their return window is often too small.

I never pre-order, and I am not advocating for pre-ordering, but just curious, can’t the item just be returned if the customer is not satisfied?

Do you even know why you're saying that? Physical goods that need to be manufactured and delivered are literally exactly what you should be pre-ordering

I pre-ordered the Steam Deck.

That is the only thing I did in the last decade.