Everyone has bad days, but sometimes people are left speechless by some situations. This is probably one of those situations. One Steam Deck user shared their unfortunate experience, which could have gone way worse, as a lamp was continuously overheating the device. But, thankfully, it didn’t explode.
A Steam Deck Amazingly Didn’t Explode
One Redditor, Blue-vs-Red, shared their miraculous story. This player explained how they went on a holiday with their wife, while their brother-in-law took on the responsibility of feeding their pet turtle. Sounds perfectly fine, right?
Well, the brother-in-law made one terrible mistake. While feeding the turtle, they took the lamp from the top of the terrarium and set it aside. Unfortunately, the lamp they put the lamp on top of the Steam Deck case.
Now, we have to assume that the brother-in-law either didn’t know that was a heat lamp or didn’t know it was programmed to automatically turn on. So, for four days, the lamp broiled the Steam Deck for twelve hours a day. Also, the turtle was probably quite chilly for those four days.
When the OP returned from the vacation, they found a badly burnt case and in it, their Steam Deck, melted from overheating. The device was ruined, its battery was swollen, and not much could be done. This is particularly sad because the OP noted they lost their job recently, so they couldn’t afford to replace the device right away.
Users Offer Support and Suggest Contacting Valve
As bad as this situation seems, it could have been much worse. Users called the Steam Deck a true hero for not blowing up and setting the entire house on fire. One user, VellhungtheSecond, noted: “The Steam Deck died so the house could live”.
In case you were wondering about the turtle (we were), the OP shared that it was fine. They stated: “The turtle is fine! Painted turtles have an ability called cloacal respiration (“butt-breathing”) and stayed in her heated swimming area the entire time. It’s not quite as warm as under the heat lamp, but it’s warmer than the river in Minnesota right now, so she doesn’t complain”.
Now, some community members insisted that the brother-in-law should buy the OP a new device. Sure, if he can, he should. However, the majority of users noted that this accident was nothing short of a miracle, and many showed understanding for the unfortunate brother-in-law. After all, he didn’t do it on purpose, he was trying to help out. Mistakes happen, it’s just important that this one was localized.
Some players suggested the OP should contact Valve Support, after all, they are known for helping out loyal customers. At the very least, they could give the OP advice on how to safely dispose of the burnt device.
We can all learn a lot from this situation. Never leave a heat lamp somewhere random, for example. Or, the Steam Deck case is quite sturdy. So, be sure to put your Steam Deck back in it once you’re done playing, even if you are just lying in bed and lazily playing games. Keep your device safe, and you’ll enjoy it for a long time.
