Valve Warns About Steam Deck Hardware Issue
Steam Deck manufacturer Valve is warning owners of the handheld PC platform about a hardware issue that some could experience around the world. In recent weeks, a number of electronics manufacturers have started to release warnings due to the incredibly high temperatures that have been seen in certain parts of the world. Now, Valve is letting Steam Deck users know that this same issue could affect their own enjoyment of the hardware.
On social media today, Valve released a statement letting Steam Deck users know that the PC handheld could be impacted by the current heatwaves that are being experienced in various parts of the world. Like many other electronics, the Steam Deck can be impacted by certain temperatures, whether they be incredibly hot or incredibly cold. When it comes to these higher temps, Valve warns that the ability to play games at peak performance will be changed in a notable manner if you use the platform in overly hot environments.
A bit more detail about this – Steam Deck’s APU runs well at temperatures up to 100°C. At 100°C, it will start to throttle performance, and at 105°C it will shut down. Again, this is to protect itself (and you) from damage.
— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) July 19, 2022
"For our friends in the midst of a heatwave, a quick note about Steam Deck in high temperatures. Steam Deck performs at its best in ambient temperatures between 0° and 35° C. If the temperature gets higher than this, Steam Deck may start to throttle performance to protect itself," Valve said of using the Steam Deck in hot locales. It went on to say that if the internal temperature of the Steam Deck reaches 105°C, the hardware as a whole will shut down "to protect itself (and you) from damage."
In a general sense, most Steam Deck owners shouldn't find themselves too worried about their handheld overheating. Even though these internal temperatures of the hardware are worth monitoring, a number of Steam Deck users likely wouldn't ever play games in such a hot environment. Still, it's good to see that Valve is at least putting out a warning to keep people aware of this situation in the summer months.
Do you happen to own a Steam Deck for yourself yet? And if so, are you concerned about the hardware potentially overheating? Let me know either down in the comments or message me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.