I’ve been using my Steam Deck nearly every day for about an hour, and it suddenly stopped working today. After putting it on charge, the LED didn’t light up. I tried redoing the SSD swap (upgraded from 64GB to 512GB when I first got it), which worked for around 10 minutes of gaming. However, the battery indicator was stuck at 75%. After turning the screen off, I noticed a bit of smoke coming out of the vent, and now it won’t start or charge. Any suggestions? I’m contemplating replacing the battery, but considering upgrading to the OLED model if that doesn’t work.
3 Answers
Smoke coming from the device could mean the battery or another component went kaput. You could crack open the casing and see if you can spot the issue. If it was the battery, it’d likely show scorch marks or could even be warm to the touch. Swapping out the battery is an option but keep in mind it might not solve the issue if something else is malfunctioning.
Your Steam Deck letting out magic smoke means something probably fried, like a transistor or some other tiny component. Not much of a DIY fix unless you’re into hardcore electronics wizardry. You could try reaching out to Steam for a paid repair even if it’s out of warranty.
Uh-oh, a puff of smoke is never a good sign. That’s often a sign that something critical inside has gone bust. Maybe time to let go and upgrade to that fancy OLED you’re thinking about. But if you’re attached to this one, you could open it up and try to pinpoint the problem. Might be the battery or maybe something on the board is toast.
