Someone Ripped Apart A Steam Deck And Turned It Into A Super Small Console

The Steam Deck is a very popular (and good!) handheld gaming device that lets you play many of your favorite PC games on the go. But what if it was a screenless console you had to plug into a TV to use? Well, someone ripped their own Steam Deck apart to make just that and called it a “Steam Brick.”

As spotted by Steam Deck HQ, GitHub user Crastinator-Pro has outlined the work they put into making a Steam Deck console, complete with an explanation as to why they did this and photos of the process and finished product. And before we go any further, let me just be clear: Unless you have a spare Steam Deck to break open, don’t do this to your portable device.

According to Crastinator-Pro, the impetus for creating the Steam Brick might not be what you expect. As explained on GitHub, the Steam Brick was created because the Steam Deck is too big to fit in Crastinator-Pro’s backpack. And since the Steam Deck was usually plugged into a TV or AR glasses when the modder was using it, they wondered how much smaller the device could be if it didn’t have a screen or built-in controls. To find out, they ripped one open and started gutting all the unneeded bits.

After some tinkering, the modder realized that they could remove all the inner boards and components related to the touch pads, analog sticks, buttons, and other controls and the Steam Deck would still work. They also removed the screen and any components and bits connected to it and it still worked. Next they printed out a small, basic plastic case and shoved what was left of the Steam Deck’s carcass into the box, sealed it up and added a USB port and power button and…there you go! A Steam Deck console.

Now, Crastinator-Pro makes it very clear that you probably shouldn’t do this yourself, calling it a “very bad idea” and further explaining that they were “honestly surprised” this worked. They say not to think of the GitHub post as a guide but instead as more of a “How I Did It” post. And while the end result works for the modder—they now have a tiny device they can toss in their backpack—they aren’t sure how long the Steam Brick will keep working after all the modifications.

If you’re really wanting a Steam console, don’t do this.Instead, just wait for Valve to make one. Rumors are swirling that Valve is currently working on a TV-based device that will run SteamOS and will operate like a Steam Deck for your TV. That sounds safer than using power tools on a Steam Deck to make it smaller.

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