I feel like you’re either the kind of person that likes to take big rips out of the top of your Steam Deck, or you think the idea of doing something like that is totally deranged. I mean, I’d never do it, can you imagine? Sticking your nose down on top of that warm vent, the soft hum of the fans vibrating against your nostrils ever so gently, and breathing deeply until your lungs are filled with the sickly sweet aroma of off-gassed volatile organic compounds? That’s messed up. Who would do that?
The thing about huffing fumes out of your Steam Deck’s exhaust port, based on what people have told me, is that it feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket made out of your childhood. Back then life was simple, gaming was everything, and you’d never even heard the words “toxic emissions”, let alone know what they mean.
And to be clear, Valve says there really aren’t any safety concerns related to the exhaust fumes coming out of the Steam Deck. You definitely shouldn’t bury your face in the vent and take a big whiff, Valve says, but of course it’s going to say that. Valve isn’t going to assume any kind of liability from the potential health risks of huffing the Steam Deck fumes, even though there’s no evidence that doing such a thing is even dangerous. I’m saying it too, don’t do that. Seriously, it may or may not be bad for you. It’s probably fine. Don’t do it though.
If for no other reason, you should avoid making a habit of sniffing your Steam Deck because eventually that new electronic smell goes away, and then what are you going to do? You’re already hooked. In IGN’s coverage of this story, which began in a Reddit discussion, another post was unearthed where someone lamented the fact that their beloved New Steam Deck Smell was gone after 13 months. My Steam Deck, which I’ve had since last June, lost its aroma after about ten months of fairly regular use. How do I know that? Why are you asking?
Just out of frame is a guy getting absolutely blasted on secondhand fumes.
Okay fine, once or twice I may have accidentally tilted the top of my Steam Deck towards my nose so that the warm air from the exhaust port was blowing on my face, then, completely unconsciously, I took a few big honking pulls off the thing. It was one or two rips, seven max. Was it euphoric? No! It’s not like there’s a big wad of DMT stuffed inside your Steam Deck (another thing you should definitely never inhale). But I’ll say it. It was nice, okay? I’ll admit that I liked it. It reminded me of ripping the plastic off of a new Game Boy game at Toys R’ Us so I could read the instruction book on the car ride home. It reminded me of my high school editing bay, a dark, dingy room in the school’s basement full of Panasonic MiniDV recorders and grease pencils. The Steam Deck fumes won’t get you high, but they will bring you back.
Anyway, even if there is not one shred of evidence that the exhaust coming out of the Steam Deck is harmful to you, best to just avoid it altogether, don’t you think? If you want to connect with your inner child go watch The Pagemaster or something, give your poor lungs a break. Like I said, once it’s gone it’s gone anyway. It’s not like I’m going to buy the new OLED Steam Deck just for the smell. That would be absurd. Haha, can you imagine?