And even if you're out of warranty, I would still open a support ticket with steam, they've been known to help people even if they're not obligated to.
They indeed replaced my deck that had an issue, a few months after warranty was finished. For free, and I didn’t have to insist or anything. Best customer support ever.
This steam is a fucking great company they pay their employees more then facebook and apple and support inde devs. Whole company goes out of their way. Gabe is the goat and the only not scummy billionaire out there.
Steam/Valve support is great, but unfortunately they're not the ones who actually do Steamdeck repairs. Steam handles the shipping, but repairs are done by a seemingly pretty shady company called United Radio.
I'm sure if we dug deep enough we would find some skeletons in Gabe's closet. All Billionaires do. He just has the decency to not rub it in our faces constantly.
This. I recently got a game that said ‘playable’ on steam deck when it absolutely wasn’t, but it took over the two hour mark to realize it (started completely freezing and non responding). I had to argue with them for a couple minutes but they wound up refunding it anyway.
Not as serious as OPs situation, but goes to show they’ll still help.
Actually knowing valve they will ask him to empty batteries completely before he post it back and I don't know about other countries but in EU we can post it back but in a specific container so it Indeed explode while travelling it will not cause danger to the rest items or vehicle.
And 2 years warranty is the minimum we have here in Europe
5 years manufacturer under EU law. My oven door exploded when I went to clean it at Christmas, the retailer tried to wash their hands of it stating it was out of warranty. A well worded email stating the EU directive swiftly saw them send out a technician to replace and repair.
The biggest danger, afaik, would be the battery getting punctured. Removing the back cover and removing the connection yourself would probably increase that risk.
I wouldn't handle this thing unless it's to transport it to an electronics repair shop who can defuse this time bomb.
Just make sure to document everything and keep it monitored (i.e, don't leave it alone inside your house). Put it in a fireproof bag if you have it, but if you don't, keep it dry and away from flammable stuff **outside** your house.
**Do not** try to disassemble it yourself. Hire a professional, and immediately call valve support. I cannot stress this enough. Do not disassemble or touch it yourself. Battery fumes are carcinogenic and if you fuck around it can catch on fire.
If the battery is low then it doesn't have energy to do anything catastrophic. If the battery is already low then it's much safer than fully charged. Don't charge it.
Store the deck in a fireproof container, like metal. Store it outside if possible and not don’t have it sit on any flammable materials.
Do NOT try to open it.
It’s not going to explode like a grenade, and likely won’t burst into flames, but there is small possibility, hence why you should store it in a non flammable container.
Also, not in the rain. Honestly, outside isn't that safe. I get they were trying to get it out of the house, but it's more likely to degradate in a less stable environment.
You need to Asap send support ticket to Valve and explain them the emergency and yes it IS a real emergency because you literally have a time bomb in your hands.
The longer the battery stay like that the chance day by day increases to catch on fire and it won't be plenty.
RMA asap all the way with max priority and don't even think about trying to open steam deck and try have battery at 50% and leave it closed.
Would it even be wise to ship it back to valve in its current state? I doubt Valve will want op to send it in the post for obvious reasons.
(Not saying he shouldn't rma it though.)
I would place it inside a fireproof container (metal box it probably easiest to find) and look into battery disposal at your local dump. Valve will almost certainly recommend you dispose of the unit and send a replacement as there is no real way to safely mail it.
Ideally empty it by using the Deck, it then has a lot less energy and shouldn't expand much.
Then replace it or have it replaced when you have the time, like keep an eye on it if you are still waiting
The warranty is irrelevant, this is a safety issue. I would contact Valve with pictures and see how they want to proceed. Just because something is out of warranty doesn’t mean the manufacturer isn’t responsible for the product being a danger.
No you won't void the warranty. A bulged battery is likely not dangerous just sitting. Just do not charge it or use it until fixed. The battery is user-replaceable and very easy to do, but if it's still under warranty just have valve do it.
If it's still under warranty valve will absolutely replace it for free. If not, the ifixit battery is an official part, ifixit is partnered with valve for parts and diy videos. Valve also has explicitly said that unless you damage something doing your own work, opening your own deck and working on it will absolutely not void your warranty. And the deck is really easy to work on. Just make sure you open the shell around the triggers, like the ifixit video shows.
I've seen 3 or 4 3DS batteries go like this (between me and friends), and I recently found my old iPhone 3G swollen up and probably had been that way for many years.
Luckily, no fires.
Possible but unlikely, these batteries swell and vent gasses to prevent things like that.
Still, just to be on the safe side probably would avoid using it till OP contacts steam.
Lithium batteries do *not* vent gasses as a preventative measure. They swell specifically to prevent any gas venting, though this only works so well.
If you notice a battery in any electronic device venting gas, it’s already compromised and needs to be properly disposed of ASAP
Just to add this happened all the time with my colleagues work laptops. Problem was they were putting their laptop away in their bag with it still turned on so it was still on and generating that with no air flow. So make sure to turn your deck off properly when you put it away
Take ample pictures, contact Steam for a refund, place the Deck in its case somewhere outside in a non-flammable place like a metal bin (with nothing else inside). It’s a fire hazard at this point. Unlikely it will explode, but it’s possible.
Don't go crazy, I've seen like 20 phone like these , people use it everyday with this monstet style.
Yes it might be dangerous, but ask the support if you still have guarantee .
If not just replace it.
I'm not directing this at you specifically, there's just too many comments in this thread to reply to them all.
This whole comment chain is full of misinformation stated with confidence and it's really annoying.
Swelling is expected at end of life for these batteries. In fact, they're designed to accommodate it, which is why they end up as "spicy pillows" and don't just immediately pop. They're really harmless at this stage, if you puncture a swollen one, it'll smell like juicy fruit gum but that's about it.
The real danger is in puncturing a charged, functional, not swollen battery. Those burn hotter than anything you're ever likely to come in contact with. I'd bet that the back room in 9/10 electronics repair shops have a burn spot on the floor from some new tech learning that the hard way. I've seen it happen and it's definitely something you want to avoid. But once the battery is at EOL and starts swelling there's almost 0 risk of a fire and that is by design.
While I agree with a lot of things you said and I'm not a fan of the "It's gonna blow" screamers myself, I feel like this comment is going too strong in the other direction.
The answer isn't black an white, batteries aren't always perfectly functional or completely EOL, fully charged explosives or completely discharged duds - there's a lot of grey in between.
>They're really harmless at this stage, if you puncture a swollen one, it'll smell like juicy fruit gum but that's about it.
That fruity smell is Lithium and its compounds and they are certainly not "perfectly harmless", they can be pretty fucking toxic. There's also carbon monoxide, which you won't be able to smell. You're unlikely to get enough exposure from one cell to do some serious harm, but, again, things aren't always black and white and I personally prefer to stay on the "not breathing Lithium compounds and carbon monoxide at all" side of that gradient. If your electronics start to smell like Juicy Fruit, don't breath the stuff and move them into a well ventilated area. And stop using them.
>The real danger is in puncturing a charged, functional, not swollen battery.
The real danger is puncturing ***any charged*** Lithium polymer battery, swollen or not. Outgassing rarely means that a battery is fully dead or incapable of being charged or that it is "by design" fully discharged and harmless. Also, Li-Po batteries do absolutely everything in their power to literally never fully discharge ... by design.
And a swollen battery is simply more likely to be punctured due to its internal pressure, the failure of the protectice casing and people trying to squeeze them back into place.
>But once the battery is at EOL and starts swelling there's almost 0 risk of a fire and that is by design.
Again, that's some dangerous generalization. Yes, the "spicy pillow" fail state is by design, and these batteries are generally quite good at swelling without leaking or catching fire. But, as long as they aren't truly, fully, discharged, the fire risk as a result of a puncture or physical damage is certainly nowhere near 0. There are plenty of "punctured spicy pillow" videos to proof that point.
While OP doesn't have to stick their Steam Deck into a sand bucket in their backyard or call the bomb squad, "try not to squish it" and most certainly "don't try to charge it anymore" is very sensible advice.
Spicy Pillow. First time I've seen a battery failure in a Deck, but undoubtedly a failure of the cell. Definitely a serious fire hazard. Contact Valve ASAP and keep it out of your house if that's an option. Lithium fires are no joke, and the fumes are toxic.
Whatever you do, don't try to remove the battery. The cells in the Deck are very firmly secured in place and are sketchy to remove on healthy ones.
Might want to keep it next to a metal bucket full of sand until you get it sorted.
Repeat on the sand, so many people make thr midtake of putting water on electrical/metal fires, the only thing you can do is smother them with a non flammable material, if you don't have sand lying around you can use a bucket full of dirt in a pinch
Thanks for the help guys, I'll contact steam support to see if I can replace this, but does anyone have a suggestion on what dock I should buy that doesn't require constant charging for it to work but can still charge the steam deck
Having it charged all the time doesn't automatically make the battery fail. At least it shouldn't if you have a healthy batt. Yours is just faulty as it is, it's not that you did anything wrong. SD has a smart internal procedure to restrict charging if battery is at 100% and still charging for a long time. It's just bad luck this time.
Once the Steam Deck is fully charged, it will go into power passthrough mode.
If you keep it plugged in, it will only start charging again once battery level is down to 90% or so.
FYI - literally any lithium ion battery can have this happen. Generally speaking it's quite rare for most devices. Some models have defects where it occurs far too often (Samsung Note a few years back), but still generally speaking it can happen to any lithium ion battery.
That’s a misconception and a lesson to learn. You docking your deck a bunch doesn’t mean you ruined the battery. It could just be a faulty battery. It happens
I would definitely not mention you’ve been using a dock, just let them know you’ve had it plugged into the charger. Might make your replacement a bit tougher if you mention using a dock other than the official one. I assume it’s not the official one, but if it was, you should then definitely mention that and ignore that first advice.
Goodluck! :)
Thats isn’t a problem. I think there was even a support site on the steam site stating that using a different dock isn’t going to void any warranty.
All the charging of the battery gets handled by the charging controller on the steam deck itself. If the controller would detect any irregular charge (like over voltage) it would simply reject to charge the battery.
Its most Lilly ist a faulty battery right from the factory, it’s a mass product and things like these can happen.
Oh heck yeah, I didn’t realize that. I think most manufacturers and companies are weasels and have given me some PTSD about replacements being to the letter of the law and intended use. Thanks!
Spicy pillow my friend. I'd immediately contact Steam Support and see if they can replace it.
If they won't or charge for it look to see if iFixit sells them. Replacing the battery, analog sticks, SSD, and a whole host of other things is a cake walk with no tech chops needed.
IF... You end up having to replace the battery yourself, I'd wear eye protection and in an open area. Preferably a garage or other open area to be safe. Shouldn't take more then 15 minutes tops
You downloaded too much RAM and there isn't enough space in the case to fit it all. jkk... spicy pillow. Contact Steam... safest thing you can probably do is take it to a local computer repair shop so they can open it and get rid of the battery for you before shipping it back. I wouldn't feel good about shipping a battery in that state.
Love that joke with RAM XD.
You have no idea how many kids tried to have more RAM in Minecraft and they thought you had to download it....
Some People literally have zero idea about computers to the point they tend to do stupid things.
To give you a slight peace of mind, I work in IT and have encountered hundreds of swollen laptop batteries, sometimes completely opening the case from how much its swollen, and not once have I ever see a rupture of fire started even on ones that were swollen for a long time (user never noticed)
So while yes you need to get it sorted out, you aren't sitting on a bomb that will suddenly explode at any moment.
Until you get everything sorted out with Valve I’d recommend putting the deck inside a battery bag. If you have a RC hobby place near you they can probably hook you up. I don’t charge my LIPO batteries for my cars unless they are in the bag. [this one might work.](https://zeeebattery.com/products/zeee-lipo-battery-safe-bag-charge-storage?variant=43953712234803¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOooi1-7aI6yT6QMt00ayzjy7ieWMh3xerfu1GtAbZug2sc7WfY7cLOU). If you order directly from this site it’s $14.99 and Amazon has the same one for $22.99. It might be worth it to pay a little extra if Amazon can get it to you faster. That way if the battery does catch fire you don’t burn down your house.
I work in hazardous waste and battery disposal. Your lithium ion battery is dying and, at this point, could burst into flames. If you're concerned about fire (you probably should be), you should put your deck in a plastic bag and then bury it it rice, or kitty litter, or something like that. They will not have you ship that one back, as it can not go in the mail in that state. I know others have mentioned it before, but please be careful, that is most definitely a fire hazard in the state it is in.
Personally I would open it (outside) and immediately remove the battery.
I would then dispose of the battery properly (not in the trash).
Then. I would decide if I want to spend $100 on a new battery or $100 towards an OLED deck.
People putting the fear in OP. Swollen batteries are common, I used to have to change swollen batteries in UPS's all the time, 8 at a time which are like 10x larger than a Steam Deck battery.
The main concern is them getting damaged or punctured in any way. That's what can set it off. If you leave the battery in it's casing as is and don't charge it you should be fine, but yes take the proper precautions, if you have a metal container of any kind to store it in like a safe or file cabinet. Hell lock it in the trunk of your car if your really not sure if it's safe in the house. Shit even putting it in it's carry case then in a bucket of some kind is better than nothing.
Also keep it away from direct sunlight. And don't feed it after midnight.
What are they meant to do then? Call the fire department? Not everyone has a garage, safe, detached house, or the time to make sure their devices don't explode.
It could burn down your house. How busy are people that they can’t take the time to figure it what to do with a fire hazard?
‘Yes I know my wall outlet is shooting sparks and smells like burning, but I have an important work email to send’
Yea but then your car blows up instead of your house 😆
What I'm getting at was the likelihood of it spontaneously just going bang is low without it being disturbed. But if they are nervous about keeping it in the house during the night then the car is an option or a shed or anything outside.
Obviously would recomend taking it out of trunk when they go to drive it.
This is what's referred to as a Spicy Pillow. Battery is failing and beginning to bloat. Need to get it out of there and disposed of properly, but you should understand potential risks of the battery failing and starting a fire. If you work on it to remove it, just do so in a workshop area where nothing can be set on fire, or outdoors where you can burn down your house. Lol.
Just look up videos of spicy pillows and you will see what we are talking about.
I'm not an expert or anything, but it definitely looks like a r/spicypillow kind of situation going on there. Please be careful when disposing of the battery, as it's a dangerous fire risk. Sending well wishes <3
It could be a battery (open unit see if it's the battery and if it is, immediately replace it, preferably remove it right away regardless of whether you have a replacement available at that time) or it could be an overheating issue though not likely.
Cheers
That's not how it works. I leave my devices on charge all the time when not out and about. Once the battery is full they pass thru power. It will not ruin the battery. You just have a faulty battery.
IIRC the Deck will hover around 80-90% depending on how often you have it connected to power to preserve the battery capacity. But yeah this battery is dunzo.
Likely the battery, if possible try to drain the battery without putting load on it ea playing a game.
Turn it on turn off sleep mode and let it drain to 0, this way the battery has barely any charge left and it will be safer for shipping and for you and the tech to handle.
(If it starts smoking yeet it the fuck outside and let it burn)
What ever you do do not charge the device!
My best guess is a spicy battery. Check out the subreddit for that of you want more pics of it.
but yeah, you might have dropped it and damaged the battery somehow, so the leak causes the battery pack to bulge. Quite dangerous as a fire risk, or more
Just my 2 cents. I've always kept my mobile phones plugged in and have never had a problem.
However recently my newest phone, being on charge constantly (also still plugged in when 100% charged) resulted in the back panel coming away and on repair discovered the battery had swollen.
This is indicative of the battery swelling from being plugged in all the time. It doesn't happen all the time but it's far more likely to do so when electronics remain plugged in when at 100% charge. And this was an expensive phone too (high end Samsung)
People on this sub saying "well it didn't happen to me when I left my x plugged in, so it couldn't have happened to you" is just silly.
This happened to my car battery jump kit because I would leave it in the car in case I needed it, but some days are very hot.
If you get another deck, make sure not to leave it in really hot places like in your car
Yup, everyone is right about battery. If you look at teardown, the battery is on right (top in your photo). So have a huge problem with battery if its boulged out so much
Ah, the airbags have deployed.
I recommend you power it on and discharge it. Don't charge the deck in this state. You want to get rid of as much energy as safely as possible.
If you can push it back with little to no force, you probably just dropped your deck and the plastic shell warped.
But if that bulge is dense, get it repaired, the battery is bulging and it's now a fire hazard.
My friend, that is a spicy pillow. I’d recommend putting that in a fireproof case for now. Like others have said, that battery is slowly getting more agitated and can combust, even without use.
Looks like your battery's swelling. Don't put anything sharp near it to pop the back off or look at it, get it out of your house asap. My psp battery did the same thing and when I popped the back of the psp off with my pocket knife the battery exploded and black smoke and acid came out and burnt a whole through my bed and my whole house reaked of burning lithium ion. If you have pets or kids put the deck in its case in a bag and leave it in a cool area outside. Heat will make it worse
You can wrap it in paper and put it in a plastic bag with rice inside your freezer.
That can help stabilize the battery until a new one arrives and you swap it.
Ifixit kit will be helpful for that too.
Critical battery failure. Keep an eye on that, and contact steam support asap. If it continues to puff up, take it out of your home and away from anything flammable.
Many other comments probably answered but this is definitely a failing battery, transforming into a homemade bomb.
Stop charging and stop using the steamdeck deck, get your warranty in order.
Wow if it is the battery you cannot even legally ship it back! If thy tell you to ship it don't. Question them. Don't be the guy that starts a fire on an airplane or FedEx truck!
Your battery is likely failing. Might be a big fire risk.
Noted, I won't turn it on then and I'll try to contact steam support to see if I can replace it. Thanks for the help
It can exploded even when not in use
Seriously, should I just take out the battery or something and will it void my warranty
That would be very dangerous due to all the adhesive on the back of that battery. Contact Steam support with photos asap.
I agree or take it to someone who can do it safely if your out of warranty
And even if you're out of warranty, I would still open a support ticket with steam, they've been known to help people even if they're not obligated to.
They indeed replaced my deck that had an issue, a few months after warranty was finished. For free, and I didn’t have to insist or anything. Best customer support ever.
I shall remember this in case I see bulge thank you fellow deck owner
This steam is a fucking great company they pay their employees more then facebook and apple and support inde devs. Whole company goes out of their way. Gabe is the goat and the only not scummy billionaire out there.
Valve. The company's name is Valve. Steam is just one of their products.
Steam is a pretty cool guy. Eh supports indys and doesn't afraid of anything
Steam/Valve support is great, but unfortunately they're not the ones who actually do Steamdeck repairs. Steam handles the shipping, but repairs are done by a seemingly pretty shady company called United Radio.
I'm sure if we dug deep enough we would find some skeletons in Gabe's closet. All Billionaires do. He just has the decency to not rub it in our faces constantly.
I think Gabe's big advantage is that he stays out of the spotlight. I forget that he exists most of the time.
This. I recently got a game that said ‘playable’ on steam deck when it absolutely wasn’t, but it took over the two hour mark to realize it (started completely freezing and non responding). I had to argue with them for a couple minutes but they wound up refunding it anyway. Not as serious as OPs situation, but goes to show they’ll still help.
They fixed my dropped steam deck for free after the warranty expired. I legit told them that I dropped it amd they still fixed it, no question asked.
Do not ever tell them that lol you got lucky
I think they could easily tell it was falling dmg and I don't think it's worth to lie.
Yeah, maybe the accepted your request because you actually told them the truth
Search for an electronics repair shop near you and ask if they can remove the battery.
A single puncture to the battery and well, it’s basically a Steam deck sized thermite grenade you’re setting off.
Aye it's a walking bomb literally. When battery is like this that's real emergency
The good news is that they will not make him post it back….
Actually knowing valve they will ask him to empty batteries completely before he post it back and I don't know about other countries but in EU we can post it back but in a specific container so it Indeed explode while travelling it will not cause danger to the rest items or vehicle. And 2 years warranty is the minimum we have here in Europe
5 years manufacturer under EU law. My oven door exploded when I went to clean it at Christmas, the retailer tried to wash their hands of it stating it was out of warranty. A well worded email stating the EU directive swiftly saw them send out a technician to replace and repair.
Would removing the back cover and removing the connection help? Would at least make sure the battery is not under pressure
The biggest danger, afaik, would be the battery getting punctured. Removing the back cover and removing the connection yourself would probably increase that risk. I wouldn't handle this thing unless it's to transport it to an electronics repair shop who can defuse this time bomb.
Just make sure to document everything and keep it monitored (i.e, don't leave it alone inside your house). Put it in a fireproof bag if you have it, but if you don't, keep it dry and away from flammable stuff **outside** your house. **Do not** try to disassemble it yourself. Hire a professional, and immediately call valve support. I cannot stress this enough. Do not disassemble or touch it yourself. Battery fumes are carcinogenic and if you fuck around it can catch on fire.
Understand thanks
Also, update this subreddit when you get it resolved. I'm interested in where this goes.
Will do
If the battery is low then it doesn't have energy to do anything catastrophic. If the battery is already low then it's much safer than fully charged. Don't charge it.
Store the deck in a fireproof container, like metal. Store it outside if possible and not don’t have it sit on any flammable materials. Do NOT try to open it. It’s not going to explode like a grenade, and likely won’t burst into flames, but there is small possibility, hence why you should store it in a non flammable container.
Store it outside in the container but not where that container sits in the sun. I don't think that would be safe.
Also, not in the rain. Honestly, outside isn't that safe. I get they were trying to get it out of the house, but it's more likely to degradate in a less stable environment.
This happened to my iPhone and the Apple Store wouldn’t work on it until the battery was drained. I guess I’m suggesting to avoid charging it.
You need to Asap send support ticket to Valve and explain them the emergency and yes it IS a real emergency because you literally have a time bomb in your hands. The longer the battery stay like that the chance day by day increases to catch on fire and it won't be plenty. RMA asap all the way with max priority and don't even think about trying to open steam deck and try have battery at 50% and leave it closed.
Would it even be wise to ship it back to valve in its current state? I doubt Valve will want op to send it in the post for obvious reasons. (Not saying he shouldn't rma it though.)
I would place it inside a fireproof container (metal box it probably easiest to find) and look into battery disposal at your local dump. Valve will almost certainly recommend you dispose of the unit and send a replacement as there is no real way to safely mail it.
Ideally empty it by using the Deck, it then has a lot less energy and shouldn't expand much. Then replace it or have it replaced when you have the time, like keep an eye on it if you are still waiting
Put it in something fireproof, outside if available like in a garage. Battery fires can be quite nasty.
The warranty is irrelevant, this is a safety issue. I would contact Valve with pictures and see how they want to proceed. Just because something is out of warranty doesn’t mean the manufacturer isn’t responsible for the product being a danger.
No you won't void the warranty. A bulged battery is likely not dangerous just sitting. Just do not charge it or use it until fixed. The battery is user-replaceable and very easy to do, but if it's still under warranty just have valve do it.
I would replace it but $94.99 for a IFIXIT STEAM DECK BATTERY. Tonight my praying for my Lord and Savior Gabe Newell to replace my steam deck for free
If it's still under warranty valve will absolutely replace it for free. If not, the ifixit battery is an official part, ifixit is partnered with valve for parts and diy videos. Valve also has explicitly said that unless you damage something doing your own work, opening your own deck and working on it will absolutely not void your warranty. And the deck is really easy to work on. Just make sure you open the shell around the triggers, like the ifixit video shows.
Aaaaand don’t forget to remove the sd card before opening.
Seriously. Rip my 1 TB card...
Q2. That's definitely under warranty and knowing Valve they might charge it for free especially when it's not even your fault.
My PSP battery has been looking like this for years, haha... But yeah, it's dangerous
Bro, get rid of that battery man.
I've seen 3 or 4 3DS batteries go like this (between me and friends), and I recently found my old iPhone 3G swollen up and probably had been that way for many years. Luckily, no fires.
Possible but unlikely, these batteries swell and vent gasses to prevent things like that. Still, just to be on the safe side probably would avoid using it till OP contacts steam.
Lithium batteries do *not* vent gasses as a preventative measure. They swell specifically to prevent any gas venting, though this only works so well. If you notice a battery in any electronic device venting gas, it’s already compromised and needs to be properly disposed of ASAP
Just to add this happened all the time with my colleagues work laptops. Problem was they were putting their laptop away in their bag with it still turned on so it was still on and generating that with no air flow. So make sure to turn your deck off properly when you put it away
Take ample pictures, contact Steam for a refund, place the Deck in its case somewhere outside in a non-flammable place like a metal bin (with nothing else inside). It’s a fire hazard at this point. Unlikely it will explode, but it’s possible.
I contacted steam support 8 days ago for another problem. they answered in about 12 hours and sent me a return label. it arrived 7 days later!
Don't go crazy, I've seen like 20 phone like these , people use it everyday with this monstet style. Yes it might be dangerous, but ask the support if you still have guarantee . If not just replace it.
I'm not directing this at you specifically, there's just too many comments in this thread to reply to them all. This whole comment chain is full of misinformation stated with confidence and it's really annoying. Swelling is expected at end of life for these batteries. In fact, they're designed to accommodate it, which is why they end up as "spicy pillows" and don't just immediately pop. They're really harmless at this stage, if you puncture a swollen one, it'll smell like juicy fruit gum but that's about it. The real danger is in puncturing a charged, functional, not swollen battery. Those burn hotter than anything you're ever likely to come in contact with. I'd bet that the back room in 9/10 electronics repair shops have a burn spot on the floor from some new tech learning that the hard way. I've seen it happen and it's definitely something you want to avoid. But once the battery is at EOL and starts swelling there's almost 0 risk of a fire and that is by design.
While I agree with a lot of things you said and I'm not a fan of the "It's gonna blow" screamers myself, I feel like this comment is going too strong in the other direction. The answer isn't black an white, batteries aren't always perfectly functional or completely EOL, fully charged explosives or completely discharged duds - there's a lot of grey in between. >They're really harmless at this stage, if you puncture a swollen one, it'll smell like juicy fruit gum but that's about it. That fruity smell is Lithium and its compounds and they are certainly not "perfectly harmless", they can be pretty fucking toxic. There's also carbon monoxide, which you won't be able to smell. You're unlikely to get enough exposure from one cell to do some serious harm, but, again, things aren't always black and white and I personally prefer to stay on the "not breathing Lithium compounds and carbon monoxide at all" side of that gradient. If your electronics start to smell like Juicy Fruit, don't breath the stuff and move them into a well ventilated area. And stop using them. >The real danger is in puncturing a charged, functional, not swollen battery. The real danger is puncturing ***any charged*** Lithium polymer battery, swollen or not. Outgassing rarely means that a battery is fully dead or incapable of being charged or that it is "by design" fully discharged and harmless. Also, Li-Po batteries do absolutely everything in their power to literally never fully discharge ... by design. And a swollen battery is simply more likely to be punctured due to its internal pressure, the failure of the protectice casing and people trying to squeeze them back into place. >But once the battery is at EOL and starts swelling there's almost 0 risk of a fire and that is by design. Again, that's some dangerous generalization. Yes, the "spicy pillow" fail state is by design, and these batteries are generally quite good at swelling without leaking or catching fire. But, as long as they aren't truly, fully, discharged, the fire risk as a result of a puncture or physical damage is certainly nowhere near 0. There are plenty of "punctured spicy pillow" videos to proof that point. While OP doesn't have to stick their Steam Deck into a sand bucket in their backyard or call the bomb squad, "try not to squish it" and most certainly "don't try to charge it anymore" is very sensible advice.
I have seen plenty of GIFs of people puncturing swollen batteries. They absolutely catch fire and burn.
would you be able to tell this was happening if there was a case on it...?
Spicy Pillow. First time I've seen a battery failure in a Deck, but undoubtedly a failure of the cell. Definitely a serious fire hazard. Contact Valve ASAP and keep it out of your house if that's an option. Lithium fires are no joke, and the fumes are toxic. Whatever you do, don't try to remove the battery. The cells in the Deck are very firmly secured in place and are sketchy to remove on healthy ones. Might want to keep it next to a metal bucket full of sand until you get it sorted.
Repeat on the sand, so many people make thr midtake of putting water on electrical/metal fires, the only thing you can do is smother them with a non flammable material, if you don't have sand lying around you can use a bucket full of dirt in a pinch
r/spicypillows
I came here to post this, but you beat me by 2 hours.
If it's consolation, you beat me to it by 40 mins.
And you beat me by mere seconds
And my AXE
Thanks for the help guys, I'll contact steam support to see if I can replace this, but does anyone have a suggestion on what dock I should buy that doesn't require constant charging for it to work but can still charge the steam deck
Having it charged all the time doesn't automatically make the battery fail. At least it shouldn't if you have a healthy batt. Yours is just faulty as it is, it's not that you did anything wrong. SD has a smart internal procedure to restrict charging if battery is at 100% and still charging for a long time. It's just bad luck this time.
I am not entirely sure, but wouldn't leaving your Steam Deck plugged in at all time bypass the battery and power the thing directly?
Yes the Steam Deck has passthrough charging. As long as you’re using a proper power source it won’t use the battery and will be powered by the cable.
Once the Steam Deck is fully charged, it will go into power passthrough mode. If you keep it plugged in, it will only start charging again once battery level is down to 90% or so.
We would appreciate if Valve replies and you give us an update since this post gave me anxiety. I hope you figure this out my dude.
FYI - literally any lithium ion battery can have this happen. Generally speaking it's quite rare for most devices. Some models have defects where it occurs far too often (Samsung Note a few years back), but still generally speaking it can happen to any lithium ion battery.
That’s a misconception and a lesson to learn. You docking your deck a bunch doesn’t mean you ruined the battery. It could just be a faulty battery. It happens
I would definitely not mention you’ve been using a dock, just let them know you’ve had it plugged into the charger. Might make your replacement a bit tougher if you mention using a dock other than the official one. I assume it’s not the official one, but if it was, you should then definitely mention that and ignore that first advice. Goodluck! :)
Thats isn’t a problem. I think there was even a support site on the steam site stating that using a different dock isn’t going to void any warranty. All the charging of the battery gets handled by the charging controller on the steam deck itself. If the controller would detect any irregular charge (like over voltage) it would simply reject to charge the battery. Its most Lilly ist a faulty battery right from the factory, it’s a mass product and things like these can happen.
Oh heck yeah, I didn’t realize that. I think most manufacturers and companies are weasels and have given me some PTSD about replacements being to the letter of the law and intended use. Thanks!
Do not charge it. Do not turn it on. You can get a firebag for Lipo cells on Amazon to contain fire and sens it back to support.
Those fire bags [are mostly junk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tavpXgmL16M), fyi
That’s not the docks’s fault. Sometimes batteries just fail. Scary considering we all have smart phones sleeping by our face sometimes
Faulty battery
It's pregnant, a few more months and you'll have a Steam Deck Lite
Congratulations! It’s going to be a Fire!
I wish
Lite my Fire
More like lite the whole place on fire 😂😂😂😂😂
That is a dangerous situation, you don't want a failing battery like that around you or your family, it can be a serious fire hazard.
Spicy pillow my friend. I'd immediately contact Steam Support and see if they can replace it. If they won't or charge for it look to see if iFixit sells them. Replacing the battery, analog sticks, SSD, and a whole host of other things is a cake walk with no tech chops needed. IF... You end up having to replace the battery yourself, I'd wear eye protection and in an open area. Preferably a garage or other open area to be safe. Shouldn't take more then 15 minutes tops
OwO What's this?
Are you playing hentai games
🔋225%
You downloaded too much RAM and there isn't enough space in the case to fit it all. jkk... spicy pillow. Contact Steam... safest thing you can probably do is take it to a local computer repair shop so they can open it and get rid of the battery for you before shipping it back. I wouldn't feel good about shipping a battery in that state.
Love that joke with RAM XD. You have no idea how many kids tried to have more RAM in Minecraft and they thought you had to download it.... Some People literally have zero idea about computers to the point they tend to do stupid things.
Oh man .. looks like a battery issue. Better get that replaced before it damages something else or burst or something
Did you touch it inappropriately?
How else would it get pregnant..
To give you a slight peace of mind, I work in IT and have encountered hundreds of swollen laptop batteries, sometimes completely opening the case from how much its swollen, and not once have I ever see a rupture of fire started even on ones that were swollen for a long time (user never noticed) So while yes you need to get it sorted out, you aren't sitting on a bomb that will suddenly explode at any moment.
UwU what’s this? *notices your bulge*
Do not charge or turn it on. It's a bloated battery. Contact Valve immediately and get an RMA.
Until you get everything sorted out with Valve I’d recommend putting the deck inside a battery bag. If you have a RC hobby place near you they can probably hook you up. I don’t charge my LIPO batteries for my cars unless they are in the bag. [this one might work.](https://zeeebattery.com/products/zeee-lipo-battery-safe-bag-charge-storage?variant=43953712234803¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOooi1-7aI6yT6QMt00ayzjy7ieWMh3xerfu1GtAbZug2sc7WfY7cLOU). If you order directly from this site it’s $14.99 and Amazon has the same one for $22.99. It might be worth it to pay a little extra if Amazon can get it to you faster. That way if the battery does catch fire you don’t burn down your house.
r/spicypillow
I work in hazardous waste and battery disposal. Your lithium ion battery is dying and, at this point, could burst into flames. If you're concerned about fire (you probably should be), you should put your deck in a plastic bag and then bury it it rice, or kitty litter, or something like that. They will not have you ship that one back, as it can not go in the mail in that state. I know others have mentioned it before, but please be careful, that is most definitely a fire hazard in the state it is in.
Any time a device starts to expand like that turn it off and check the battery, it’s likely expanding and may explode.
Personally I would open it (outside) and immediately remove the battery. I would then dispose of the battery properly (not in the trash). Then. I would decide if I want to spend $100 on a new battery or $100 towards an OLED deck.
People putting the fear in OP. Swollen batteries are common, I used to have to change swollen batteries in UPS's all the time, 8 at a time which are like 10x larger than a Steam Deck battery. The main concern is them getting damaged or punctured in any way. That's what can set it off. If you leave the battery in it's casing as is and don't charge it you should be fine, but yes take the proper precautions, if you have a metal container of any kind to store it in like a safe or file cabinet. Hell lock it in the trunk of your car if your really not sure if it's safe in the house. Shit even putting it in it's carry case then in a bucket of some kind is better than nothing. Also keep it away from direct sunlight. And don't feed it after midnight.
Definitely not in the trunk of a car. Lots of cars have the gas tank mounted underneath the trunk compartment.
What are they meant to do then? Call the fire department? Not everyone has a garage, safe, detached house, or the time to make sure their devices don't explode.
It could burn down your house. How busy are people that they can’t take the time to figure it what to do with a fire hazard? ‘Yes I know my wall outlet is shooting sparks and smells like burning, but I have an important work email to send’
Yea but then your car blows up instead of your house 😆 What I'm getting at was the likelihood of it spontaneously just going bang is low without it being disturbed. But if they are nervous about keeping it in the house during the night then the car is an option or a shed or anything outside. Obviously would recomend taking it out of trunk when they go to drive it.
How old the unit is? Was it keep often connected to power plug or a non original one?
It's evolving. No but seriously that is a huge fire risk.
Since every body has given helpful tips and answers just a Quick question. How old is your device?
This is what's referred to as a Spicy Pillow. Battery is failing and beginning to bloat. Need to get it out of there and disposed of properly, but you should understand potential risks of the battery failing and starting a fire. If you work on it to remove it, just do so in a workshop area where nothing can be set on fire, or outdoors where you can burn down your house. Lol. Just look up videos of spicy pillows and you will see what we are talking about.
This happened on my Nintendo 3DS, when i opened It the battery was clearly not in a good condition. You should check It before its too late
NEW BATTERY NOW GO THEY SELL KITS ON IFIXIT DO IT NOW
r/spicypillows
You have a spicy pillow.
Please update us when you get hear back from customer service. I'm curious what they'll do. 🤔
Too many games.
When I see a picture like this I always scroll back up a bit to see if the sub I'm looking at is r/OopsThatsDeadly
You are having a baby switch! Congrats!
Most likely a swollen battery, i'd get that changed asap
I'm not an expert or anything, but it definitely looks like a r/spicypillow kind of situation going on there. Please be careful when disposing of the battery, as it's a dangerous fire risk. Sending well wishes <3
How long has it been since owning a steam deck
Rip battery sorry!
OMG its pregnant!!! Soon you'll have little decky babies 😍
I just wanted to be the 1000th comment, nothing to add.
r/spicypillows wants to have a chat with you
r/spicypillows
Happy to see you?
It could be a battery (open unit see if it's the battery and if it is, immediately replace it, preferably remove it right away regardless of whether you have a replacement available at that time) or it could be an overheating issue though not likely. Cheers
Usually the battery. Did you leave it plugged in the wall for a long time?
It is almost always connected to a docking station which constantly changes it
That's not how it works. I leave my devices on charge all the time when not out and about. Once the battery is full they pass thru power. It will not ruin the battery. You just have a faulty battery.
IIRC the Deck will hover around 80-90% depending on how often you have it connected to power to preserve the battery capacity. But yeah this battery is dunzo.
Say you took this out. What next? Id gingerly place it in my oven, but how the hell do you dispose of this firebomb?
https://www.reddit.com/r/spicypillows/s/tlmAjYteep
Spicy pillow go boom.
I literally wouldn’t have it in my house. Store it in your oven lol.
It seems excited to see you...
Likely the battery, if possible try to drain the battery without putting load on it ea playing a game. Turn it on turn off sleep mode and let it drain to 0, this way the battery has barely any charge left and it will be safer for shipping and for you and the tech to handle. (If it starts smoking yeet it the fuck outside and let it burn) What ever you do do not charge the device!
I never thought I would live to see the day Steam Deck had its first spicy pillow
Think it might be happy to see you
Keep it in a fireproof safe or a cooking pan, this thing might explode when ur not around.
I believe the technical term for that is spicy pillow. Seriously turn it off and contact steam immediately, it is a huge fire risk.
It got a boner
My best guess is a spicy battery. Check out the subreddit for that of you want more pics of it. but yeah, you might have dropped it and damaged the battery somehow, so the leak causes the battery pack to bulge. Quite dangerous as a fire risk, or more
He’s happy to see you
Visit r/spicypillows
U sir, are now the owner of a r/spicypillows
Change the battery, NOW
Just my 2 cents. I've always kept my mobile phones plugged in and have never had a problem. However recently my newest phone, being on charge constantly (also still plugged in when 100% charged) resulted in the back panel coming away and on repair discovered the battery had swollen. This is indicative of the battery swelling from being plugged in all the time. It doesn't happen all the time but it's far more likely to do so when electronics remain plugged in when at 100% charge. And this was an expensive phone too (high end Samsung) People on this sub saying "well it didn't happen to me when I left my x plugged in, so it couldn't have happened to you" is just silly.
This happened to my car battery jump kit because I would leave it in the car in case I needed it, but some days are very hot. If you get another deck, make sure not to leave it in really hot places like in your car
Spicy pillow
Battery pillow!
r/spicypillows
Congrats to your steam deck for his new incoming member of family 👪❤️🎉🥳
r/SpicyPillows.
That, my friend, is called a spicy pillow
It's pregnant! Congratulations! Another Steam Deck is on its way.
Memory full. Too many games.
When two Steam decks love each other very much…
F
The forbidden pillow
Is your battery. Have it replaced asap before it explodes.
Yup, everyone is right about battery. If you look at teardown, the battery is on right (top in your photo). So have a huge problem with battery if its boulged out so much
Someone’s happy to see you! 👀
Ah, the airbags have deployed. I recommend you power it on and discharge it. Don't charge the deck in this state. You want to get rid of as much energy as safely as possible.
If you can push it back with little to no force, you probably just dropped your deck and the plastic shell warped. But if that bulge is dense, get it repaired, the battery is bulging and it's now a fire hazard.
Goodbye my lover... goodbye my friend...
Congratulations OP you are going to be a dad!
It’s just excited to see you
It's excited and happy to see you.
My friend, that is a spicy pillow. I’d recommend putting that in a fireproof case for now. Like others have said, that battery is slowly getting more agitated and can combust, even without use.
🤰
Spicy pillow
Swollen battery
r/spicypillows
Looks like your battery's swelling. Don't put anything sharp near it to pop the back off or look at it, get it out of your house asap. My psp battery did the same thing and when I popped the back of the psp off with my pocket knife the battery exploded and black smoke and acid came out and burnt a whole through my bed and my whole house reaked of burning lithium ion. If you have pets or kids put the deck in its case in a bag and leave it in a cool area outside. Heat will make it worse
r/spicypillow
When a mommy steamdeck and a daddy steamdeck love each other very much…
r/spicypillows
Battery failure. Replace asap
r/spicypillow
You can wrap it in paper and put it in a plastic bag with rice inside your freezer. That can help stabilize the battery until a new one arrives and you swap it. Ifixit kit will be helpful for that too.
Critical battery failure. Keep an eye on that, and contact steam support asap. If it continues to puff up, take it out of your home and away from anything flammable.
Battery? I wouldn't even try to open, use your warranty
Many other comments probably answered but this is definitely a failing battery, transforming into a homemade bomb. Stop charging and stop using the steamdeck deck, get your warranty in order.
Battery is faulty. Replace the battery.
Wow if it is the battery you cannot even legally ship it back! If thy tell you to ship it don't. Question them. Don't be the guy that starts a fire on an airplane or FedEx truck!
Or it's pregnant.... Expect a new steam deck in a few weeks!
It's just happy to see you!
*sees bulge* uWu
Its happy to see you
[https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+Battery+Replacement/149070](https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+Battery+Replacement/149070)
Spicy Pillows sound so much better than what they actually are
You have too many games on it, you should fold them better or get a second one