Puppies are curious creatures. And sometimes that curiosity leads to them getting destructive, as one unlucky Steam Deck owner learned recently.
Since launching in 2022, Valve’s portable PC, the Steam Deck, has been a massive success for the company and helped kickstart a new era of portable, Switch-like PC devices. But while the Steam Deck is a sturdy and reliable device most days, it does have some flaws. For example, it apparently doesn’t make for a good dog toy, according to a cute post on the Steam Deck subreddit.
On April 15, Reddit user GegeTheGreat posted some photos of a mangled Steam Deck that had been chewed up by the poster’s 11-month-old puppy, Pebble. As explained by GegeTheGreat, Pebble has recently become more playful and destructive, which led to a Steam Deck becoming a chew toy.
I was playing on the deck and put it on the charger while I went to shower,” said GegeTheGreat “This was my mistake, I should have put it in its case like normal, but thought I would be fine for a quick shower and plus, I put it up on the nightstand.”
This wasn’t enough. Pebble, being a cute and smart doggo, pulled the Steam Deck down from the nightstand using the device’s charging cable. She then “made a snack” of the controller grips and in the process disabled the right trigger, bumper, d-pad, and B button. Pebble’s owner says the device still works, but they have had to rebind the controls in some games, and holding the device isn’t “comfy” anymore due to the sharp plastic bits.
Kotaku has contacted GegeTheGreat for more information and an update on the situation.
Because they recently lost their job and prefer playing the device handheld, GegeTheGreat asked the Steam Deck community for advice on how to repair or work around the puppy damage. Some suggested buying a new case. Others said the owner should check out repair sites for parts and pieces to replace the damage.
GegeTheGreat says they’ve emailed Valve with pictures of the cute but destructive puppy, and they’re hoping that a fellow puppy lover at Valve opens the email and helps out. GegeTheGreat is also looking to replace the Steam Deck shell, as was recommended by some on the subreddit.
As for Pebble, well, it seems it’s hard to be mad at such a cute puppy. GegeTheGreat explained that they don’t blame Pebble at all.
“It was my mistake leaving it out, she’s a curious puppy and I spend a lot of time with that device in my hands. No wonder she wants to investigate it.”
Update: 04/17/2024, 4:45 p.m. ET: After this story was published, GegeTheGreat told Kotaku that Pebble—the puppy—is doing great and that she didn’t swallow anything harmful while chewing on the Steam Deck.
They also told Kotaku that the Steam Deck is out of warranty and it would cost them $185 to fix the device.
“I’m likely going to try to replace it myself because I like to do DIY stuff and I don’t have the budget for [Valve to fix it] currently,” GegeTheGreat told Kotaku. “A stranger did offer to fix it but I’d have to ship it to them and I’m impatient.”
As for starting a GoFundMe or asking for donations, GegeTheGreat said that seemed a bit “extreme” but since more people were reaching out to them and talking about the incident they were “thinking about it.”
As for starting a GoFundMe or asking for donations, GegeTheGreat said that seemed a bit “extreme” but since more people were reaching out to them and talking about the incident they were “thinking about it.”
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