The new year started with an unpleasant bang for a user on Reddit: his Steam Deck exploded, as he announced in a post from January 1, 2025. Here you can read why the deck blew up, whether this can happen to you and how to behave correctly.
What happened to the Reddit user? On January 1, 2025, Reddit user WhispieBoiiii posted pictures of his exploded Steam Deck (launch edition) in the SteamDeck subreddit. Since he had removed the back cover beforehand, you can clearly see the condition of the expensive device.
WhispieBoiiii says he was unpacking his suitcase after a trip and noticed through his hard plastic carrying case that the Steam Deck was starting to bloat. He then removed the back cover, removed the SSD and unplugged the deck’s battery.
For further storage, he continued to leave the device in the carrying case provided. However, the battery continued to inflate until an explosion occurred in the case just two hours later. He now keeps the body of the device in a grave made of cat litter to prevent further fire development.
Another Reddit user also recently noticed that their Steam Deck battery was swelling. However, this user has not yet reported an explosion. WhispieBoiiii’s device looks like this:
Attention, battery! That’s why the Steam Deck went up
Why did the Steam Deck explode? WhispieBoiiii describes in his own comments under the Reddit post that after a trip he discovered that the Steam Deck was bloating. He identified the reason for this as the built-in battery, which was getting larger and hotter.
The type of battery installed is not specifically mentioned on the official Steam Deck website. However, the swelling and subsequent explosion are consistent with the behavior of an aging lithium-ion battery:
In lithium-ion batteries, the energy is created through a chemical reaction. If such a battery is used for a long time, the reaction will no longer be completed correctly after some time, which can lead to the formation of gases, which in turn cause the battery or device to swell.
This can in turn lead to gas leaks and even, as happened here, explosions (ifixit).
So not only the Steam Deck can be affected by the problem, but every device that contains such a battery. This can be the Nintendo Switch, your cell phone, laptop or even regular household appliances.
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How do you behave correctly in this situation? If you discover a swollen battery in one of your devices, you should stop using the device. It doesn’t load anymore either. If in doubt, store the device in a fireproof bucket filled with sand or cat litter.
Under no circumstances should you puncture the battery!
The defective battery must be replaced in order to continue using the device. You can have this done at an electronics repair store in your area. If you are well versed in electronics, you can try this yourself. There are instructions for this at Ifixit.com, for example.
Danger: Lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive and can catch fire or even explode if handled incorrectly. Be extremely careful with the swollen device and only attempt to remove the battery if I am sure you can.
How can you dispose of the battery? Lithium-ion batteries – swollen or not – should never end up in household waste. You can dispose of them in dedicated collection boxes or at the municipal recycling center. In some cases, repair shops also offer disposal of the old one when installing a new battery.
Important: Do not send a device with a swollen battery or said battery individually by post.
Preventing swelling – is that even possible?
Can the problem be prevented? If you want to prevent your device or battery from dying prematurely, you should definitely pay attention to how you charge the device. This means that you should not overcharge your Steam Deck, cell phone, Nintendo Switch, etc. and unplug it as soon as the full battery level is reached (via evlithium).
The Federal Environment Agency also advises that electronics with such a battery should only be charged using the charging cable or device intended for this purpose. In addition, care should be taken to carry out the charging process in a room with a fire alarm. The office also advises people to be present during the charging process, not to do it while sleeping and to use a fireproof surface under the devices.
Further tips for a long-lasting battery:
Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely prevent a lithium-ion battery from swelling. However, the tips mentioned for a longer-lasting battery should help delay the swelling for as long as possible.
We and our colleagues at GameStar Tech asked Valve for a statement specifically about the Reddit user’s exploded Steam Deck. As soon as we receive a response, we will update this news with it.
A device that can also be affected by swelling batteries is the Nintendo Switch. Its successor is currently in development and there are always fresh leaks. Rumors recently emerged about the first launch games: Nintendo Switch 2: New leak gives a clear indication of which game the console could launch with