an image of the Valve Stream Deck running Cyberpunk 2077

A Steam Deck user had an issue with the gaming handheld's bulk
So he created the 'Steam Brick,' a stripped-down version
He successfully created a portable one-third the size of the original

The Steam Deck has taken the gaming handheld market by storm since its initial launch, enabling users to play the best PC games in a much smaller and more portable form factor. However, one person decided that his OLED Steam Deck wasn’t portable enough, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

User crastinator-pro’s disclaimer on the GitHub page reads “I am not a smart man,” after he describes his thought process behind the massive modification process, which involved stripping down the portable’s screen and controller. According to the post, he only found himself using the Deck with either AR Glasses or a TV and, more often than not, leaving it at home due to it being too bulky for his taste.

Crastinator-pro started by testing if the Steam Deck would still boot if he disconnected everything but the fan from the motherboard. He found that it would, writing that it “will boot output display over USB and accept peripherals via an external dock.” After more tearing down, he then made a basic case to house the brick-like ‘console.’ The biggest obstacle here was ensuring that the case wouldn’t melt from any heat generated by gaming sessions.

Pictures of Steam Brick with controller, case, and AR glasses — (Image credit: Valve / crastinator-pro)

The final result is truly a marvel of engineering. The ‘brick’ is roughly one-third the size of the Steam Deck, four times smaller than its OEM case, and 24% lighter. The ‘brick’s’ dimensions are 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches / 193.5 x 126.5 x 21mm, and it weighs 16.7oz / 474g, compared with the original OLED Steam Deck’s 4.6 x 11.7 x 1.9 inches and a weight of 1.41lbs.

That’s a significant difference, but there are a couple of downsides to this build. The first one is that “accessing the BIOS by holding down the + button while powered up is impossible, as that button isn’t included in the build.” The second is that it’s difficult to determine whether the modified system is turned on since the indicator light doesn’t illuminate.

What makes the Steam Deck so special?

The Steam Deck is a fascinating machine — not only does it offer comparable PC gaming functionality without the bulk of either a desktop or laptop, but you can also endlessly modify the machine to suit your software or hardware needs. Projects like the ‘Steam Brick’ truly show just how well-built and flexible this portable is.

Simply using the handheld as intended can be a changing experience for gamers. As TechRadar’s Roland Moore-Colyer puts it, the freedom of being able to play the best Steam Deck games without being tethered to a dedicated PC is incredible. Even better is not having to worry about carrying a heavy gaming laptop when traveling, something only console gamers have been able to experience.

You can also choose from the best Steam Deck alternatives, each of which offers unique features and selling points – the Lenovo Legion Go for example, has a joystick that replaces the function of a mouse for shooters.

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One crafty user proved you can make the Steam Deck more portable by turning it into a brick