Lithium-ion batteries power many useful and even essential devices in our lives. They run our smartphones, laptops, headphones and handheld gaming devices. These batteries do unfortunately have only a limited life span, and an encounter with a particular Lithium-Ion failure state by a Steam Deck user has prompted warnings for other handheld gaming fans to check their devices.
Redditor Klonsoldier posted a picture on the Steam Deck subreddit of their very unlucky handheld. It was badly fire damaged, and the unfortunate user held out little hope that Valve would be able to assist in any repairs due to how old the device was and the nature of the damage.
Other users pointed towards a battery failure as the likely cause of the fire. The term ‘spicy pillow’ has spread across Reddit and into the wider internet, referring to the situation where a flat Lithium-Ion battery swells up, causing the casing to deform and make it look like a pillow. This indicates a failing battery, and can indeed lead to damaged or burnt electronics if it is not removed and properly disposed of.
An increasing number of Steam Deck users are reporting swollen battery issues. The issue has become sufficiently prevalent that the Steam Deck subreddit conducted a poll to see if there were any common denominators for which units are being affected by this ‘spicy pillow’ issue.
Though not fully representative, the poll results pointed toward a few factors that might make your Steam Deck more prone to battery failure. Firstly, the majority of failures affect the LCD Steam Deck model. Secondly, VDL batteries seem to fail more readily than those with the Getac-branded battery. In addition, the majority of failed batteries reported on subreddit were from these manufacturing dates:
- 6/20/2022
- 10/10/2022
- 10/23/2022
- 11/01/2022
- 12/22/2022
If your Steam Deck falls into any of these categories, you might wish to give it a quick check to make sure the battery is still ok. If your battery is swollen, remove your Steam Deck from the charger and cease using it. There are guides online if you feel confident in replacing it yourself, otherwise reaching out to Steam Support might be your best option.
