If you’ve ever wanted to know how durable the Steam Deck is, wonder no more, as someone has put the handheld gaming PC‘s endurance to the test. However, we should warn you that the process may cause you to physically recoil in pain (believe us, watching the video is much, much worse).
A 512GB Steam Deck model fell prey to the torturous durability test of Tech YouTuber Zack Nelson (otherwise known as JerryRigEverything), in which Valve’s portable powerhouse endured trial by box cutter and pocket lighter. Painful as this sound, Nelson’s calculated destruction provides some unique insight into the device’s physical makeup.
Taking a set of Mohs’ Hardness picks to the Steam Deck’s display, Nelson shows that it takes a decent amount of force to damage the anti-glare glass, but the “abraisive” coating can make it harder to remove surface level damage. The screen was able to shrug off any attempts to crack it through bending or flexing, though, from both the back and the front.
Turning his sharp and pointy instruments to the predominantly plastic Steam Deck chassis, Nelson slices through the device’s A, B, X, and Y buttons to reveal that the lettering is inlaid throughout the glossy plastic. So, any worries that these would wear away over time should be put to rest (much like this poor unfortunate unit).
The rest of the body doesn’t fair nearly as well, however, and falls apart quicker than Valve’s ambitions to dominate the market with Steam machines. All in all, the Steam Deck seems like a suitably durable machine, but it’s probably best to keep it in its carrying case rather than throwing it around willy-nilly in your backpack.
Image credit: JerryRigEverything / YouTube
