Steam Deck OLED limited edition owners report “random” case cracking

Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED owners have been reporting cracks appearing on their handhelds, and the translucent plastic could be the culprit.

The Steam Deck OLED brought with it a slew of well-requested upgrades when it launched in November of last year. Along with the newly upgraded handheld, a Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED was available in limited quantities for those lucky enough to be in the US and Canada.

The limited edition handheld featured all the same upgrades as the typical OLED model, yet it stood out with its smoky translucent form factor. Now, it appears that owners of the limited edition Steam Deck might not be so lucky, as there have been multiple reports of cracks forming on the handheld’s translucent plastic casing.

Posting to r/SteamDeck, Reddit user splarabar posted an image of their Limited Edition Steam Deck OLED, highlighting a large crack on the handheld. Just below the vent, a visible crack has formed in the plastic, looking like it originated from one of the orange screws on the back of the device.

“The plastic shell next to the vent cracked and now the section near the SD card slot is wobbly. I’ve never dropped my deck and I always store it in the provided case when not in use. I’m hoping it’s not a quality issue with the translucent shell material”, splarabar explained.

According to fellow r/SteamDeck users, this isn’t the first time someone has posted about cracks forming with their limited-edition handheld. Just 14 days prior, user MrFonata posted an image of a crack in the same place. What’s worse, both images led other LE OLED owners to discover the same damage on their own handhelds.

“Dang, just took a close look at my LE and there is a tiny crack starting to form in the exact same spot”, commented Dependent-Zebra-4357.

“Wow. I have these cracks too it turns out. That it some bulls**t right here”, r/SteamDeck user Thesixers exclaimed.

While the exact source of what’s plaguing the LE handhelds hasn’t been confirmed, many suspect it could be down to the plastic shell. Translucent plastic cases tend to be more rigid and less flexible. With that in mind, the cracks could be caused by the stress put on the LE case from the tightened screws and prolonged use. Valve has yet to officially respond to the reports of the issue arising among users.