In recent months, inhaling fumes from the Steam Deck’s vents has become something of a meme on Reddit. This strange practice, obviously appreciated by many users, is not without health risks. Valve has just reminded this and invites console owners to curb their olfactory desires.
For several months, a strange new practice has been emulated among Steam Deck owners. Indeed, we can see testimonials on Reddit attesting to the “terrific smell” of the vapors expelled by Valve’s hybrid console. Some users even compare it to other addictive smells, like glue or gasoline for example.
Oxelhare, a user of the social network, even declared that “smelling the fumes from the Steam Deck vents made him feel 12 again”. Since then, this trend has become a known meme within the Steam Deck community, and some do not hesitate to compare the smells given off by the Steam Deck and the new OLED model, which has just been launched.
“Strangely, the OLED version has a different smell which could be more dangerous, because there are more chemical components. It really gave me a migraine, unlike my old LCD version,” writes hyperrainz on Reddit.
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Sniffing Steam Deck fumes is not a good idea
In a burst of lucidity or out of simple curiosity, user Metapod100 sent a message to Steam support to find out the manufacturer’s position on the subject. And unsurprisingly, Valve’s response is unequivocal : “As with any electronic device, it is generally not recommended to inhale the fumes expelled by your device. While there are no safety concerns with normal use, directly inhaling the air should be avoided. We understand this may be a meme, but stop this behavior to protect your health.”
It should be remembered that inhaling the air expelled by a console poses health risks. For good reason, hot air can in particular carry certain substances harmful to the respiratory system which emanate from the components of your device, not forgetting dust.
Source: Eurogamer