Valve has asked Steam Deck users to stop huffing the fumes coming out the vents after the “intoxicating aroma” of a newly unboxed Steam Deck created some…fans. The smell coming from the exhaust has become a meme on Reddit but the company is trying a put a stop to it for obvious health reasons.
One Steam Deck owner u/Metapod100 actually asked Valve about sniffing the vent and “kinda liking it” and they received a candid response from Steam.
“As with all electronics, it is generally not recommended you inhale the exhaust fumes on your device. While there are no safety concerns with general usage, directly inhaling the device’s vent fumes should be avoided. We understand that it may be a meme, but please refrain from this behavior for the safety of your health.”
To which the user jokingly (we hope) mentioned, “Eh. I’m just going to keep doing it.”
To see what the rest of the community thinks about this, check out the Reddit posts here which call it the “best smell on Earth” and that they’re “glad to see the vent smell is universally appreciated.” One user asks, “Can I still let it blow on my face when it’s all warm? I won’t inhale I promise.”
While there is no known direct repercussion of inhaling the hot air that comes out of electronic devices, the question remains – why? This is almost a gamer version of the eating Tide Pods. Some say that it triggers childhood memories of visiting electronic department stores from back in the day. Possible.
Fortunately, not all Steam Deck owners are able to huff this. Comments say that the “OLED version feels like a chemical weapon but the LCD one smells good.” This isn’t the first time such a surprising thing has happened. Back in 2017, people were licking their Nintendo Switch cartridges. Turns out, they taste bad because they have denatoium benzoate on them, giving them a bitter taste.
In all seriousness, everyone is (hopefully) aware of the health implications in case you sniff too much of the Steam Deck vent fumes and licking cartridges. Electronics such as Steam Deck give out a mix of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while they’re on and heated up. Concentrated inhalation of these fumes can be harmful and any long-term use can have unfavorable health effects.
