Valve’s new Steam Controller has quickly become one of the hottest gaming accessories around, with PC gamers trying to grab one, while scalpers continue buying up stock whenever it appears. Now, the controller’s Steam Puck accessory is getting attention for a very different reason after Reddit user, Toikka, warned that its exposed contacts nearly caused a fire.
In a post on r/SteamController, the user said their smartwatch was sitting on its own charger when the metallic strap accidentally touched the Steam Puck’s exposed contacts at the wrong angle, causing a short circuit that started sizzling and nearly turned into something much worse.
Looking at the puck in the image below, you can clearly see that an imprint of the strap is now a permanent on the puck. The housing for the 3 bins is also slightly melted and recessed, with the left pin showing signs of melted plastic.
The user made it clear they were not blaming Valve and considered the incident their fault, but is still warning Steam Controller owners to keep the Puck away from metal objects or anything that could heat up while the contacts are exposed. They also pointed out that similar exposed pogo-pin designs are used on devices such as the Xbox Elite controller and Pixel Watch chargers, which means this is less about panic and more about being careful with powered charging contacts.
Thankfully, the situation ended without major damage, with the Reddit user saying both the Steam Puck and Pixel Watch 3 still worked despite visible cosmetic damage. The post was later updated to say Valve’s hardware team had already reached out and is investigating the issue, with the user planning to send the affected items to Valve so the company can try to reproduce what happened.
For now, this appears to be an isolated incident and not a widespread Steam Controller defect, but it is still worth keeping in mind if you own Valve’s new hardware. The Steam Puck may be convenient, but like any powered accessory with exposed contacts, it is probably best kept away from loose metal, smartwatch bands, and charging gear that could accidentally touch it.
