Steam Deck needs a kickstand

The Steam Deck needs a kickstand and I’ll be damned if I don’t shout this into oblivion, hoping my frustration wills said kickstand into existence.

Why? Steam Deck’s vast collection of visual novels with low impact can be played by just a few taps on its touch screen. It also offers tons of shmups that can be used in Tate mode (vertical-screen) modes. Also for 2D retro games I’d rather use my own Bluetooth controller. Okay, I admittedly have niche tastes, but I’m not alone!

What’s so odd about the Steam Deck lacking a kickstand is that Valve has otherwise borrowed some of the best design ideas from the Switch and added some great touches of its own, most crucially four remappable pedals on the back of the device. And yet there’s no kickstand. Nintendo has just updated this feature for Switch OLED.

I recognize adding a kickstand won’t be as simple as adding Nintendo’s original, flimsy bit of plastic. The Steam Deck appears too heavy and bulky to be supported with anything shallow. A revised Kickstand for the Switch OLED that runs along the length of this device would also block vents to the Steam Deck’s back left.

Of course, there must be a way out.

Valve has released Steam Deck CAD files earlier this month. This allows people to make their Steam Deck shells, and more importantly, allow them to start designing accessories. These CAD files were the answer to all my problems when I talked with Valve representatives. So reader, it’s on us to make the world we want.

Let me now explain how 3D printing works.