Modder butchers Steam Deck to add Nintendo Switch Joycons
A forum user has revealed their heavily modified Steam Deck to Reddit in a shocking new modification to the device. The mod has lopped off the embedded controller for Joycons.
The “SteamJoy”, a new mod from Reddit user mrblackm123 has been shown off, with the engineer having transplanted the Steam Deck’s innards into a new case that supports the Nintendo Switch’s Joycons.
In a video demonstrating the new Frankenstein device, mrblackm123 has outfitted it with rails so that the Joycons can slot comfortably onto the sides – much like the Switch. However, as they connect over Bluetooth, they don’t seem to be a full one-to-one recreation of the Switch’s rails right now.
The video goes on to show the full device, which is quite literally a Steam Deck’s guts shoved into a new transparent plastic shell, with a large grill or fan similar to the Xbox Series S on the back. mrblackm123 even included a small stand on the back to prop up the device.
Impressive as the mod is, it appears that it didn’t get paid much attention to by the moderators of r/SteamDeck, who have since removed the post from the forum.
Further plans for the Steam Deck mod
mrblackm123 goes on to elaborate on his next plan for this mod, which is to get the Joycons to charge directly off of the Steam Deck itself.
Currently, the Joycons charge via the rails on the Switch, or over USB when hooked into the right cradle. There are metal pins at the bottom of the Switch which connect to the Joycons and begin the charging process.
When asked how he uses the desktop mode, he states that he uses “mostly touch screen” and has mapped the plus button to bring up the onscreen keyboard.
The Steam Deck has seen plenty of mods since it started shipping out in 2022, and has taken the world by storm in its first year. One of the most popular is to simply replace the SSD inside the device to increase your storage.