Steam Deck owner hooks up DJ kit to handheld in triple-deck setup

A user on Reddit has utilized the Steam Deck with a pair of DJ decks to create a unique Linux-based DJ setup.

There’s no mistaking the Steam Deck is a high-powered piece of tech. The Valve handheld is capable of not just playing your PC games on the go, but it doubles as a desktop PC.

Like with any PC, Steam Deck users are constantly thinking up new uses for the iconic piece of Valve hardware. From supercharging the Steam Deck with a powerful GPU mod, to controlling Disneyland droids, the possibilities are endless.

One Redditor has now proven the Steam Deck can even be an ideal tool for musicians and music producers alike, by using the handheld alongside decks for the ultimate in Linux-based DJ setup.

A pair of Steam Deck decks

Posting to r/Steam Deck, Reddit user RNG_BackTrack uploaded an image showing the Valve handheld being used during a DJ set. While no supporting details were provided, it’s clear from the image that some sort of DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is running on the handheld, with a dongle connecting the Steam Deck to make it compatible with the DJ decks.

With no accompanying comments, we can’t know for sure what software the Steam Deck is running. However, with the handheld being Linux-based, it’s more than likely to be Mixxx, a free and open-source DJ software that’s Linux-compatible.

The unique use of the Steam Deck sparked many excited comments within the r/Steam Deck post. Users such as XADEBRAVO exclaimed, “Imagine using the touchpads for scratch control.”

While others, like fellow commenter StatusKuo-tv felt inspired, explaining that, “Just gave Mixx a try on my SteamDeck after seeing this. I’ve taught on everything from vinyls to midi controllers. Consider me impressed.”

With the original poster yet to provide details on the setup, we can only speculate as to how it all works. Yet, it only makes sense a Steam Deck would be a great portable alternative to a typical laptop that many DJs are using.