A Reddit user said he “almost” started a fire after his smartwatch band touched the exposed contacts of his Steam controller’s charging puck. According to the Redditor, they were charging the smartwatch next to the charging puck and explained that the band hit the exposed pins at “exactly the wrong angle.” This likely caused a short circuit which, as the Reddit user notes, produced a sizzling sound.
The damage to the charging puck and Pixel Watch 4 was minimal, as the Redditor quickly realized something was wrong. They also consider the crash to be their fault, saying they did not initially open a support ticket, although they later contacted Steam’s hardware team. The unlucky user advised others to keep the Steam Controller’s charging puck separate from metal objects. While the official manual warns of a possible Steam controller fire scenario, other writers have expressed concerns about the puck, calling its exposed pins a glaring design flaw and a fire hazard.
Is the Steam Controller a fire hazard?
The Steam Controller remains a hot item. Still, the incident raises significant concerns about the safety of the controller and the loading puck. In the Safety Information section of the manual, Steam warns of the risk of fire, advising users to ensure the controller and charging components are “free of metal objects before connecting.”
The editors were quick to support the original poster. While some acknowledged the warning, they also presented several scenarios in which similar things could happen by accident. For example, having your hand near the charging puck while wearing a watch. Others have noted that even if you are aware of the fire risk, it is impossible to constantly monitor the charging station. The manual is clear about the risks, but as users have pointed out, not everyone in the house knows how dangerous it is to place metal objects on the washer.
Since people rarely study user manuals, the lack of basic protections could be a red flag. Some users suggested that the device should implement a “handshake” before powering the puck pins, while others questioned the lack of basic overcurrent protection. It remains to be seen how Valve will respond to this incident, but many writers believe the alleged design flaw could warrant a recall.
