I’m interested in hearing both about if you still use the default carrying case that comes with the deck, and if you use any kind of protective clip-on case such as the Killswitch, JSAUX Modcase, or other.
The one it came with, though I don’t generally use it out and about
I just use the default case for the most part. I have a third party case from Amazon with a larger internal storage compartment I use when traveling as I can fit a battery bank, bluetooth earbuds, and extra cables in it.
default packin case and a glass screen protector has seen me through the last year and a bit now.
Have you had any use for the screen protector? I got the 512gb model with anti-glare and it stopped working with a glass protector on top so I decided to just skip it. Still no scratches anywhere on my deck. I just keep it in the original case when I am not using it
I have. I have a couple hairline scratches on my protector, despite babying it and only using microfiber cloths. I don’t have anti-glare, so the reflective surface is the same with or without the protector.
The main reason I have it is for those hairline scratches and for drop protection. On phones, the screen protector will actually absorb a drop-force that would otherwise crack the screen, cracking the protector instead (usually). It’s cheap to replace a piece of glass, and much more expensive to replace the digitizer and LCD, so it’s a worthwhile investment for me.
i bought the 64gb model and did an ssd swap so i never had antiglare to begin with, and it’s more a precaution than anything, shit happens and all that.
I feel like a clip on screen cover is a necessity, to protect that big beautiful screen.
I use a cheap one, but many of my friends get the dBrand one.
Yeah I have the Killswitch from Dbrand. It’s a great case and the travel cover makes the deck borderline indestructible. It is a bit pricey though at $75 but that also includes a kickstand (with built in microSD storage) and a skin of your choice. https://dbrand.com/shop/grip/steam-deck-cases
I’m rocking the Killswitch. I strongly recommend it. It’s good for protection but also it’s nice and grippy
I recently swapped out the spiggen protective case for a JSAUX modcase after getting to try-out the feel of someone else’s modcase. I had always been envious of the clip on front cover, and the hands on experience showed me that it was a lot more comfortable in the hands than the Spigen case.
I’m still using the original travel case that came with my deck as well, although for the modcase deck to fit inside it I have to remove the front cover and kickstand from the back.
Exact same here. Moved from the Spigen to the JSAUX with screen cover. Absolutely recommend the JSAUX modkit, it may be my end game deck protector (so far).
For cases, I moved from the pack in to the Gen 1 JSAUX about a year or so ago (the ability to store a Anker Powerbrick + wall wart along with some wired buds and USB-c cable was great). That was perfect until I picked up the docking station and wanted to pack that around too…
Currently I have the Large Capacity Case and it’s working great, but man, this thing is unwieldy in a backpack. That said being able to have all of my Steam Deck shit in one spot for trips is pretty awesome and I throw it into a carryon more often than not if I’m taking the whole kit.
Usually though, I’m rolling with just the deck + modkit with screen cover and power pack in this sling bag. Seems to be the most efficient solution so far, as I don’t really need all the extra stuff in seat when I’m flying so it just gets packed in to my checked bag.
Apologies if this sounds like I’m shilling for JSAUX, it’s not. I legitimately have found them to offer the best solutions when it comes to what’s on the market for the Steam Deck currently. Both myself and my partner use their covers and cases, as does my kid.
My only note for improvement is on the size of the large capacity case, but honestly, I don’t think there’s much that could be done to retain capacity and protection. It’s just the nature of how big these portables are going to inherently be.
I’ve been using the JSAUX ModCase since the hub variant was first offered. A ModCase with a hub is pretty much a portable dock.
Coming up on two years of heavy use and I do have some observations on the ModCase.
#The kickstand is not very heavy, but I find I usually have it off and in my briefcase when I am playing on the Steam Deck. After it was broken in a bit, it could flop around a bit, and although not particularly large it is fairly heavy duty and having it off saves a bit of weight and avoids the flopping around.
#The kickstand is fairly heavy duty, but there are two small hinge pins that the foot levers out on. One of the hinge pins broke on mine a few months ago, and the other is wearing fast. I made a quick repair with a bit of wire (actually from a paper clip) but the size isn’t quite right, so the hinge is still pretty loose. This is a simple device, and is a wear part. I could order a whole replacement ModCase, but it would be nice if you could just get a replacement kickstand. Likewise, although it hasn’t happened to me (yet), when using the ModCase, you sometimes put the removable cover down somewhere ill advised. I would assume that the cover is lost or broken more often than other parts of the ModCase. The ability to buy just a replacement cover would also be good. The clippable band has been pretty useful for just attaching any random device to the ModCase, more bands would also be a useful purchase. The only extra part is adhesive pads, which I guess is a partial replacement for the attachable band.
#The hub in the hub/ultimate version is a little bulky, and not really much more useful than the cheap one I first got off of Amazon. It works mostly fine (external video cuts out briefly now and then), but the cheap Amazon one is around half the size, and the external video doesn’t cut out.
Overall, I highly recommend the ModCase.
I know it doesn’t help you at the moment, but at some point between June last year and last week they’ve updated the kickstand to include an extra little crossbar up at the top of the metal u shaped piece of metal that makes up the stand so that you need to lose both pins for it to fall off now. (I ordered one last year and ordered a replacement kit for a 2nd steam deck that I’ve gifted to my wife) And I’m liking the look of the new design.
I’ll see if I can take a photo later on and share it to explain as I suspect my words aren’t doing a great job.
Edit: here’s a quick photo I’ve taken to try to show the new crossbar thing in action.
Good to know!
I can’t really complain to much though, mine is around 1 1/2 years old and still works.
I bought and love the Tomtoc carrying pack which has enough space for earbuds, charger, and cable but isn’t onerous in size. Highly recommend it.
Edit to add that the pack is soft so if not stuffed full it takes up less space than some of the marketing photos suggest. Also it’s nice because it has a stiff, padded baffle inside that is made to fit over the screen and controls to protect them from getting smushed despite the soft pack.
I just use the default case, a screen protector, and thumb grip protection. I may get a different case one day and change the shell, but this works well enough for my needs at the moment.
I wanted something slim and light, so I got the Waterfield Magnetic Case (in all waxed canvas). Keep my Steam Deck in there any time I’m not using it.
Using the Tomtok ultra slim carrying case. It feels very close to the NS’s one , and make carrying it much less of a chore.
Would like to try out the Killswitch, but I remember it takes the place of grip case too (Meaning I can’t use other grip cases).
Tempered glass, Jsaux transparent shell both sides, no armour type case, stock travel case. I had a dbrand leather skin on the stock shell but it got annoying.
I have an unfinished design for a 3d print to attach a vesa Mount for a small screen for playing ds and wiiu games but that probably won’t get finished until after I move.
I’ve been using the Killswitch since the non-magnetic version came out. It makes the whole system a little larger, but has a nice grip for holding and protects it well in my bag. It also takes up a lot less space in my bag than the stock case did. I haven’t had any issues plugging in USB-C cables into what ends up being a recessed port with the case on.
one of those rubberized out shells along with screen protector. can’t find the case it came with for the life of me but I don’t tend to take it out of the house anyway.
I use this hard case (black version). No regrets.
Full Protective Case for Steam Deck: Kickstand Case for Steam Deck- TPU Modcase with Front Cover Case, 3 in 1 Valve Steam Deck Accessories with Shock-Absorption, Non-Slip&Anti-Scratch Design https://a.co/d/jc1SOoZ
