Amidst the heatwave, Valve warns Steam Deck will shut down in high temperatures

Valve has detailed how the current heatwave will affect its Steam Deck hardware, which will shut down completely in high temperatures.

Even before this happens, performance will be “throttled” when the hardware is hot, Valve has said. Honestly, after the past couple of days, I can relate.

“For our friends in the midst of a heatwave, a quick note about Steam Deck in high temperatures,” Valve wrote via Twitter last night. “Steam Deck performs at its best in ambient temperatures between zero and 35°C. If the temperature gets higher than this, Steam Deck may start to throttle performance to protect itself.”

Problems can occur at higher temperatures, however – so beware how much your Steam Deck is heating up.

“Steam Deck’s APU [Accelerated Processing Unit] runs well at temperatures up to 100°C,” Valve contiuned. “At 100°C, it will start to throttle performance, and at 105°C it will shut down. Again, this is to protect itself (and you) from damage.”

While 100°C seems incredibly hot, it’s worth remembering how much warmer electrical equipment can get above this week’s already damaging outside air temperatures.

Nintendo recently gave a similar warning for the Switch, which like the Steam Deck is designed for use up to 35°C.

“If you use the Nintendo Switch in a hot place, the temperature of the main unit may become high,” Nintendo wrote, suggesting you ensure all of the device’s ventilation ports are clear.

It’s good advice all around.