The Steam Deck is almost here, but not quite just yet. If the anticipation is too much for you, though, you can soon have a Steam Deck in your hands immediately, technically. Valve has just publically released the CAD files for the Steam Deck, allowing users to 3D print the outer shell to the handheld device. Upon releasing the files, under the Creative Commons license, Valve encouraged curious tinkerers and makers to have fun messing around with the model, and to feel free to contact them regarding feedback and questions, as well as ideas for things that creators might come up with. You can grab the files from the GitLab page.

Source

 

[Worldblender]

awesome, although this is basically just giving scammers a free way to easily replicate the steam deck's look and pass it off as real on sites like aliexpress and ebay

Summarizing from https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/SteamDeck/hardware/-/blob/master/license.txt:

I just learned of the exact license used: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
Basically, almost anything but commercial usage is legal (in this case, selling 3D prints of the shell would be illegal), provided that Valve is given credit and the same license is used in derivative works.

However, commercial usage is still possible if Valve is contacted first, and they approve.

As usual with anything popular, there are always those who may ignore licensing, though it's a different story when non-proprietary / any open-source licenses are used.

@Chary you should consider updating the article with the exact license used, as people could erroneously think that commercial usage is allowed, when that's actually not the case.

 

[djpannda]

currently printing... cheap ass printer!! its like a 1 day and 16 hours to print....ahhhh

 

[Xzi]

Good guy Valve.

 

[ZeroFX]

based valve

 

[andyhappypants]

Too big for my printer

View attachment 298000

Ender 3??

 

[fvig2001]

Now if only the Chinese competitors would do this so that we can make alternative shells too.

 

[Devin]

Too big for my printer

View attachment 298000

Just barely fits on my CR10S. Just a few more weeks till release but it's nice to know that I could print out a Steamdeck case out of TPU. Will I though? Probably not.

 

[tech3475]

Now if only the Chinese competitors would do this so that we can make alternative shells too.

Maybe that’s Valve’s secret plan, considering the ‘painful’ price point, make it so open that companies clone it which people buy instead…..so long as it ships with Steam OS .

 

[GBADWB]

Maybe that’s Valve’s secret plan, considering the ‘painful’ price point, make it so open that companies clone it which people buy instead…..so long as it ships with Steam OS .

Valve doesn't need to make money on their devices, Their goal is to get a larger buyer base, and they are targeting users who do handheld gaming only with this device. They want more companies to be more agressive with the handheld devices, they always win because steam is the most popular gaming storefront on PC, and will eventually get money from their 30% cut they take from sales. It doesnt even have to be Steam OS

 

[Viri]

Valve is also trying to kill Microsoft grip on the PC for gaming, which I approve of. Windows 11 was so bad, it made me try out Linux. Which I ended up liking a lot more than Windows 10. lol

 

[eyeliner]

Valve is also trying to kill Microsoft grip on the PC for gaming, which I approve of. Windows 11 was so bad, it made me try out Linux. Which I ended up liking a lot more than Windows 10. lol

You are a funny. But not really.

 

[Slluxx]

View attachment 297999​

The Steam Deck is almost here, but not quite just yet. If the anticipation is too much for you, though, you can soon have a Steam Deck in your hands immediately, technically. Valve has just publically released the CAD files for the Steam Deck, allowing users to 3D print the outer shell to the handheld device. Upon releasing the files, under the Creative Commons license, Valve encouraged curious tinkerers and makers to have fun messing around with the model, and to feel free to contact them regarding feedback and questions, as well as ideas for things that creators might come up with. You can grab the files from the GitLab page.

Source

the gift that keeps on giving. holy moly. this is how it should be done by all manufacturers

 

[diggeloid]

Ender 3??

Wow yeah how tf?! You some kind of 3D printer psychic?!?!

(it's actually an Ender 3 v2)

 

[HarveyHouston]

Wow, GitLab?!? I'm gonna clone their repo right now!

EDIT: Done. https://gitlab.com/HarvHouHacker/steam-deck-hardware-case

 

[Viri]

You are a funny. But not really.

Thanks. I support anyone who tries to axe away at Microsoft's dominance in the PC space.

 

[guily6669]

I just wish someone makes a more "portable" version of the Steam Deck, it's a buy right away for me.

I really wish to see a conversion to make steam more like switch separating the controllers from the main SOC motherboard and using a good metallic rail with good connection to attach the controllers.

Also really hope someone makes a CNC custom full copper cooler that would cool all memories, VRM's, attach to the original cooler and even cover most of the copper pipe and most importantly that cool the charging IC chip which sadly is running way too hot.

 

[K3Nv2]

That'll be $150 extra for a case and anti glare screen pro--- I mean buy that most expensive model all that stuffs already bundled in our steamdeck pro model b.

 

[Taleweaver]

Welp... I don't have a 3d printer, but with enough paper you can do this with a regular one as well... Right?

I just wish someone makes a more "portable" version of the Steam Deck, it's a buy right away for me.

I really wish to see a conversion to make steam more like switch separating the controllers from the main SOC motherboard and using a good metallic rail with good connection to attach the controllers.

Also really hope someone makes a CNC custom full copper cooler that would cool all memories, VRM's, attach to the original cooler and even cover most of the copper pipe and most importantly that cool the charging IC chip which sadly is running way too hot.

You're aware that a gpd win 3 can use steam as well, right?

 

[1c4rus]

Imagine they're unable to deliver the Decks and isntead they say go make your own Now people gonna add a Pi inside to make wonders.

 

[tech3475]

Valve doesn't need to make money on their devices, Their goal is to get a larger buyer base, and they are targeting users who do handheld gaming only with this device. They want more companies to be more agressive with the handheld devices, they always win because steam is the most popular gaming storefront on PC, and will eventually get money from their 30% cut they take from sales. It doesnt even have to be Steam OS

My post wasn’t meant to be taken seriously (hence the ), we don’t actually know the profit/break-even/loss on each unit sold, only that it is “painful”.

I was just joking that Valve basically want people to clone the system given how open they are being, to reduce their potential losses, which still accomplishes their goal with the Steam Deck.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find the ‘Stem Deck’ on Aliexpress in the next year or so with these files used by the makers to design it, although not necessarily a full clone and just some mediocre Android based device.

That said, they probably would want any clones to ship with at the very least a GNU/Linux distro which can run Steam, since getting Linux more mainstream has been a long term goal.