Steam Controller charging puck sparks fire hazard, user reports

When we reviewed the new Steam Controller last month, we noted how the satisfying click of the magnetic charging puck easily connecting to the back of the controller lets users “save the hassle of fiddling with a power cord.” But one Reddit user’s experience highlights how the exposed contacts on that puck can be a fire hazard if Steam Controller owners aren’t careful.

On the r/SteamController subreddit, user Toikka shared how the metal portion of the charging puck “started sizzling due to a short circuit” when it came in contact with their metallic watch strap. The strap had apparently flopped down from a nearby watch charger and hit the controller puck “at the exact wrong angle,” which “almost started a fire,” the user wrote.

This is a potential issue that Valve appears to be aware of. In the manual included with every Steam Controller, Valve warns that both the charging puck and the Controller contain ”magnetic parts [that] may attract magnetic items.” Users should make sure both are “free of metallic objects” in order “to reduce the potential risks of sparks and resulting property damage or possible injury,” Valve wrote. The manual also warns that the magnets could have a negative effect on medical devices, credit cards, and magnetic data storage placed nearby.

The Steam Controller is far from the only device with a charger featuring exposed metal pins for “drop in” convenience. The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 charging station, for instance, advertises “copper pins for optimal conductivity.” Sony’s official DualSense Charging Station uses similar pins, though they are protected by recessed grooves and a retractable plastic piece that keeps them from being too exposed when not in use.

Microsoft and Sony’s examples are both optional accessories sold as alternatives to standard USB charging for the “core” controller itself, though. The Steam Controller comes pre-packaged with its magnetic charging puck, which doubles as the wireless adapter that extends the controller’s range across the room. That makes this a problem many users will need to be aware of going forward, especially since the Steam Controller sold out quickly after going on sale weeks ago.

Thankfully, Toikka wrote that they caught the issue with the watch band “just in time” and that it only caused “visual” damage to the device and its surroundings. The redditor added that they have been in touch with Valve’s hardware team, which will be sending a replacement puck and accepting delivery of the affected items “so they can reproduce the issue.”

For everyone else, let this be a reminder to keep your Steam Controller puck away from any metallic or magnetically sensitive objects.