Namely, the Steam Deck has no backlight functionality for any of its control options by default. While this might not seem like a hugely important issue to some, its unique control scheme does mean that newcomers could have a hard time coming to grips with some of its keys, and one Deck owner has decided to take it upon themselves to try and resolve this potential problem.
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After the biggest subreddit dedicated to Valve’s handheld went through a small panic with many Steam Deck owners warning against vinyl skins of a particular kind, other kinds of customization have taken the limelight instead. Specifically, Sloiter’s resin-printed key replacements have been making rounds as of late, with them replacing both the D-Pad and the face keys with glow-in-the-dark alternatives. Sloiter mentioned that they used strontium aluminate mixed with resin during the printing process, which is the same type of powder that’s used to illuminate some wristwatches’ hands and hour marks.
The end result is a neat, temporary glowing effect that could certainly prove handy in extremely dark conditions. Sloiter did say, however, that the current iteration of their custom glowing keys is far from perfect, as they ended up damaging the Deck’s casing while installing them. With how fast Steam Decks are now shipping, getting a new device is no longer as big of a problem as it used to be, but hardly anybody would want to unnecessarily break their shiny new gaming handheld.
While Sloiter’s glowing buttons aren’t yet ready for prime time, they are a curious look at the sort of thing the community might end up achieving over a long period of time. Sloiter already mentioned that they may end up selling the glow-in-the-dark keys in due time, once they’re ready. The good news for those who just can’t wait for more customization options is that a transparent shell replacement for the Steam Deck is already available, for example.
With all this talk of customization and community-derived upgrades, it may be worth pointing out that Valve warned against buying unofficial Steam Deck listings, with some retailers reportedly selling knock-offs. A best-case scenario, by the looks of it, is that the buyer ends up getting fleeced. In reality, the only official way of sourcing a Steam Deck is for US and EU customers to order one directly from Valve, and for Asian customers to get theirs via Komodo.
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Source: Reddit
