I Didn't Think I'd Like This But I LOVE IT - DeckMate for Steam Deck (AND MORE!)

[@ThisUploaded]

The fact that the designer took the extra time to have the mounting portion of the system portion perfectly frame the steam logo is just the cherry on top

[@RJ_chaos]

2:51 you could even get an L-shaped cable like the docks have so its not sticking out so far off the top

[@John_Alter]

I bought cable adapters for my Power banks so I don't need to buy another set of cables when using the deckmate.

[@timplett1]

While the connectors can be flipped and engaged either way, with something heavy like that battery bank I would recommend making sure to mount it with the spring loaded portion up. The weight of it could compress the spring loaded part enough to be able to come out with heavy jostling. Even if it's fine now, the prolonged additional strain on the springs could cause them to wear out faster and loosen up eventually. Using the VESA mount too I would make sure the weight of the Steam Deck hangs on the solid side, not the spring loaded side.

[@iblackfeathers]

you can use a right angle usb cable to avoid clearance issues too.

[@edgecrush3r]

I expected to see yet another DIY battery holder solution, but this is really clever and well implemented.

[@ruffethereal1904]

It works well enough for now. For those that need that battery life for now, it's a great midway solution while we wait for innovation and improvements to do its thing.

[@user-hh4hc2lt6e]

@@ruffethereal1904 you can get way more total battery life with a decent power bank on the back like this compared to any future internal battery life increase…

[@salitz91]

I am coming back months later to let you know that this video is one of the videos that convinced me to get a Steam Deck. I've had my Deck for a week now since buying on the Spring Sale, and my Deckmate arrived today. It is perfect! For someone who primarily uses it for couch gaming and having multiple Micro SDs with my 64gb model, this system is ideal. Always happy to know the universal adapter will work with any case if I decide to upgrade later!

[@Spencerwalker21]

Can you help me I'm wondering with the deck mate is it possible to have a baseus 65 watt battery bank and a kickstand attachment on at the same time. My use case for this would be for plane and train rides I'll be going in during Christmas time.

[@salitz91]

@Spencerwalker21 it is actually, just a little wonky. You can use the universal puck attachment on the baseus, then put the universal adapter (the square Deckmate receiver) on the back of that, and then attach the kickstand to that. Pretty sure one of the Tech Tubers did that but I don't remember who.

[@shaylic3795]

Steam deck is already pretty heavy for extended sessions. Don’t think strapping a giant battery to it is something I’d do. Will still use a portable battery but from a backpack with a cable that gives it plenty of freedom.

[@marcorc5167]

Will any portable battery work? I have 1 that I use to charge my usbC phone. Or does it need a specific voltage for the SD?

[@CrimsonBlasphemy]

@@marcorc5167 You'll need a USB Power Delivery bank, with 45W output, if you want to extend gaming on the go. The Steam Deck uses the USB-C Power Delivery (USB PD) standard at 45W delivery. The charger it ships with is 65W. The PD controller helps regulate power flow and prevent overdraw. For a Battery you need a Power Delivery model that supports at least 45W (15V 3Amp) output. Most Phone battery banks max at 15W output. Which won't be enough to sustain through prolonged 3D or graphical/CPU intense gaming. It MAY be sufficient for simple Desktop mode operation. THIS ALSO APPLIES to USB Hubs and Docks! Make sure the hub or dock has at least one Power Delivery passthrough port.

[@marcorc5167]

@@CrimsonBlasphemy thanks mate! When I charge my SD it says 20W though.

[@CrimsonBlasphemy]

​@@marcorc5167 If you're using it while charging you'll get less going to the battery. The screen will eat upwards of 15W itself. With max of 14 to 15W to the APU for actually running the PC hardware. The SD will pull 38W from the supplied charger. If the SD itself is reporting 20W "Charging" then your screen brightness is probably set low, the APU draw is minimal. ~18W going to Screen/APU, 20W to your battery. You'd need a USB Power Metter if you wanted to check actual draw. On unoptimized 3D games like HZD or M.A.S.S. I can hit sustained drains of 25+ Watts. If you only have a 20W external output, or worse 15W baseline USB-C battery bank, you'll probably end up pulling both from the External and from the SD internal to cover the shortfall. It all comes down to personal use cases. 45W output is "Safe". It will supply all the draw the Steam Deck will want. You'll pull 100% from the external until it is drained. Including being able to charge back up the internal while playing, if you had to unplug for some reason. That also means you can probably have your phone plugged into the bank as well on a lower output port. 40W you can probably live with, without really noticing any sustained gaming issues. Go lower, 30W or less, and the SD battery has to make up any shortfalls. And won't be able to charge backup if there's a power interruption. If you're gaming in bursts with long Sleep-Mode periods you can probably get away with that. I really wouldn't go lower than 30W if you want to sustain off the External.

[@marcorc5167]

@@CrimsonBlasphemy Thanks bro. Really good info.

[@Kaylakaze]

This looks really nice. I made my own SD holder by supergluing micro SD to Full SD converters to a backing that is then stuck on with double sided tape. Then, I have an SD drive connected by velcro. This seems like it'd be better.

[@baxton3511]

Still what you made was pretty creative. Good work!

[@maximumyt2857]

The vesa mount is so you can mount the steamdeck to the back of a monitor with unoccupied vesa holes, some stands that come with monitors dont use them

[@mattcy6591]

I love that deck mate capable adapter. Definitely removes some hesitation on adhering those adapters to my battery

[@smidlee7747]

3:30 You forgot that no battery is 100% efficient. This battery claims to have 74 Wh at an efficiency greater than 75%. At 80% efficiency will leave 59 Wh which mean it will charge the Deck's 40Wh battery 1 and half times. (a battery charging a battery heats both batteries.) Some people doesn't realize this so they leave bad reviews on Amazon claiming the battery claimed mAh is misleading. P.S I'd rather have the battery in my pocket than on the back of my Deck.

[@arab6745]

Yeah I was actually surprised about the low quality of this review coming from him. Usually he has much higher standards that I respect. Other than the battery size thing, he didn't even explain how you engage the accessories of the deck mate, nor demonstrate them properly.

[@reynoldcracker02]

I have been using the deckmate tools for a while now and I still love it, especially because I carry all my sdcard alongside the deck without any extra box and my battery as well. Only downside with mounting battery is that the deck gets more heavy afterwards.

[@reynoldcracker02]

@Cole May Another thing he didn't mention is that even though the battery stays reliable glued in place, if you make a vertical sudden movement, the battery can easily disconnect and fall(that's due to the way the mounting mechanism work). Let's say you are going downstairs, be careful not to shake it vertically to much. Besides that, as much as you try to shake in other ways, It won't remove at all

[@Spencerwalker21]

​@ColeMayI'm wondering can you use a kickstand with the battery bank at the same time.

[@tb898]

off topic, but that battery is super nice. If you paired it with a 65W charger from say Anker, you can charge the 65W battery faster than you drain the deck. That's how I do it when I'm at work and not close enough to an outlet to be able to play and charge my deck directly.

[@Kekeripo]

That's probably one of the best things about a titan like valve releasing a device: 3rd party accessories tailored to the device. Never seen that on all the other PC handheld.

[@0LoneTech]

My GPD Win 2 is equipped with a third party cooling system and bottom case with flip feet.

[@zbow1974]

90 degree cables are your friend and yes those clips are reusable, 3m tape is cheap on amazon and in hardware stores.

[@kevinj24535]

It would be interesting if Valve would integrate this kind of mounting into the back of the Steam Deck 2, so that different manufacturers could offer accessories for the Steam Deck 2. An integrated solution from Valve would be less conspicuous than the Deckmate. In the hole that would be created by users who would not use accessories via this attachment, Valve could make an insert with Valve lettering.

[@CrimsonBlasphemy]

I think Valve answered this by giving out the 3D printer files and making the Deck fairly consumer customizable. If you want these parts, make them yourself or buy them from a 3rd party. This ain't then iPhone walled garden.

[@andypeiffer5]

Battery plus kick stand would be clutch because the weight would probably fatigue your hands

[@Hellsgameroom]

For the external battery you can get an l shaped USB cable so the cable is more flush and doesn't extend as far

[@bnr32jason]

How is it more comfortable to have a relatively heavy battery pack weighing down the Deck than it would be just to have a 6-10ft cable and have your battery on the table/couch or in your backpack? No weight added vs a pound or so, which is a lot.

[@chrisw9451]

Most people have been standing the external battery vertically as to keep it away from the grip.

[@Dave_S]

21st century version of the handy boy for the Game Boy

[@zachsad]

an angled cable could change your life with the battery backup setup lol great vid! I don't even own a Steam Deck yet but I'm super excited for when I do

[@kairu.kun.z]

I was gonna say get two 90 degree ends and I bet the cable wouldn’t be in the way.

[@ryanhilmer6258]

Are there any cases that are compatible with this? How flexible is the base system

[@Viewer19]

You can attach a mini hub and a M.2 enclosure to add SSD storage as well

[@andypeiffer5]

Great review! This product just sold me on the Steam Deck. I'm immediately attaching an external battery

[@Wickerman713]

you should get a 90 degree cable for the battery backup.

[@davidjohnston6547]

If you're going to use the battery like that get a short usb cable that has a right angle on one end, plug that into the battery and the other end into the deck.

[@xt6997]

btw you can put micro sd cards with the sd adapter in the steam deck case, (i think up to 5 or 6?) and the case will still close properly with the steam deck.

[@brotherfranciz]

Hmm, I notice there is a slight problem with the battery blocking the vent on the back of the Deck. The puck should probably be mounted onto the battery slightly off-centre so that the battery sits out of the way and doesn't block the vent. Also, the Deckmate adaptor can probably be used on the Dbrand Killswitch, but you'd have to stick the puck way off-centre on the battery so that it doesn't interfere with the Deck vent or the Killswitch mounting port.

[@pongopea]

functional and not over engineered, as all things should be!

[@CyanDumBell_MC]

You could grab a usb cable that have 90 degree angle and might solve some of the wire problem

[@jon4tina]

I wish someone would make something like it, that plugs in the charging port and has a full size m.2 adapter in it with an extra port for charging.

[@wizardpajamas6405]

I bought a Deckmate for the kickstand and it turns the whole thing into a nice little device for watching videos. I've watched The Phawx review things by standing my Steam Deck on my mattress while I lie in bed. I could use my phone, but the Deck audio is better. On KZbin (via Chrome anyway) you can us the D-pad to skip forward and backward super easily. Honestly it's pretty great for gaming too if you're at a table or desk and your hands are getting tired. Just set the Deck down and the kickstand will keep it from falling over. You can still hold it and reach all the controls.

[@jeffreyumeh8580]

... for a battery bank seems like you would be better off just having a long cable so you can have your battery bank in your bag so you don't increase the weight of the steam desk.

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

Couldn't the VESA mount be used to clip the Steam Deck to the back of your TV to save space?

[@bryanmiller476]

Only if the tv used doesn’t use the vesa mount to mount its own stand

[@Beano__]

)The only issue is that you can't spin the attachments (from what this dude showed. If you can spin the attachments to be any direction you want that would be sick)

[@oscargoss9806]

I guess it's not compatible with cases? Is there any way to get a similar system onto a case like the Spigen Rugged Armor? I could use the extended battery life.

[@homomculus]

The adapter should work for that, I think? They've got a product image on the store showing those on a different case, so I can't see any obvious reason why it wouldn't also stick to the Rugged Armor case.

[@cr4zd0n3]

Fire video. Going to use the adhesive pick for a 3.2 gen 2 hub. That way I can play heavier games with a 3.2 gen 2 flash drive. MicroSD just don’t cut it for me. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@ProtoPropski]

You could Deck Mate your Quest 2 even, which is nice for the Battery Backup functionality

[@AspenFrostt]

didnt know this existed but man does this seem useful, steam deck arrives today for me and if i use it enough i might pick up these accessories and a battery. to help with your cable issue i recommend just finding a cable with a right angle plug that makes it go straight up and avoids your finger

[@OrichalkosTV]

The battery pack set up would work perfect with two 90 angle cables so they don't interrupt fingers while playing

[@Channel-kz5mx]

What about when it is docked? No customer photos are showing this.

[@tatedottech]

you could also get a right angle usb c cable for that battery pack

[@DazeOfWar]

That’s a pretty cool product but not sure if it would work with my dbrand killswitch case and I think my current battery backup will add more weight than I’d like.

[@james.a]

Get a 90 degree angled usb-c cable for the battery

[@johnwethekylow]

Does anyone actually have an ok time with the gray label sandisks? They're not the max speed recommended and my gold-label 1TB is already so slow filled up, with 20% spare space. I have some lying around from tablets and raspi's. I assume to stick to smaller or less demanding games? Appreciate any answer.

[@Kade_-_]

I love my DeckMate- it really does feel like a name brand product.

[@Spencerwalker21]

Dumb question can I use that 65 watt baseus battery bank and a kickstand at the same time.

[@SoulAudeo]

I'm over here worried about your deck after that gentle shake

[@yeso126]

Can't you just get a longer usb cable and put the battery on your pocket?

[@Anna_Rae]

I’d honestly love to see you perfect the cable management for that battery bank.

[@celeron55]

Well, just buy a short cable with a 90° plug at one end, or both ends, and you're done. The only hard part is figuring out the exact length you want and a supplier who sells that length.

[@imobiapp]

Super cool, I’m sold!

[@old486whizz]

Why didn't you orient the battery up+down instead so the cable wouldn't get in the way of your fingers? .. I knew that would happen the moment you stuck that on.

[@imantoniojuan]

If they can make a magnetic cover or something that can protect the front on the go then it’s perfect.

[@CentauriSatoko]

You can't stick the adapter centrally because the kickstand will go over the edge of the Deck when not in use which is just not ideal and neither can you stick it further up because then the kickstand will be too short 🤦 They should have a retractable kickstand option or maybe have a swivel design so you can twist it out of the way.

[@jinchoung]

if they made a case with that interface, that would have done it for me. but having the deck out unsheathed... i feel too naked and vulnerable.

[@matsv201]

I would want a portable docking station. Say 2 or 3 usb A, a usb C a HDMI and a medium amount batteri flush to the backside of the deck. Also, maybe a second SD reader.

[@0LoneTech]

So it's like the Armor-X phone and tablet mounts, one of which is currently on my bike.

[@kc-me6wl]

Got one myself is super helpful when gaming in bed or watching videos on a counter top

[@filipjovanovic8138]

This is also perfect for the HDMI adapters that people with Nreal Air glasses use to be able to play with the glasses and charge at the same time

[@Metallian81]

3:42 That's the most high tech and expensive Shake Weight on the market today! 😁

[@mashi81]

I use a shell, but I'd love to get the adhesive part

[@pjanoo6973]

Why don't you mount the Battery vertically to prevent your hands hitting it?

[@Art24mis]

Would the battery block the vent or the ventilation would be plenty enough?

[@catzblu999]

You should have shown the battery with a longer cable attached. Then you'd notice there's an issue with you damaging the cable making it do sharp angles to get plugged in. Then suddenly you need those angle adapters and then you realize it's a whole ordeal.

[@LjubomirSimin]

Imagine if SD had charging points on it's body, like a WiiU tablet controller.

[@alexmcd378]

Something magsafe like would be nice. A hybrid between that and the contacts you're talking about

[@valren01]

Seems like that battery backup is from the brand Baseus. Can't wait to watch your review on that!

[@AlexPrime85]

Eek! Shaking it about to see if the battery stays on with the cable plugged in. If it had come loose that could have ben bad...

[@JamieT1986]

Are you still working on "Win Deck" guide?

[@CaveWaverider]

An USB cable with an angled connector would be best for the battery. :)

[@mucabi]

Now I'm wondering: if you stick the Steamdeck on a pole that is fixed to a table, would the Steamdeck be a good steering wheel using the gyro? (The attachment must allow for rotations obviously)

[@trashman8080]

One guy made a steam deck steering wheel on reddit, try to look it up

[@meric12131415]

It looks like the battery pack would add quite a bit of weight to the deck

[@MrSpineduke]

yeah its becomes a 1kg+ youd hurt your wrists in no time

[@meric12131415]

@@MrSpineduke no doubt about that spine

[@Arcade1983]

Where are the 3d files for the Power adaptor and kickstand holder? That looks super useful.

[@Disgr-Ace]

The battery is cool but the deck alone gives me hand cramp extra weight would cause more.

[@doctadrey3000]

I’m really glad you did this review. I always check out the deck mate but like you mentioned it’s hard to tell how sturdy it is

[@smokers1231000]

This are good accesories, I hope this is available in my country, if I get one i'll position the battery vertical to the SD though to make it like a stand as well.

[@mc_redspace]

I think a 90° USB-C corner Would probably help you with your cable problem

[@5minutereviews296]

Wish I could get one, not available in my country

[@elbee2324]

I'm surprised you did not mount that battery 90 degrees to what you had. Sure, some of it would be sticking out of the top or bottom, but you could then get the cable better out of the way with the one you were using.

[@TheBuster0926]

Haha yeah. Like the Xbox360 Controllers back when.

[@TigerJaeger131]

Seems like a good product. But I have already received one of the project killswitches and am waiting for the non-magnetic version that will probably be able to do the same thing.

[@exklimexklim]

I just stick my Bank to a $5 silicon case. I can remove the case and change it for whatever I want.

[@Recyclethebest5382]

I like the sd card slot on the deck mate but sticking the power bank on the back, not so much. But yeah awesome video nonetheless.

[@lipvandip6480]

Or just route the cable in a different path like down and behind the battery

[@ghostsauce3109]

Which baseusus battery pack is that also do you have any other ones that would have more battery time if so what's the capacity and how long would it last? Also how much mah is the steam deck stock battery

[@LordDemonos]

Did you put the red on the left trackpad and blue on the right? smh

[@CFG-qv7hy]

I have one of these but I stopped using the SD card slots because it seemed like the tightness was risking breaking the cards.

[@mystechry]

That looks awesome. It might be exactly what I am looking for to make a mount for my Win Max 2

[@jonathonearl482]

I was wondering when someone would do this!

[@mDoThis]

Can you tell me what's that battery? There's still no video about that :D

[@sahabatgamerID]

If we put a second screen, we could have a NDS/3DS emulator behaving almost exactly like the original hardware. Amazing

[@ParaFox404]

hype

[@newjerseynomad]

What battery is that? Baseus Power Bank, 65W 20000mAh?

[@WilliamEccleston]

Great video and the product looks cool. Really takes a lot of inconvenience out of using a battery pack with the deck.

[@strudelNL]

Get a real short USB charge Cable but not with a straight end but with a 90 degree angled connector on the battery end of the Cable ;-)

[@bullzebub]

i wonder why these kind of stuff seldom reuse a standard for mounting things to each other? i would love if they used oicatinny instead!

[@Gamingcs11692]

It's crazy how many edits are in this video just for a simple attachment. Edit just take a sticker of edit to attach it to the battery edit to mount it to the attachment on the deck and then more edits to connect the battery to the steam deck and more edits just to turn it on.

[@adnerayala3409]

Hey are you going to review the Win4 or they don't sent you one yet ? Or you can make a video just with your opinion on the specs .

[@maiknocon773]

how heavy is the steam deck + extra battery tho, cant be too comfortable for long play sessions

[@0293holder]

Great product but a bit expensive for plastic pieces.

[@CosmicNeonNeko]

I'd prefer a case. I guess I could put that sticky attachment on the back

[@rafalk1809]

I'd rather have a heavy powerbank kept in my pocket, backpack etc. and not add any additional weight to my device, which I have to hold in hands all the time I play. Change my mind.

[@minuteworld7027]

how do the extra sd cards work if the clip doesnt connect via usb?