Look, we get it. There are things that smell too good. The ink of freshly bought books. Early morning bakeries. Well-tended gardens in spring. These are scents we chase after, ones we want to inhale whenever possible. Not just to revel in them but actively seek them out and make them our own. But sometimes, it’s inappropriate, if not dangerous. That’s why Valve had to step in and tell us, well, no, we shouldn’t be sniffing the gases from our Steam Deck.
This isn’t new. Since the Steam Deck came out, many people have commented on enjoying the scent emanating from the console’s vents. It’s something that’s made a lot of people actively and consciously sniff that scent, becoming a meme in itself among the user community. The aroma from the Steam Deck’s ventilation is so pleasant and unique that it’s tempting to sniff it. That’s why Valve had to come out and clarify, for the love of all that’s good, let’s not do that.
On December 12th, Reddit user Metapod100 shared a screenshot where they asked Steam support if it was safe to “inhale the gases from the extractor” of the device. Valve responded, with a somewhat resigned tone, stating that “like with all electronic devices, it’s generally not recommended to inhale the gases from your device’s extractor.” They added that “while there are no safety issues with normal use, direct inhalation of these gases should be avoided.”
Of course, Valve hasn’t outright forbidden it. Nor have they said you’ll die if you continue doing it. But it does seem advisable not to do so simply because, you know, we don’t know how it might affect your health. It’s a sound piece of advice from Valve, who might be a bit late in releasing incense with the scent of Steam Deck’s extraction system gases.
