The mobile gaming platform Valve can throttle its own performance when the outside temperature is too high – or even switch off completely.
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The Steam Deck is not designed for gaming in the current summer temperatures.
© Mr.Mikla/Shutterstock
Steam developer Valve
warns
before using the mobile gaming platform Steam Deck when outside temperatures are too high. Nintendo had already issued a similar warning for the Nintendo Switch on Monday.
As Valve explains on Twitter, the Steam Deck works best when the outside temperature is between 0 and 35 °C. If this limit is exceeded, the device may throttle its own performance to protect the hardware. Because the ambient temperature also has an influence on the temperatures of the installed components.
For our friends in the midst of a heatwave, a quick note about Steam Deck in high temperatures. Steam Deck performs at its best in ambient temperatures between 0° and 35° C. If the temperature gets higher than this, Steam Deck may start to throttle performance to protect itself.
— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) July 19, 2022
The APU, i.e. the combination of CPU and graphics unit in the Steam Deck, is designed for a temperature of up to 100 °C. If this temperature is exceeded, the device throttles the performance until it even switches off completely at 105 °C. According to Valve, this should not only protect the device, but also the user.
Electronic devices should generally not be used in strong sunlight or at extreme temperatures. So if you want to play on your Steam deck, it’s best to do so in a shady place – preferably at home.
Many countries are currently suffering from high temperatures, including Germany this week will probably reach up to 40°. It is particularly extreme in Great Britain at the moment, in London a major disaster situation has already been declared due to several fires.
