The renowned manufacturer of gadget skins and cases, Brand, has pulled its Steam Deck Project Killswitch accessory suite from sale after reviewers discovered a huge flaw in its design. Project Killswitch is a custom laptop hard case from Valve that features a whole range of additional attachments for users to choose from, but it looks like Project will have to go back to the drawing board for now.
Namely, Dbrand recently announced that its most important Steam Deck accessory, the Killswitch, will no longer be available for purchase due to unforeseen issues. According to the company’s official announcement, Verge editors received a few Killswitch review units and later notified Dbrand that the case appeared to be interfering with the Deck’s cooling system.
Specifically, it appears that the Delta variant of the Steam Deck’s built-in fan can be significantly slowed down when the device is fitted with Dbrand’s Killswitch case and its magnetically attached kickstand. Dbrand’s QA didn’t detect the issue as their own Decks use Huaying fans instead, which are apparently unaffected by Killswitch magnets. While Dbrand’s announcements are usually very satirical and far-fetched, Killswitch’s removal announcement was extremely straightforward and transparent, reflecting the seriousness of the issue.
Oddly enough, Dbrand mentioned that it was heard “through the vine” that Valve removed Delta fans at some point after Steam Deck spares went on sale, likely due to a large number of users reporting them as excessively loud and high-pitched at high RPMs. This means that those who received their Deck more recently are not likely to be affected by this issue. Still, Dbrand recommended against using the Killswitch with the magnetic kickstand attached, instead promising redesigned free replacements for anyone who purchased an early variant of the case.
With Valve ramping up the Steam Deck queue, more and more users are interested in purchasing aftermarket cases, skins, and customization options from third parties such as Dbrand. As popular as the company may be for its products, the circumstances of Project Killswitch’s setback mean it will have to absorb the loss and work to regain user trust over a longer period of time. Still, there doesn’t appear to be any permanent damage caused by the design issue, which is a hugely mitigating circumstance.
Although Project Killswitch got off to a rocky start, Dbrand isn’t the only maker of skins and cases for Valve’s portable gaming PC. In fact, it’s one of the things that sets Steam Deck apart from competitors such as the potentially more powerful OneXPlayer Mini Pro, which are available in fewer numbers and are often more expensive and difficult to obtain, and therefore generally remain unavailable. supported by third parties. party suppliers.
