A Reddit user has built what amounts to a Steam Deck security system after saying family members kept borrowing Valve’s handheld and returning it with an empty battery. In a post on the r/SteamDeck subreddit, user ConroyyJenkinss described a defensive mod that combines a custom spiked case, a Raspberry Pi, a camera, a speaker, a servo motor and a taser.
The project is homemade, according to the Redditor’s description. ConroyyJenkinss said they modeled the outer shell in Blender and 3D printed it, turning the Steam Deck’s normally hand-friendly body into something much closer to a plastic sea urchin. The point is not subtle: make the device unpleasant to grab before anyone gets to the electronics.
What is the Steam Deck security system?
According to ConroyyJenkinss, the system has two layers. The first is the 3D-printed spiked enclosure, which physically discourages casual pickup. The second is an electronic warning setup driven by a Raspberry Pi, the small single-board computer often used for hobbyist automation projects.
The Redditor said the Raspberry Pi is connected to a small speaker, an object-detection camera and a servo motor. They wrote a Python script so that, when the camera detects someone in frame, the speaker plays an audio clip, pauses for a few seconds and then the servo activates a taser meant to scare the person away.
That sequence matters because the device, as described, does not fire immediately. The post says the camera detection comes first, then an audible warning, then the servo-triggered taser. It is still an aggressive answer to a household battery problem, and not the kind of accessory Valve is likely to list next to carrying cases and docks.
Why did ConroyyJenkinss build it?
The stated grievance is battery drain. ConroyyJenkinss said family members had been taking the Steam Deck, playing on it and leaving it discharged. The mod was presented as a way to stop unauthorized borrowing, or at least force people to ask before using the handheld.
In replies on Reddit, ConroyyJenkinss said the setup has changed behavior at home. They said no one touches the Steam Deck anymore, and that family members now ask permission before using it. They also acknowledged a cost to their own convenience: removing the case and disarming the taser before playing is, in their words, a hassle, though they said it was worth it overall.
The post does not claim this is a commercial product or a guide for sale. It is a one-off DIY build described by its owner on Reddit, built around 3D printing, a Raspberry Pi and a Python script. As anti-sharing systems go, it is technically more involved than a stern note and much less ergonomic than just hiding the charger.
This story draws on original reporting from Tom's Hardware.
