'Slightly ugly, and insanely functional': Check out this custom Steam Machine faceplate that doubles as a charging stand
by https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/author/james-bentley/ · PC Gamer
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What if a faceplate wasn't just for looks? I am working on a new kind of faceplate from r/steammachine
The Steam Machine may be hard to get a hold of and prohibitively expensive, but as is ever the case with Valve, its community is very creative. It's not even been two months since its launch, yet someone has already made a faceplate that doubles up as a charging stand for the Steam Controller.
As shared on the Steam Machine subreddit, user NefariousnessWhole25 has shared their faceplate concept. Though an earlier prototype had a shelf to hold the controller in place, they say that the magnets inside the charging puck are actually powerful enough to hold the controller up. The puck is a small, well, puck that comes with the Steam Controller that functions both as a charger and as a connector to your PC. It's pretty neat.
The plate holds the puck in place with friction, and there's a small space to fit the end of the USB Type-C cable into. Importantly, it doesn't have the wire for the puck sticking out of the top of the plate either, giving it a pretty clean aesthetic. You can even use the faceplate by itself as a rudimentary stand, though I think it might look a tad funny given its size.
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The creator says they are still finishing the final touches and also says they're open to DMs from Valve, Jsaux or Dbrand, if any of the companies want to chat about the design.
One commenter calls it "slightly ugly, and insanely functional", and that seems like a pretty fair description. With the controller in the stand, I personally quite like the look, but it does look a little hollow when the controller is taken off.
It solves one small issue I'd personally have using the Steam Controller day-to-day: the lack of a charging stand. I think the puck is great, and I wish more controllers came with a charger/connector combo, but the puck alone means I'd leave the Steam Controller just lying on a desk, often not charging. I use the GameSir G7 Pro 8K almost every day, and I've never had to charge it, because it just doesn't look right when it's not on its included stand.
I suspect the Steam Machine's front panel will be a source of creativity for those who actually buy the device over the coming years, because Valve has released the CAD design files for both the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, enabling modders to customise it to their heart's content. The only problem here is that it's shared under a "Creative Commons 'Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike 4.0 International" which means one can't sell their work.
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Still, one doesn't always need a financial incentive to make something great, as is proved by this very mod.
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