Overview
- A Reddit user reported on Friday that a metal smartwatch band touched the Steam Controller’s magnetic charging puck and caused sizzling and visible damage when the puck remained electrically live.
- Valve’s hardware team has contacted the owner, offered a replacement puck, and said it will accept the damaged items to try to reproduce the fault.
- Hands‑on checks by PC Gamer found a constant voltage on similar drop‑in charger pins, showing the live pins are a common, low‑cost design choice rather than an isolated defect.
- Coverage notes some competing chargers use recessed contacts or sensing pins to avoid exposed live metal, and several outlets say Valve should add clearer warnings in packaging and online documentation.
- There is no public recall or regulator advisory yet, and outlets advise users to unplug pucks or keep them away from metal objects until the vendor’s investigation concludes.