Steam Deck proprietor and Reddit person Alpha-Quartz had an issue.
“I like my Steam Deck however I’ve bought one large downside,” they stated on June 28. As they defined, “I’ve an irregular hand, the place I’ve two small thumbs as a substitute of 1 large one, on my left hand.”
This makes it tough to make use of the Steam Deck’s left analog stick comfortably. It is too far “in the direction of the display screen for my thumbs to succeed in it,” Alpha-Quartz stated.
So, they requested the Steam Deck Reddit neighborhood if they’d any concepts. “Is there a easy mod the place I can like transfer the follow the left, or some thumb extenders or one thing?”
People, the Steam Deck Reddit neighborhood had some concepts.
The very subsequent day, person SpecificGreen9140 shared a video of their 3D printed thumbstick extender in motion. “I designed just a little assist for individuals with two thumbs on one hand,” they stated of their submit.
It is primarily two staggered circles – a replica pad hooked up to a different pad that latches onto the thumbstick itself, shifting the stick’s motion arm to the left. They even shared a hyperlink to the Printables blueprint. “I noticed somebody who possibly want this, its a bit onerous to press the keep it up,” they stated of their submit.
“That is AMAZING!” Alpha-Quartz responded. “Would it not be doable so that you can barely transfer it simply barely additional out?”
SpecificGreen9140 stated they’d take one other crack at it, however one other person, Woogies, additionally gave it a go. The Printables knowledge from Woogieswhich SpecificGreen calls “a lot better than my model,” combines an offset stacked pad with extra contouring and a middle indent.
The chain of prototyping did not finish there. SpecificGreen later shared some “upgraded variations” of their very own in response to a different submit. That submit was from D_Bagggg, who “printed one thing for individuals who wish to use u/SpecificGreen9140’s helper however solely have one thumb on every hand.”
I printed one thing for individuals who wish to use u/SpecificGreen9140’s helper however solely have one thumb on every hand from r/SteamDeck
Lastly, we two-thumbed customers can expertise the three-thumbed Steam Deck life. Fashionable issues require fashionable options.
“I completely rot in hell,” SpecificGreen stated within the replies, “I laughed onerous”.
D_Bagggg – who actually does not seem to be a d-bag – stated they hope the submit lands in good humor, and if “it is an excessive amount of, I will gladly take it down. What impressed this silly submit was the concept that somebody with two regular (boring) thumbs may see an superior accessibility factor and say ‘nicely what about me??’ and exit of their solution to make it for them. No ailing will in the direction of OOP meant in anyway!”
In a earlier remark, Alpha-Quartz stated that they have not had corrective surgical procedure for his or her further thumb not simply because “I prefer it,” but additionally as a result of “if we did eliminate it I might be left with a brilliant small thumb which sucks.”
“The inside thumb is extra exact, the outer thumb is stronger,” they defined.
I reached out to Alpha-Quartz to see how their Steam Deck stick search goes. They stated they’re nonetheless on the lookout for the best answer and have tried 3D printing two fashions, however the way in which they connect to the Steam Deck itself wasn’t tremendous clear.
“At this level I’m merely overwhelmed with the quantity of assist and positivity,” they informed me. “I am out of phrases.”
