You might ask yourself: do I really NEED a case for my Steam Deck? Hey look, probably not. Then again, some savages out there walk around without a screen protector on their mobile phone. No offense intended if that’s you. But if I’m shelling out for a new phone, you better believe it’s getting a screen protector and a case. The same applies to a device like the Steam Deck. My Steam Deck gets ripped in and out of a carry bag and a backpack. Plus, it will have my mitts all over it which is reason enough to toss some insurance on it.
My personal picks for the best case came down to three options. The DBrand Killswitch Case, the Skull and Co. GripCase and the JSAUX ModCase. I really only wanted two basic things out of a case: drop protection and a kickstand. I also wanted to keep using my official carry case at the time. And yes, all of these fit in the offical case. You will have to take the kickstand off the Killswitch though. I’ve recently picked up a dock for my Steam Deck and ditched my old USB-C hub. I’m actually onto my second dock, unfortunately the attached charging cable on my UGreen Dock failed and I had to get a refund. It was otherwise solid, but I’ve since picked up a basic JSAUX 5-in-1 dock which is compatible with all of these cases. I do have to mention that NONE of these cases are compatible with the offical Valve Dock, so keep that in mind. The JSAUX ModCase does include a case for the official Dock in the basic kit, as something of a workaround.
DBrand Killswitch Case
Let’s kick off with the Killswitch case from DBrand. I really do enjoy the in-your-face style of DBrand. What can I say, it’s kinda fun. Their products also come highly recommended by the community. The Killswitch case is said to offer military-grade protection, which I’d think is more than enough. Looking at the Essential Kit, this includes everything I was after. Case, Kickstand and of course a DBrand skin. The case is a made of a soft-touch, hardened but flexible plastic. They managed to keep the case thin enough as to not bulk up an already large device. DBrand also added a decent amount of grip for good measure. The kickstand attaches to the back via a mechanical interlocking system and can extend up to a 52-degree angle. I’m pretty sure, had I gone this route, I would have been very happy with the Killswitch case. The reason I didn’t, was purely the cost. The Essential Kit is available for $59.95 USD direct from DBrand and then, for me, add on shipping to Australia. The equivalent cost in AUD blows out to approximately $120. My Steam Deck OLED direct from Valve costs $899 AUD. I felt it was unnecessary to shell out an extra 13-14% on top, for a case. No matter how good it is.
Skull and Co. GripCase
On to the next case: the Skull and Co. GripCase. More or less, this case is exactly as advertised, it’s a fairly bare bones case to add some grip to the Steam Deck. It too, is a hardened plastic. It is a little less flexible, but nonetheless it looks very clean and will offer some drop protection. The bottom of the case has been flattened out which allows the Steam Deck to stand on itself at a 75-degree angle as a in-built kickstand, more or less. At a cost of approximately $40 AUD from Skull and Co. directly, or from Amazon, this is a perfect no-frills case for the Steam Deck. If you are simply wanting to add some drop protection and grip to your Steam Deck then seriously, look no further. The GripCase ultimately was cut for the third and final option.
JSAUX ModCase
Last, but not least, the JSAUX ModCase. I set my sights on the ModCase due to the similarity to the DBrand Killswitch Case. I’ll be honest, the Killswitch was my first choice. But unfortunately, it managed to price itself off my list. I just wanted a bit more than what the Skull and Co. GripCase offered and for me, it really came down to a battle between DBrand and JSAUX. The JSAUX ModCase delivers a fairly similar level of protection and grip. It also offers more functionality out of the box at less than half the price in the basic set. At a cost of $46 AUD for the basic set, it’s nearly an $80 difference. The basic set comes with the case, face plate, kickstand and modular strap. An added bonus in the box, is a case for the official Valve dock should you also own that. This makes the ModCase compatible with the official dock by slightly altering the dock’s front lip height. I regularly use the kickstand, but I don’t particularly use the face plate as I use a carry case. I also use the strap and while the modular slider can be a little rigid, I find it to be a good system overall. It all fits together with ease. The kickstand is a standalone metal bracket that slides into place at the back of the case. My Steam Deck replaced my iPad, so if I’m at my desk I use the kickstand to angle it up to watch sport, TV and movies. It doesn’t offer a massive adjustable angle, but I find it to be more than enough. The case itself feels very good in the hand. It has a nice grippy texture and still gives you full access to the bumpers, triggers and back buttons.
I very highly recommend the JSAUX ModCase. The overall quality I’ve found to be very good. It has a good feel in the hands, the grip texture isn’t overly aggressive and it feels both sturdy and comfortable. The basic set also includes a faceplate. This may appeal to some who want extra protection without using a carry case. The faceplate itself is a hardened plastic, which attaches to the front of the case very well. When applied, there is a slight gap at the L2/R2 triggers. However, I doubt the gap is large enough to cause damage if thrown into or around a bag. The metal bracket-style kickstand is fantastic for consuming content or table-top gaming(think Nintendo Switch). The kickstand feels sturdy and locks into place very well. The modular slider at the back of the case has a range of accessories available. The basic set includes the strap, which is quite versatile. Personally, I use it to add a power bank or external hard drive to my Steam Deck. Both sit in the strap well. It’s essentially a fitted rubber watch band where you can secure other devices at the back of the Steam Deck. There can be a little bit of wobbling, but not to a massive extent. This is to be expected, being fairly thin rubber. In my opinion, the JSAUX ModCase easily edges out the competition. It provides more than enough features at a very reasonable price. If you’re interested, head over to the JSAUX website and use my coupon code DADWITHADECK for a small discount. If you prefer, you can also order through Amazon.
Living in Australia, I think this makes decision making harder when it comes to devices and cases in general. Usually the cost in Australian dollars is higher and options can be more limited due to exorbitant shipping costs. Accessories are also particularly challenging as typically there are limited options available in our local stores. If we do want something different or unique we usually have to look at overseas options, unless you get lucky on Amazon on the odd occasion. A good portion of the companies churning out these accessories are based in the US, Canada or Asia. Regardless, for those in Australia we’re more often than not forced to pay a higher cost. This really means we have to narrow our search harder and ensure we’re choosing the best option for ourselves. I mean, I sure as shit don’t want to be wasting my time or money shipping something back overseas if I don’t like it.
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