I really enjoyed the official Steam Deck carry case. Mine is just the basic version, not the fancier 1TB model with the case inside a case. It definitely does the job, but if you’re traveling or regularly lugging your Steam Deck around, I think it’s worth shelling out for something that can safely hold all your accessories too. Sure, the original case can hold accessories in the little elastic space in the back, but you’ll want to be very careful you don’t have anything fall out or it could be lost forever.
I picked up the JSAUX Carrying Case a couple months back, it can be used for various handhelds including the Steam Deck. Another JSAUX product? You bet! No, they didn’t pay for me to write this, nor did they send me the case for free. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t say no if they did pay me and gave me free shit. I just genuinely like their products, they’re relatively inexpensive, they look good and feel good to use. Check out my post about the JSAUX ModCase.
I’m lucky enough to be in a job where frequent breaks are incorporated into my shift. This allows me to use my Steam Deck for a short time. Yeah, ok. So what the fuck does that have to do with a carry case? Well, I have to lug around my Steam Deck to different break rooms or sitting areas if I want to actually use it. I was using the official case and that was fine, but it felt a little cramped and there wasn’t really room for accessories. Sure, there’s that little space at the back under the elastic strap. You could squeeze in a charger and maybe a kickstand or slim portable hard drive. But here’s the thing: I’m a Dad of a one-year-old and a shift worker that primarily works night shift. With what little brain power I’ve got left 2 in the morning, I don’t want to be worrying about whether my accessories are still secured under that thin piece of elastic. My kickstand fell out of that thing more times than I care to admit. I don’t mean that as a major knock on the official case, the fact that Valve even include a case at all is huge when compared to most companies. But for my needs? I wanted something more secure, with more space. It’s as simple as that.
The JSAUX Carry Case nails it. There’s plenty of room for your Steam Deck and a decent, though still somewhat limited storage area underneath where the Deck sits. I normally carry my wall charger, USB-C cable, kickstand, strap and there’s still enough room to toss in an external SSD or wireless earbuds. It’s basically just a flap under your Steam Deck that you lift up to stash whatever you like in it. Once your Steam Deck is in place and the case is zipped up everything stays secure. You can even throw a small padlock on if you want to go a step further. There are also five full-sized SD card slots and a small space to put either a cleaning cloth or wired-headphones. The carry case can also double as a stand, there’s a fold-out section inside you can prop the Steam Deck on which is perfect for table-top gaming, consuming or creating content. I typically use the stand function with my Logitech Pebble Combo Keyboard and Mouse if I’m on the go and want to work on some posts. Since the Steam Deck is just a whole-ass computer, this setup works incredibly well. I just swap into desktop mode, load up whatever I’m working on, connect my keyboard and mouse and I’ve essentially got a 7.4″ laptop. This thing easily replaced my iPad Pro which I hocked long ago.
In terms of a carry case, I really couldn’t really ask for much more. It looks and feels premium, fits everything I want to carry and I’m not worried about dropping it as it feels cushioned enough that my Steam Deck would be just fine. The only thing worth pointing out is that it’s more bulky than the original case. If you’re looking for something slim, this is not it. It’s really not that much bigger than the original case, but it definitely has more depth and cushioning. It also fits my Steam Deck OLED perfectly, even with the JSAUX ModCase on. I’m pretty confident to say this is roomy enough to also fit the DBrand Killswitch case which is a touch bulkier. I don’t own one to confirm, so definitely don’t take my word as fact. Still, with the space this case has available I’d be shocked if it didn’t fit.
Again, I appreciate Valve’s original case. Especially as it comes included with the Steam Deck. I think it’s fantastic that Valve includes it at all with both new and refurbished units. But if you want to carry any accessories and not worry about losing them, you’re going to need something with built-in and secure storage. If you’re anything like me and want a more set-and-forget style carry case you can just load up and not think about, then I highly recommend this one by JSAUX. It has more than enough room for all your basic accessories and then some.
If you are looking to pick one of these up, you can buy directly off the JSAUX website. Use my code DADWITHADECK for a small discount, if you like.
Dad with a Deck 
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