The Steam Deck has many features, but the best PC gaming handheld has no stand. Recently I had the opportunity to test out Mechanism’s Deckmate, which claims to be a “universal mounting standard for all your gaming devices.” What that really means is that it’s a clip-on adapter that allows you to mount your Steam Deck (or regular Steam Deck Alternatives) with a wide range of additional accessories or attachments, such as a VESA mount, a phone holder or a puck for attaching batteries or USB hubs. .
You may have seen the Deckmate in some of our previous coverage of the Steam Deck modding community, such as the “Steam Deck DS” project. Now let’s take the deckmate for a spin to try it out for ourselves.
The Mechanism team sent me a complete set of Steam Deck and ROG Ally mounting accessories. Much to my surprise, every single Deckmate and “Allymate” accessory fit easily into an apartment-sized mailbox.
Deckmate Grip for Steam Deck: Hands-On
The main Deckmate accessory is the Deckmate Grip 1.5, which attaches to the Steam Deck and allows you to attach additional accessories to it (it also holds additional SD cards). The top half slots in at the edges of the Steam Deck’s top cooling vent, and the bottom half lines up with the center. Once you’ve installed the Grip, you have the “mechanism” in place that allows you to plug in and use any additional accessories, with almost no setup time to speak of. All of the materials are plastic, but once attached, everything feels surprisingly sturdy.
Thoughts on Deckmate Accessories
The Deckmate Kickstand is by far the most useful Deckmate accessory and a new full-time addition to my Steam Deck. Gaming with an extra wireless controller on the go (or just while procrastinating at my desk) seems more feasible than ever. Carrying around a full Steam Deck Dock or other dedicated stand was always a hassle compared to the Nintendo Switch’s built-in kickstand.
The phone mount is a niche accessory that, depending on who you ask, veers between “useful” and “useless.” If you love dual-screen emulation or are just a strong multitasker, the mount works just fine with a reusable adhesive strip to attach your phone. It is pretty heavy, though, and I wouldn’t recommend using it in public. Fine adjustments allow for a lot of flexibility, though. I used it to reference existing combo tutorials while creating my own in 8.
If you want to attach accessories like an external battery or USB hub to the back of your Steam Deck, you can try the Deckmate Adhesive Puck. It allows you to easily attach secondary devices like your phone or battery bank to your Deckmate on the back of your Steam Deck using adhesive. One side of the puck is the adhesive, while the other side has the mechanism that snaps into the handle.
For me, the best use of this accessory is as a battery bank, although unfortunately I don’t have a powerful enough battery for my deck to use it. Instead, I’ve hooked up a custom Arduino-based miniature arcade stick based on the leverless “HitBox” design that was given to me as a gift from an old friend.
Finally, the Deckmate system allows for easy VESA mounting, provided you have the appropriate VESA mount and screws, allowing you to mount the Steam Deck to walls or monitor arms and stands, which could be good for use with controllers (though a bit more complicated than the stand).
Mechanism sells a number of other accessories, including a wall mount, a Skadis pegboard mount, and a dock adapter.
Diploma
Deckmate offers a strong set of mounting/stand accessories for the Steam Deck, as well as its general range of handheld PC competitors like the ROG Ally. The prices are pretty reasonable too (you can get a set on Amazon for $49), although you’re mostly just paying for plastic and spring mechanisms.
The spring mechanism in the middle of it all seems to work just fine, and the stand is such a comfortable addition that I’ll almost certainly be using it if I take my Steam Deck anywhere where I don’t want to hook it up to a TV. If I were asked to try out a dock adapter, I’d never have a reason to take the original Deckmate Grip off at all – and that level of comfort without sacrificing functionality always impresses.
