I have been working on a novel for years. It has not been easy, and it often has not been very fun. I have been plagued with all the indecision, imposter’s syndrome, and self-doubt that you would expect. To encourage myself to push past all of that anxiety, I decided to offer myself a reward: If I finished a draft of my novel and sent it out to agents, I would buy myself a Steam Deck.
I have never had a gaming PC, so this was a hyper-enticing prize for me. I’d get to unlock a whole new world of games that previously had never been available to me. I loved my Nintendo Switch, and the handheld approachability of the Steam Deck seemed like a perfect option. The Steam Deck was expensive, so I’d have to save up, but that was okay, since the book would take me a while.
Four long years later, I finally sent my book out. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t go well, but that’s fine, I’m editing and trying again!) I bought myself a Steam Deck. I was so proud of myself for being brave that I splurged and bought the OLED version. It was beautiful. I hurriedly downloaded games that had only ever been on PC, and I said yes to several PC-only reviews for the site. There was just one problem: The Steam Deck was really, really heavy for me.
The OLED Steam Deck weighs 1.41 pounds and has a “holding circumference”1 (i.e. how far a hand needs to stretch to press the back button and front buttons) of about 5 inches. Now, objectively, those dimensions don’t sound that bad, however, it’s more than double the Nintendo Switch (weighing about 0.6 pounds and a Joy-Con “holding circumference” of about 3 inches).
I quickly noticed that my arms and shoulders ached after playing the Steam Deck for just an hour. One afternoon, I binged Hades II for a few hours; I was in so much pain that I had to take Advil and stretch. I had trouble moving the next day. This felt embarrassing and frustrating for multiple reasons.
So, I sought a solution.
After reading Reddit reviews, I bought this case that comes with a kickstand. Unfortunately, playing with it in kickstand mode meant that, in order to hold it, my arms were forced out at odd angles. (The case is also quite thick, adding precious millimeters to the holding circumference!) So, I then hooked up an old Xbox controller via Bluetooth, but then the Steam Deck was too far away and it became harder to see. (Again, all of this made me feel very old and depressed.) And yes, I did buy the Steam dock to plug it into my TV, but, again, I wanted to play in handheld mode for various reasons.
I asked the other people in our Discord what they did about the Steam Deck being so heavy and unwieldy. While they agreed it was a bit cumbersome, no one else said they had quite the same problem. All of the other gamers replying were male, and now, I felt extra mopey about what was starting to feel like a gendered gaming struggle which, again, just made me feel bad about myself.
As a result of this, I stopped playing my beloved Steam Deck because it was just so dang uncomfortable. I started playing our PlayStation 5 more and my husband played games on “my” Deck. But in the back of my mind, there lingered one option I hadn’t tried yet — the Mechanism Gaming Pillow.
I had seen this item mentioned at the bottom of the Reddit forums or via targeted ads, but at $64 a pop, the Gaming Pillow felt too expensive. I’d already spent money on the case and the dock and the Deck itself, and I felt bad about wasting money. Complaining about it made me feel guilty for this first world problem, starting the shame cycle back up all over again.
Besides, it felt absurd to buy a specialty gaming pillow. I had been duped into buying crappy “device” (phone and tablet) pillows before that instantly fell over, and I wasn’t going to be tricked again. So, I tried mimicking the function on my own by propping up my Steam Deck on stuffed animals or throw pillows, but I was unsuccessful.
But for weeks, I wondered, Should I just buy it? Is this hobby worth it? A few months ago, Mechanism had a sale, and I thought, What the heck, let’s do it.
When I tell you that the Mechanism Gaming Pillow for the Steam Deck changed my life, I am not exaggerating.
The Mechanism Gaming Pillow suddenly made playing the Steam Deck a comfortable and fun experience. By moving the height of the Steam Deck with a metal arm, I am able to adjust my gaming experience whether I am sitting or laying down. Because I don’t have to hold the Deck, I could more easily play holding the sides or adjust the screen to eye-level and play with a separate controller. The pillow itself is endearingly poofy and surprisingly lightweight, so it doesn’t feel heavy on the lap.
Suddenly, I could play PEAK with my long-distance friend for hours. I took the plunge to play games that have been on my backlog for years, like Chrono Trigger. I confidently played dozens of hours of Hades II, beating the game while supported by my beautiful gaming pillow.
Now, the Mechanism Gaming Pillow is not perfect. You do have to add a specific clip-on thingy, so I can’t just shove my Nintendo Switch onto there (I would have to buy a whole other lock-in system to use it with an iPad or the Switch). Additionally, it’s bulky enough that while I could bring it on an airplane, I don’t want to. I’m not even sure it could successfully fit under the seat in front of me.
When I tell you that the Mechanism Gaming Pillow for the Steam Deck changed my life, I am not exaggerating.
Still, when I look at how much the Mechanism Gaming Pillow has improved my gaming life, it’s hard not to recommend it to others, especially if your gaming life would be improved with some physical support. Please note that this is not sponsored content; I genuinely love this Pillow.
If you are struggling with holding the Steam Deck, you’re not alone — you really should buy this Pillow. Or, even if you’re not struggling, this thing is awesome! It has made my gaming comfortable and relaxing, just the way a favorite hobby should be.
- A measurement unit I just made up to try describe how far my frustratingly small girl-bird hands have to stretch. ↩︎
The Mechanism Gaming Pillow is available with add-on ports for the Steam Deck, Legion GO, ROG Ally, phones, and more. There is a “universal” option as well. MSRP: $64.
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, solve mysteries, punch bad guys, play as a cool lady, and/or have a good cry. She started writing with The Punished Backlog in 2020 and became an Editor in 2022. Amanda also does a lot of the site's graphic designs and podcast editing. Amanda's work has been published in Mothership, Unwinnable Monthly, Poets.org, Salt Hill Journal, and more. She holds an MFA in Fiction from the University of Pittsburgh. Learn more about her writing, visual art, graphic design, and marketing work at www.amandatien.com.
