A fully transparent Steam Deck could soon be yours with these new front plates

“My favorite new Steam Deck mod is this $30 see-through heatsink backplate,” I wrote in January. “Wake me up when someone makes a transparent front shell,” some readers told me.

Well, your nap is nearly over: Jsaux just confirmed to Overkill.wtf that a transparent front shell is on the way, providing the image you see atop this story (which we’re using with Overkill’s blessing). And ExtremeRate tweeted this earlier today:

We don’t know what either Steam Deck front shell will cost just yet. But Jsaux tells us that its version will arrive in July, in crystal, brown, and purple. And, it comes with an entire tray full of tools and spaces to slot loose Steam Deck parts while you dissect your handheld:

Please note that Valve would frown on such an undertaking, and even iFixit warns that it’s not for the faint of heart. A front shell replacement “involves almost a complete disassembly, including removing the display,” writes iFixit. It’s not anywhere near the same level of difficulty as an easy fan or SSD or joystick replacement, which involve just a thimbleful of screws and a little prying after you remove your SD card. Do not forget to remove your SD card.

I probably won’t do this mod myself, honestly, unless it ships with a foolproof way to remove the display. I’m still super happy with my back plate, though, which comes in many more colors than it did before.