A Reddit user named Toikka posted photos showing a Steam Controller charging puck sparking after touching a metal watch band. The puck, which doubles as the controller’s wireless adapter, exposed metal pins that arced enough to scorch the surrounding surface. The incident highlights a safety risk inherent in the controller’s design.

Valve’s pre‑packaged magnetic charger is not optional like Xbox’s Elite Series 2 dock or Sony’s DualSense station, which hide pins behind recessed grooves. Because the Steam Controller ships with the puck attached, many owners may place it near jewelry, keys or other ferrous items without realizing the hazard.

Toikka says they caught the flaw “just in time,” limiting damage to discoloration on the puck and nearby plastic. They reported the case to Valve, which promised a replacement charging puck and asked for the faulty unit to reproduce the failure. The company’s response suggests they take the issue seriously.

Consumers should keep the Steam Controller puck away from any metallic or magnetically sensitive objects until Valve redesigns the connector. With the controller selling out quickly after its recent price drop, the incident could prompt broader scrutiny of exposed‑pin chargers across the gaming accessory market.