Once that was done, I didn’t experience many issues with the actual mounting solution, but getting the device at an angle that was comfortable playing with was, well, another adventure. The stand has three points of articulation: one at the bottom, one at the top, and one little knob where the device is mounted. The last of those is easy enough to manipulate – you just adjust a small latch that screws onto it, and you can rotate your device in almost any direction. However, the other two control the tilt of the device and the height of the stand. Both of these require an Allen key to adjust.
That means trying to find the perfect angle and then locking it into place is something that you have to do a minor ritual to complete. However, it does make the stand feel extremely secure, which is probably what Mechanism was going for. I just tend to move around a lot when I’m relaxing, which is the only reason this is an issue.
But once I dialed in my perfect position for the ROG Ally X, I spent several hours over multiple days cuddling up to this silly gaming pillow playing Final Fantasy X. It made a device that’s best in short bursts into one of the most comfortable gaming experiences I’ve had in years. It was so comfy that it made grinding out Wakka’s Celestial Weapon into a pleasant and relaxing experience – if you know, you know.
Modularity Is Key for Gaming Accessories
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this Pillow is how flexible it is. Mechanism has dozens of different attachments for sale, which’ll mount anything from a Steam Deck to an iPad. It means that even if you swap to a different device, you don’t have to buy an all-new gaming pillow – though you’d have to fork over an extra $20 for a new grip.
But those grips are also compatible with Mechanism’s other mounts. I haven’t tested any of those, so I can’t speak to their quality, but the company seems to be building an entire ecosystem of different mounts for your hardware.
I do like the wide compatibility inherent to this kind of system. It reduces waste and stops you from having to waste money buying a different mount whenever you make an upgrade. However, it does kind of lock you into Mechanism’s products, and these grips don’t exactly play nice with third-party cases. I generally don’t put cases on anything – a mistake given how clumsy I am – but I know a lot of folks do, and incorporating this kind of system on top of a case might end up being more of a hassle than it’s worth.
OK, But Why Is This Actually Necessary?
Let’s talk about dimensions. You see, even the relatively small Steam Deck measures nearly a foot long and is 2 inches thick. That’s a lot of plastic to hold, and while its weight of 1.41 lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, it can definitely start to weigh you down over long gaming sessions. For comparison, the new Switch 2 – which is significantly larger than the original – weighs just 1.18 lbs with the Joy-Cons attached.
The Steam Deck is on the lighter side of all the PC handhelds out there. Some are much bulkier than the Steam Deck, like the Lenovo Legion Go at 1.88lbs with its controllers attached. And while I love the larger screen offered by that handheld, I’ve settled into the Ally X, which actually has a smaller footprint than the Steam Deck, but is a bit heavier at 1.48lbs. (I don’t know how Asus did it, but I frequently find that the Ally X lasts far longer than any other handheld, which makes it a mainstay in my little arsenal of gadgets.) But it does start to weigh me down after a little bit.
In the past I solved this by basically propping the Ally up against a pillow when I’m laying in bed playing games. This largely solves the issue, except for when I inevitably doze off and drop the handheld on the ground, or worse, on my forehead. The Mechanism Gaming Pillow largely solves that – even if it has a few issues.
At the end of the day, the Mechanism Gaming Pillow probably isn’t for everyone, especially if you don’t spend a lot of time playing your Steam Deck – or other handheld – at home. But, the combination of gaming handheld and gaming pillow is quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to play games. Now, I just need more companies to come out with their takes on this idea, because while it seemed silly at first, it’s probably one of my favorite Steam Deck accessories now.
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