JSAUX Steam Deck Shoulder Bag
JSAUX have set such an aggressive pace with their Steam Deck accessory launches that it’s not surprising they’ve missed a few shots. But they’ve taken every mistake in their stride and made efforts to make amends. The Steam Deck shoulder bag, however, is a hit right out of the gate and is now my go-to for consolidating my Deck, Keychron K7 keyboard, dock and miscellaneous small accessories into one tidy, mostly toddler-proof place.
The shoulder bag is simple, really, it’s like half a rucksack in that classic sort-of triangular shape that I’ve got some dim recollection was popular when I was in Highschool.
The JSAUX Steam Deck shoulder bag is surprisingly good. Fits my Deck, Keychron K7 keyboard, a dock, the charger and some other bits ‘n’ bobs!
There are three compartments. A tiny compartment right underneath the padding against your back; suitable for cables or – if you’re travelling – stuff you want to keep a little more tucked away. A middle compartment that includes a form-fitting soft recess for the Steam Deck and a Velcro – I mean, hook-and-loop – retaining strap. And, finally, a generously provisioned hard-shell front compartment with four internal nylon pockets and a larger mesh pocket.
I managed to squeeze in the Deck, an Anker USB Type-C hub, the JSAUX “HB0702” Steam Deck dock, the Steam Deck’s official charger (albeit the U.K. one is quite an awkward squeeze due to our chunky plugs), a separate Anker GaN Prime charger and – in the mesh pocket – the compact Keychron K7 keyboard. There’s a little room for additional cables, and I’ve not used the very back pocket at all yet since I’ve left the optional waist strap in there for safe keeping.
It’s clear JSAUX made a pocket big enough for their Dock, but the U.K. official power supply is a very tight squeeze. Curse our hilariously giant plugs!
Each compartment is secured with elastic, preventing them from falling straight open. I’ve lost my lunch to an Alienware backpack coming completely unzipped and flapping open like a yawning hedgehog, so this is appreciated. If you forget to zip up a pocket, you won’t summarily dump all your gadgets on the floor.
The bag is relatively well constructed and – from my not overzealous but insistent tug tests – durable enough to trust with your precious handheld. The stitch lines, fixing, fit and finish are all exceptional and if you took the JSAUX logo off and told me it was an official Valve product I’d believe you. There are no less than three different zippers, the two main compartments using nice rubberised oval pulls that are big and grippy. The rear, small compartment has a smaller and less fancy zip, but it should be adequately provisioned for its use. While the main and front compartment zips look similar at first glance, the pocket housing your Deck gets bigger, sturdier zippers and little loops for your padlock.
The fit and finish is good too, nice big front buckle, small but metal clip for the strap, nice big locking zipper.
The bottom of the strap can be swapped to the left/right hand side, so you can wear the bag on either shoulder. This is done via a metal spring clip hooking over a metal D ring. Both are small, but square cross-section and thick enough to be very sturdy. They shouldn’t snap when you grab your bag in a hurry from the strap. The strap also has a quick release, plastic buckle that’s positively huge. This is essential because the shoulder bag is much, much more comfortable and secure worn as a crossbody bag than just slung over one shoulder.
The strap has the standard adjustable setup you get on shoulder straps everywhere. Just clip it over your chest, grab the excess belt and give it a yank ‘til it feels comfortable. There’s a little elastic retaining loop to keep any excess strap tucked neatly away. There’s also a little fabric loop for your thumb, or whatever little keyring widgets you might want to loop on there.
The back of the bag and strap are well padded. It’s not generous, but for the weight of the Steam Deck it’s more than adequate. A little extra flap of padding sticks out to sit under the plastic buckle, too, a nice touch.
The front pocket’s hard shell is surprisingly sturdy and there’s a subtle hexagon texture.
Notably missing are any dedicated SD card or microSD card pockets. For a bag this size, however, I think it’s acceptable to suggest your cards should be in a separate container or pouch tucked inside the bag.
There’s also a lack of bottom padding for the Steam Deck compartment. If you’re prone to putting your bag down heavily on hard floors you might want to exercise a little more caution. The Steam Deck is well protected by a form-fitting clamshell arrangement, but it’s only separated from the bottom of the bag by half an inch or so.
Overall, for the price that JSAUX are asking their Steam Deck Shoulder Bag is really rather good. It looks good, it’s comfortable, it looks durable and it holds a decent complement of accessories. It’ll probably remain my go-to for a while! And I’ve already recommended it to friends so I guess I’d recommend it! You can grab it for, like, fifty of your human bucks at JSAUX.com.