Popular handheld accessory brand JSAUX branched out into the Steam Machine last month, releasing its E-Ink and Pixel Matrix faceplates for Valve’s new cubed mini PC. While immediate reception was positive, users soon became aware of a worrying design flaw. In particular, the Pixel Matrix faceplate was pushing constant updates that could potentially damage its internal storage.

JSAUX has now responded to reports of excessive storage wear on its Pixel Matrix faceplate, confirming that the issue is caused by the Clock and Performance screens refreshing every second and repeatedly writing data to the device’s storage. “The problem was screens that redraw every second,” says the company. This has now been addressed with a firmware update.

The company has a Faceplate App for customers to install in order to update their faceplates. On top of that, JSAUX is extending the Pixel Matrix Faceplate’s warranty from 18 to 24 months, and customers who have experienced storage issues can contact support to request a replacement, with affected units eligible for replacement – even if they have already been updated via the firmware.

Pixel Matrix faceplate improvements and patch notes

The two variants (E-Ink and Pixel Matrix) launched for $99.99 and $89.99, respectively, giving Steam Machine owners a neat way to customize their cube to display system metrics/statistics, custom GIFs, and much more. Improvements are being made to ensure performance remains stable and the faceplates are durable. Steam Machine hardware itself was safe – it’s just the panel that was affected.

The v1.2 update released late last week made some critical changes, such as preventing the clock app from redrawing every second, adding a ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode to reduce updates, and lowering the frame rate of animations to prevent “brightness swings” and flickering. Full changes are in the X post below, and following that, JSAUX updated the firmware to v1.2.1 earlier today.

• Version strings aligned (app / plugin / installer)
• Languages follow Steam – EN DE FR ES IT JA KO ZH; others → English
• Plugin header/footer cleanup
• Brightness can go up again on controller
• Real FPS fixes (stuck / wrong “60”)
• Extra GPU/CPU/VKD3D overlays on non-Steam games cleaned up; panel FPS stays
• Panel blanks before shutdown/reboot; settings kept
• Clock colon stays on; progress by the minute; Do Not Disturb still off by default

Update V1.2.1 patch notes, source: JSAUX

Along with the refresh, JSAUX confirms that new units will also receive hardware improvements, including updated firmware and a USB-C port with current limiting. The company says it will continue monitoring feedback and encourages affected customers to contact its support team for assistance.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.