Valve has teamed up with ifixit to provide parts and repair guides for their Index VR headset and the Steam Deck. The partnership comes after Valve promised to offer replacement parts months before the Steam Deck handheld device even launched and that long list of parts is available for both devices today.
Fixing a Steam Deck device
The Steam Deck is supposed to be completely repairable, even if the company’s own teardown video was plastered in warnings telling players not to attempt this at home. The full list of Steam Deck parts includes a fan, thumbsticks, back and front plates, bumper button assemblies, screens, screen and battery adhesive, rubber membranes, speakers, trigger button assemblies, and AC adaptors. The list of Index VR parts covers several aspects of the base station, controllers, and the headset itself. More parts are promised for the “next few weeks”.
While attempting a more comprehensive teardown, ifixit praised the Steam Deck device for its modular thumbsticks, simple screws and clips, and detachable screen cable. They also praised the modular, off-the-shelf storage, for which we’ve already provided a guide on how to replace with a larger SSD drive. However, they also stated the battery is not easy to access due to its position under fragile cables and the fact that it’s glued in place. The fact that batteries aren’t in the list of replacement components suggests Valve would rather you not attempt this one anyway. The USB-C port is also in a position where care is needed so as not to cause damage to the motherboard. Will you be attempting to repair your own device?
In other news, Xbox Game Pass players are supposedly rushing to unsubscribe over a perceived lack of AAA games on the service. Elsewhere, Nintendo still has “nothing to announce” over the three months the Wii and DSi shops have been undergoing maintenance.
