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iFixit will sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck — including the entire motherboard

iFixit will sell nearly every part of the Steam Deck — including the entire motherboard

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You might even be able to upgrade your fan or screen

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A person holds a Steam Deck joystick above a deconstructed Steam Deck on a desk.
One of the Steam Deck’s joysticks.
Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

The era of fixing your own gadgets has nearly arrived, and Valve’s Steam Deck handheld gaming PC may be setting the best example yet — not only does it offer a repair-friendly design, but it now looks like almost every part will be sold separately at iFixit.

This evening, the company prematurely revealed a huge collection of its promised repair parts at its website, and we were surprised to see everything down to the motherboard with the AMD Aerith chip at the heart of the Steam Deck will soon be available, admittedly for a pricey $350.

The Steam Deck motherboard.
The Steam Deck motherboard.
Image: iFixit

In fact, iFixit will even sell parts that might be considered upgrades for an existing Steam Deck — if you decide you’d rather have the anti-glare screen that only comes with the 512GB model, or the allegedly quieter Huaying fan, you’ll be able to nab those for $95 and $25 respectively. You can pay $5 more for a “Fix Kit” that comes with everything you need to do those repairs — which I’d highly recommend for the screen. If you’ve got a spudger and a screwdriver already, you probably don’t need it for the fan.

Among other tools, the screen kit comes with an iOpener microwavable heating tool to loosen the existing screen’s adhesive.
Among other tools, the screen kit comes with an iOpener microwavable heating tool to loosen the existing screen’s adhesive.
Image: iFixit

In fact, iFixit was willing to send us a complete US price list for every part it’ll sell in the first wave, 23 distinct parts in all:

Steam Deck repair parts at iFixit

SKU / LinkNamePrice
2600021Steam Deck Fan / Part Only $24.99
2600022Steam Deck Fan / Fix Kit $29.99
2600031Steam Deck (512GB) Screen / Part Only $94.99
2600032Steam Deck (512GB) Screen / Fix Kit $99.99
2600041Steam Deck (64GB or 256GB) Screen / Part Only $64.99
2600042Steam Deck (64GB or 256GB) Screen / Fix Kit $69.99
2600051Steam Deck Right Thumbstick / Part Only $19.99
2600052Steam Deck Right Thumbstick / Fix Kit $24.99
2600061Steam Deck Left Thumbstick / Part Only $19.99
2600062Steam Deck Left Thumbstick / Fix Kit $24.99
2600071Steam Deck Action Button Rubber Membrane $4.99
2600081Steam Deck D-Pad Rubber Membrane $4.99
2600091Steam Deck Steam Button Rubber Membrane $4.99
2600101Steam Deck Speakers $24.99
2600291Steam Deck Left Trigger Button Assembly $7.99
2600301Steam Deck Right Trigger Button Assembly $7.99
2600161Steam Deck Left Bumper Button Assembly $6.99
2600171Steam Deck Right Bumper Button Assembly $6.99
2600181Steam Deck Back Plate $24.99
2600191Steam Deck Front Plate $24.99
2600201Steam Deck Motherboard $349.99
2600211Steam Deck Right Daughter Board $29.99
2600221Steam Deck Left Daughter Board $34.99
2600231Steam Deck Battery Adhesive $4.99
2600241Steam Deck Screen Adhesive $4.99
2600251Steam Deck AC Adapter (US) $24.99
2600261Steam Deck AC Adapter (EU) $24.99
2600271Steam Deck AC Adapter (UK) $24.99

GamingOnLinux has a partial list of UK prices as well.

One thing you won’t see right away is the Steam Deck’s battery, however, which is obviously a critical wear part for a battery-powered console that can easily drain in two hours flat. iFixit only has a placeholder link for the battery (and the SSD, thanks u/Fidler_2K @ Reddit).

Here’s what iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens tells The Verge about the battery sitch:

We are building a solution for repairing the Steam Deck that includes all the step-by-step guides and parts that you need to fix your Deck. Our initial release includes the parts and tools to complete most repairs. We don’t have a solution for battery repairs on day one, but we are committed to working with Valve to maintain these devices as they age. Battery replacements are going to be essential to making the Steam Deck stand the test of time.

He couldn’t say when they’ll go on sale beyond “soon.”

There’s also no touchpads, D-pads or buttons on the list yet, though iFixit will sell the rubber membranes that go underneath them. And no internal metal frame, EM shields, or flexible ribbon cables. So it’s not like you could build a complete Deck from parts. But if you crack the plastic front panel, it might be an easy $25 fix, and you can’t say that about most gadgets.

The Steam Deck’s front and back panels cost $25 each.
The Steam Deck’s front and back panels cost $25 each.
Image: iFixit

It’s fairly easy to get into the Steam Deck, by the way: when my thumbstick got a little sticky, I was able to get it out for cleaning by removing three screws (after the eight screws for the back case and snapping open its tricky little plastic clips, I admit).

By the way: if you’re interested in right-to-repair and official parts, I’ve got another story this morning that you might like to read.

Correction, 1:38PM ET: It’s 11 screws total to open the case and remove a joystick, not 7 as I originally said.

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