iFixit’s Steam Deck component selection includes the entire motherboard
discoverer IGN and GamingOnLinuxDIY Repair Company i fix it Accidentally revealed its Steam deck component catalog early, giving us an interesting look at the console’s repair options. The full list is as follows:
- Fan: $24.99 / £19.99
- Anti-glare screen: $94.99 / £89.99
- Regular screen: $64.99 / £59.99
- Left/Right Thumbsticks: $19.99/North America
- Action button, D-pad or Steam button membrane: $4.99 / £4.99
- Speakers: $24.99/£24.99
- L/R Trigger Assembly: $7.99/NA
- L/R Bumper Assembly: $6.99/£6.99
- Backplate: $24.99/£24.99
- Front panel: $24.99/£24.99
- Motherboard (no SSD): $349.99 / £289.99
- L/R Daughter Board: $29.99/NA
- Battery or screen adhesive: $4.99/£4.96
- AC Adapter (US/EU/UK): $24.99/£24.99
Many components also come with an optional $5 “repair kit” from iFixit to aid installation. The most surprising thing in my opinion is that Steam Deck’s full motherboard doesn’t have an SSD. Between this list of components and the Steam deck shell CAD files released by Valve, you’ll most likely be building one of these yourself. It’s not cost-effective by any means, the motherboard alone costs as much as a retail Deck, but it’s surprising to see so many official options in the typically proprietary, anti-DIY world of mobile computing.
That being said, it’s surprising to exclude Steam Deck’s battery considering the wide range of other options — battery degradation over many years is a huge problem for mobile device longevity, and is often nearly insurmountable for keeping a smartphone usable for long periods of time. the handicap semester. However, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens said the company is working on eventually selling Steam Deck batteries separately:
“We don’t have a day-one battery repair solution, but we’re committed to working with Valve to maintain these devices as they age,” Wiens told IGN. “Battery replacement is critical to making the Steam Deck stand the test of time.”
Deck takes Valve’s promise of repairability seriously, but I’m curious what this openness and modularity might mean for device upgradability. Would it be possible to replace the motherboard of the first-gen Steam Deck with a hypothetical Deck 2, bringing some degree of desktop modularity to this portable console? Time will tell, but it has taken mobile technology in an interesting new direction.