Valve Warns of Many Dangers to Opening Up Device
Apparently, Valve has been getting fed up with questions about possibly replacing any hardware parts in a Steam Deck – so they’ve released a “how-to” guide on how to open the Steam Deck up and replace parts. Spoiler: they highly recommend to not do so, unless you want to compromise your Steam Deck’s performance or even possibly damage it – and damages through your actions will not be covered under the warranty.
Right off the bat, even the act of opening the Steam Deck case will lower the integrity of your device. This means that it will be less drop-friendly, so it’s advisable to note Valve’s warning before attempting to tamper with a Deck. In addition, although the self-tapping screws can be removed and reinstalled, they are extremely sensitive, and the screws or housing could be damaged when you attempt to unscrew the case.
Once the case is opened, you can start to remove and replace the joysticks and SSD’s. However, Valve warns that the joysticks are made of custom parts, so your replacement parts will have to match perfectly. Luckily, Valve has stated that they will provide replacement joysticks and SSD’s, so there is a chance to repair or even upgrade your parts once the replacement system is implemented.
Finally, if you want to upgrade your SSD to something with more speed or storage, Valve warns of a few potential issues: battery life reduction, wireless interference, and mechanical interference. As such, it doesn’t seem to be a good idea to upgrade the SSD in your Steam Deck. All in all, the Steam Deck seems to be a remarkably well put together device.
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