Kevin Purdy told The Verge that iFixit plans to start offering replacement parts for the Steam Deck console this summer. Valve announced last month that the repair specialist would be an authorized distributor of the first replacement parts, but did not disclose an exact timeline at the time. For reference, many commercially available consoles are difficult for users to repair themselves.
As for the replacement parts and price information that iFixit can provide, it is currently unknown. However, referring to the official teardown video in October last year, the list should include components such as joysticks and solid-state drives.
Even so, Valve strongly warns against dismantling the Steam Deck in the video. After all, as a well-designed system, the components in the handheld have been carefully selected, and the structural design is quite special.
Embarrassingly, earlier this week, we heard a lot of the first Steam Deck buyers complain about the joystick drifting – one can’t help but suspect that it’s soul-possessed by the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con handle.
Fortunately, Valve responded that it was a software bug (not a hardware issue) and released a fix within hours. From the feedback from several players, the problem seems to have been properly resolved.
Finally, if you want to get the Steam Deck repair parts distributed by iFixit as soon as possible, please also register an appointment through this webpage (portal).