This Redditor says it wasn't even that tough to get a sub-$100 damaged Steam Deck working once more with components from an outdated Nintendo DS Lite: 'not that onerous in any respect'
It looks like, in the end, not less than some expertise is shifting within the path of repairability. That is little question largely due to the general public pushing for the precise to restore, which has in all probability inspired some firms to make in style merchandise which might be very upgradeable and repairable (hi there, Framework). Nonetheless, I used to be slightly stunned to listen to a Redditor name their Steam Deck restore “not that onerous in any respect.”
David not too long ago shared his “$80 Steam Deck” on Reddit (although it appears like maybe it was €80, which remains to be properly beneath $100), explaining that they picked up the Valve handheld for reasonable after the earlier proprietor had tried to solder in new buttons and failed. “After many sleepless hours repairing the traces and changing the buttons”, David says, he additionally changed the trackpad for $30 and has lastly received it working.
I spoke to David to study slightly extra concerning the course of, and he says it wasn’t too tough to get the entire thing repaired. The “botched button alternative” the earlier proprietor tried had “broken round 70% of the pads”, however whereas “it regarded tough at first … it wasn’t the worst factor I’ve ever seen.”
And whereas David did not have official Steam Deck buttons at hand to exchange them with, he did produce other handheld consoles to siphon from: “So I simply went to lurk into my console graveyard. Fortunately an outdated controller had fairly becoming buttons which I simply needed to modify a bit.”
Apparently, the Nintendo DS Lite ended up being the proper match for the job, not less than so far as the shoulder buttons had been involved: “An outdated Nintendo DS Lite had the identical shoulder buttons because the Steam Deck. Since these consoles couldn’t be saved anymore, I’ve desoldered the buttons and neatly put them onto the Steam Deck PCB.”
After changing the buttons, the trackpad was subsequent, and sadly these had been costly on eBay. However then he discovered the trackpad being bought on a “shady Chinese language web site”: “I ended up paying round $30 for the trackpad together with delivery. Whereas I did have to attend a few months for it, when it arrived it labored completely.”
Whereas we would envision considerably of a Frankeinstein’s monster because the end result, wanting on the footage it appears like… properly, only a Steam Deck, albeit with a beautiful translucent again (that is actually coming again into vogue proper now, is not it?). And apparently it “works completely”, so if ever there was a narrative of finances inspiration in a world the place handheld PC gaming is wanting more and more prohibitively costly, this could be it!
I did ask David whether or not there have been any components of the method that had been tough: “The tougher half was repairing the damaged traces that I needed to scratch off the solder masks to reveal the copper after which reconnect them. It sounds scary however so long as you’ve endurance and a gentle hand, it is going to be straightforward.”
Even the tough half, then, simply requires a gentle hand.
I additionally requested what he considered the Steam Deck when it comes to repairability, and he says he thinks did a “fairly good job”: “The Deck is surprisingly extra serviceable than most trendy {hardware} and consoles . If there may be something they might enhance, maybe making board diagrams accessible and promoting extra components on iFixit.”
The Steam Deck is already (and nonetheless, in any case these years) one among our favorite handheld gaming PCs, and that is largely due to how low-cost it’s. With that additional sprinkle of repairability within the combine (board diagrams and extra spare components) it will store up the opposite dearer handhelds, as nice as they’re, in very unequivocal phrases.
For now, although, it appears the occasional shady web site may be required for these replacements. Nonetheless, you possibly can’t argue with slightly over $100 all-in for a Steam Deck, are you able to?
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