You may now send your portable gaming PC to one of Valve’s new repair facilities to have it repaired if something is wrong with your Steam Deck and you don’t want to attempt to fix it yourself.
If their gadget breaks, Steam Deck owners now have a new repair option. Due to the establishment of Valve’s own Steam Deck repair facilities, repairs should go more quickly.
Owners of Steam Decks should be happy to learn about the new service because it will make resolving hardware issues easier and eliminate the need to go for a third-party solution. Notably, Valve mentions that it also helps those who want to do things themselves and refers to the relevant tutorials on iFixit.
We’re happy to announce that our Steam Deck repair centers are now open! If a Steam Deck has an issue and needs to be sent in, repairs covered by warranty will be performed free of charge. If not covered by warranty, you can opt to have your device repaired for a fee. pic.twitter.com/VXGdczeOvX
— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) September 9, 2022
Those who would rather outsource the fix can use the new service through the business’s support channels. The firm states, “Devices will now go to one of our repair centers. If you have an issue and need to send your Steam Deck for repair or replacement.” “Once it gets there, our team will look at it, fix it if it needs to be, and send it back to you.”
The repair facilities will take care of both free in-warranty repairs and paid repairs for damage that occurs after the device’s warranty has expired. Out-of-warranty repairs will be charged for by the company, though it is unknown how much these repairs may cost.
There aren’t many further specifics yet regarding how the repair shops will operate. The business hasn’t disclosed a list of the varieties of repairs it can perform or an estimated turnaround time. In a comment on the page, however, a Valve representative said that the repair shops will be able to handle battery replacements, which may be a common need for the handheld device.
Valve pointed out that iFixit still provides a variety of replacement components, repair kits, and instructions for individuals who prefer the do-it-yourself route.
It’s conceivable that many Steam Deck owners will choose that route. My acquaintance, who owns a Steam Deck, recently gushed about the unit’s accessibility and usage of common components, which makes it (relatively) simple to replace parts. He knows about such things (he’s the type of man who gets his hands on really expensive pieces of equipment and instantly pulls them apart to see how he can make them “better”).
These repair facilities will deal with the following two scenarios:
- Contact support, and they will assist in getting your Steam Deck delivered to one of our repair facilities if your device starts to have sporadic button input problems (unusual, but it does happen occasionally). Since the warranty covers this, they will figure out what’s wrong, replace the button, test and calibrate the unit, and then send it back to you.
- The thumbstick on your computer is not covered by warranty if your dog chews on it and breaks it. Previously, your only choice was to perform a DIY repair, but now you can contact support for instructions on how to send your Steam Deck to one of our repair facilities. Our personnel will make a fee-based offer to replace and calibrate your thumbstick. Once your warranty has run out, you can still use this procedure.
