Want to see inside a Steam Deck? Valve has delivered in the latest video although they're keen to remind people not to do any of this yourself.
Valve say it's both a "How to" video and a "Why you shouldn't do any of this". Although they mention once you have it you have a right to do so, it's not recommended. With everything packed so tightly together they're giving a warning about damage to batteries, something that could cause a fire so there's a threat to your life kind of warning involved if you do it wrong. The warranty also doesn't cover any damage done by you if you really choose to do this.
Before getting to the video here's what Valve say about it in the description:
One of the most frequently asked questions we've received about Steam Deck is about the components inside it, and whether they're replaceable or upgradable. The answer is a bit more complicated than just a yes or no, so we've made a video to explain all the details. Spoiler alert: we DON'T recommend replacing parts yourself, but we still want you to have all of the relevant information about Steam Deck's components.

Direct Link
If you missed it we recently went over the top 100 games played on Steam, to see how many currently work on Linux and should also work on the Steam Deck.
I agree with the video that you only mess with your hardware if you have the skills, but its nice to see a hardware vendor that doesn't go out of their way to make repairs a nightmare.
Last edited by Numeric on 6 October 2021 at 10:15 pm UTC
On the switch if the joystick goes bad (drifts), you have to buy another controller (I think). And it's expensive.
And well... If they say not to, people will be encouraged to do it.
As for the ssd, probably the coolers will be the slow ones. Well, it needs to be checked. Probably on reviews.
Anywhere does it say if accepts sata ssd or has to be pcie ssd?

Quoting: jordicomaOn the switch if the joystick goes bad (drifts), you have to buy another controller (I think). And it's expensive.Switch joysticks are only 4 for £10 ;)
Why make parts readily available if you’re telling us it’s a bad idea to replace them? Why make a video for this tutorial at all? Are they giving us (faulty) guns and letting us have the choice to shoot ourselves in the foot? That’s not a good strategy.
Either make a proper tutorial with all the dos and don’ts or straight up give a comprehensive explanation why it’s unserviceable without wrapping the whole thing in mixed messages.
Like the explanation about SSD interference I get, all the other arguments seem shaky.
Anyway, it’s weird video that I feel is designed to garner hype and sympathy from fanboys (see YouTube comments) in a day where right to repair is in such a precarious position any minuscule effort gets praised to heaven.
Quoting: zigguratThe reason I wanted to open mine and add an SSD is to have both the 64Gig emmc from the cheapest SKU and more storage through the m.2 slot. This will give me a smaller price I need to present to my wife, and a clear short term update path.
The eMMC module is on a daughterboard that plugs into the m.2 connector. If you replace it with an NVMe SSD, you can't use both.
Quoting: QuinnI got a weird vibe from the video.
It seemed to me to be mostly full of nerd warm & fuzzies. I dug it a lot.
QuoteWhy make a video for this tutorial at all?
People kept hassling them about what it was like inside and what could be replaced, and they felt that the answer needed more than a soundbite, so they said they'd make a video about it. This is that video.
They explain how it all fits together, and what the downsides and pitfalls are, and confirm that, yes, it is your device to do with as you wish. That's exactly what I'd want, and what I'd get from ifixit, too.
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