The flimsy (by comparison, the whole thing is sturdy as fuck) analogue controls are also the easiest to fix/replace
But also if you've got receipt you can get them repaired for cheap or sometimes free by mailing to the official repair centers
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/view/3398545888823804940
And if you watch some video tutorials of these repairs and feel like it’s outside of your skill level, valve’s repair service is accessible through customer support. They provide a shipping label, and when it gets there they assess the cost of repair, inform you of the cost and ask if you want it done or not. If not they’ll ship it back as is. I believe I paid about $135 USD to have buttons replaced and machine cleaned out internally. It’s an option, if you lack either the time or gumption to fix it yourself.
That's probably my preference. After looking through the ifixit tutorial, my hands aren't steady enough, and my close work eyesight isn't good enough for me to do that with any confidence. I don't mind paying, either, if it gets done properly. The only catch is I'm in Australia. Will I need to send it to the US?
You know, I’m not entirely certain. The American repair service is a partnered business, so I would assume it would be in valve’s best interest to partner with such companies regionally.
I guess I'll have to face the gauntlet of Steam Support to find out. Thanks.
Because it's so repairable, you might be able to find a 3rd party to fix it for not too much. I don't know what that would do with your warranty, but I figure that attempting the repair yourself would also void the warranty.
High availability of parts and repair guides tends to lower the price of repairs, even from 3rd party people. It's why right to repair is so important
I'm pretty sure it's out of warranty by now anyway.
Most people might find the thought of opening and tinkering with a piece of electronics like this, but it's really not bad at all, and ifixit has some hands down amazing videos showing exactly what to do, step by step
Follow the official repair guide! https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+Left+Bumper+Button+Replacement/148936
Valve partnered with iFixIt to provide replacement parts and step by step walkthroughs for how to fix your Deck.
Thanks. I don't feel confident enough to do that myself, but it's reassuring that it's repairable.
I believe in you! I managed to crack a screen and replace it after some consternation. I believe you're at least as able as I am.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but the comments in that iFixit page weren't especially encouraging. I don't even have a spudger. In fact, I had to look up what a spudger even was. I'm happy to leave it to the professionals.
It sounds like the LB is stuck.
It might be as simple as opening it up and reseating the button, or it might need a switch replaced.
The Steam Deck seems to be built to be serviced, I replaced the drive in my OG 64gb LCD model to a 2tb one in about an hour by following a YouTube tutorial.
I did the same thing with my RB button on my LCD model. I went the official repair route, which cost $130. If you can solder you can probably just replace it yourself, I just didn't feel confident enough to do it.
It could be fixable, only way to find out is opening it up. I'd first try reseating all the ribbon cables, as one of them might have come loose because of the drop. Otherwise, if you can identify any damaged parts, you can get replacements for most of them and replacing them is pretty doable. If you can't find any physical damage, your best option is probably to send it in.
That's what happened with my PS5 controller after my cat knocked it off the sofa and the R2 button stopped working. I opened it up, saw nothing apparently wrong, reseated the tiny ribbon cable, and it worked! I'm not very mechanically inclined, so that was a major win for me.
If you have an OLED deck, the LB button switch is actually part of the joystick, and is very easy to replace. There could also be something wrong with the button mechanism, you'll have to look and see.
If you have an LCD deck, the LB button switch is actually on the same daughter board as the dpad/etc and will be harder to replace.
If you've access to a 3D printer, print this. That'll help prevent this from happening.
https://www.printables.com/model/254680-steam-deck-lifesaver-drop-protection
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