iFixit’s selection of Steam Deck components includes entire motherboards

Spotted by IGN and GamingOnLinux, DIY repair company iFixit accidentally revealed its Steam Deck component catalog early, offering some interesting insight into console repair options. The full list is as follows:
- Fan: $24.99/£19.99
- Anti-glare screen: $94.99/£89.99
- Normal screen: $64.99/£59.99
- Left/Right Controller: $19.99/NA
- Action Button, D-Pad or Steam Button Membrane: $4.99 / £4.99
- Speakers: $24.99/£24.99
- L/R Trigger Set: $7.99/NA
- L/R bumper set: $6.99/£6.99
- Backplate: $24.99/£24.99
- Front plate: $24.99/£24.99
- Motherboard (no SSD): $349.99/£289.99
- L/R daughter board: $29.99/NA
- Battery or screen adhesive: $4.99/£4.96
- Power adapter (US/EU/UK): $24.99/£24.99
Many components also come with an optional $5 “repair kit” from iFixit to aid installation. The most surprising inclusion, to my eyes, is the Steam Deck’s full SSD-less motherboard. Between this list of components and Valve’s release of the CAD files for the Steam Deck shell, you’re about to be able to build one yourself. It wouldn’t be cost effective by any means, with the motherboard alone costing as much as a retail Deck, but it’s surprising to see so many official options in the typically proprietary, anti-DIY world of computing. mobile.
That being said, the Steam Deck’s battery exclusion is surprising given the otherwise extensive selection – battery degradation over the years is a big concern in a mobile device’s longevity, and often a hindrance. almost insurmountable to keep smartphones usable in the long term. term. However, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens indicated that the company is working on selling the Steam Deck battery separately:
“We don’t have a solution for day one battery repairs, but we are committed to working with Valve to service these devices as they age,” Wiens told IGN. “Battery replacement is going to be essential for the Steam Deck to stand the test of time.”
The Deck seriously delivers on Valve’s repairability promises, but I’m curious what this openness and modularity might mean for the expandability of the device down the line. Would it be conceivable to replace the motherboard of a first-generation Steam Deck with a hypothetical Deck 2 down the line, bringing some degree of desktop modularity to this portable console? Time will tell, but mobile technology is already moving in an interesting new direction.