Steam Deck OLED Left Button Board Replacement

Written By: Clay Eickemeyer

Comments: 2

Steam Deck OLED Left Button Board Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the left button board in your Steam Deck OLED.

Remember to follow general electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety procedures while repairing your device.

These steps only describe how to physically remove and replace your console’s button board. You may need additional software tools and calibration procedures to get a replacement board to function as intended.

Tools

Step 1

Turn on your Steam Deck and allow the battery to discharge below 25% before starting your repairs, as a charged lithium-ion polymer battery can be dangerous if accidentally punctured.
As an extra precaution, Valve recommends putting your Steam Deck into battery storage mode within the BIOS before starting any internal repairs. Read how to do that here.
Power down your Steam Deck and unplug any cables.
If you have a microSD card installed, make sure to remove it before opening the Steam Deck. If you attempt to remove the back cover with it still installed, it could snap right in half.
During your repair, it can be helpful at times to lay the Steam Deck face-down in its case to protect the thumbsticks and prevent wobble.

Step 2

Use a T6 Torx driver to remove the eight 5.8 mm‑long screws securing the back cover.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Step 3

Insert an opening pick at an upward angle between the back cover and the front shell near one of the triggers.
If you can't insert your pick here, try along the top or bottom edges of the Steam Deck OLED before sliding it toward the handle.
Slide your pick along the edge of the handle to release the clips securing it to the front shell.

Step 4

Reinsert your pick and slide it along the top and bottom edges until the back cover feels loose.

Step 5

Grip the unclipped handle and pull it away from the front shell to release the remaining clips.
Remove the back cover.

Step 6

Grip the battery cable pull tab, located to the left of the battery.
Firmly pull the battery cable straight away from the motherboard shield (toward the battery) to disconnect it.
This bundled cable is fairly stiff. If you're having trouble, re-grip the pull tab close to the head of the connector and gently walk it side-to-side as you pull.
If the cable pull-tab feels fragile or rips during this process, remove the motherboard shield and disconnect the cable using a spudger.
When the battery cable comes free, it might push up on the motherboard shield. Don't worry, as this won't damage anything.

The pull tab can come off revealing the wires. The instructions should be updated to reflect that catch.

Khurram Tariq -

Step 7

During disassembly, skip the next four steps.
During reassembly:
Reinstall the two 3.8 mm‑long screws to secure the motherboard shield.
Reconnect the interconnect cable ZIF connector.

Step 8

During reassembly:
Use the flat end of a spudger to slide the battery connector into its socket on the motherboard.

Step 9

During reassembly:
Use your T6 Torx driver to remove the two 3.8 mm‑long screws securing the motherboard shield.
Lift the top edge of the motherboard shield up and flip it over the bottom edge of the frame, away from the motherboard.
Be careful not to crease or strain the cable.

Step 10

During reassembly, follow this step and the above four steps to reconnect the battery.
In this reassembly step, you'll disconnect the interconnect cable to free the motherboard shield.
Use a spudger to flip up the small white locking flap on the right button board interconnect cable ZIF connector.
Use tweezers or your fingers to grip the cable's pull tab and slide it straight out of its socket to disconnect it.
The pull tab may be labelled C‑R.

Step 11

Use the point of a spudger to flip up the small locking flap on the left thumbstick ZIF connector.
The pull tab on this connector may be labeled TS.
Use tweezers or your fingers to grip the cable's pull tab and slide the connector straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Step 12

Use a spudger to flip up the small white locking flap on the left button board interconnect cable ZIF connector.
The pull tab on this connector may be labeled C‑L.
Use tweezers or your fingers to grip the cable's pull tab and slide it straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Step 13

Flip up the small black locking flap on the left thumbstick cable ZIF connector.
The pull tab on this connector may be labeled DB.
Slide the connector straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Step 14

Flip up the small locking flap on the D‑pad ZIF connector, located in the top right corner.
The pull tab on this connector may be labeled DPAD.
Slide the connector straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Step 15

Flip up the small locking flap on the touchpad board cable ZIF connector, located just below the previous one.
The pull tabs on the remaining ZIF connectors in this procedure may be labeled DB.
Lift the connector until its arms are free and slide it straight out to disconnect it.

Step 16

If you aren't replacing your button board, you can leave this cable connected and lay the board over the right side of the frame after you've removed the screws.
Be careful when disconnecting the haptics, as the cables and connector are very delicate. Pry only on the base of the white connector and not on the cables or socket.
Insert the point of your spudger under the neck of the haptics cable connector.
Gently pry up to disconnect it.

Step 17

Flip up the small locking flap on the touchpad board cable ZIF connector, located just below the haptics connector.
Slide the connector straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Step 18

Use your T6 Torx driver to remove the four screws securing the left button board:
Two 5.9 mm‑long screws
One 3.8 mm‑long screw
One 4.9 mm‑long screw

Step 19

Insert the point of your spudger between the bottom right corner of the button board and the frame.
Pry up until you can grab the button board with your fingers.
Remove the button board.
During reassembly, make sure none of the five cables become trapped underneath the button board as you lay it into place.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Steam Deck OLED answers community for help.

Author

Clay Eickemeyer

Member since: 19/09/22

65196 Reputation

One comment

This just saved me. Thank you! My daughter was using my deck and managed to get makeup powder dusted in to the DPAD and TouchPad connection via the gap by the trigger. Killed them both. Thanks to this page, was able to pull the board, clean the contacts, and i'm back playing again. No.. she will not be using my deck anymore.

Joel Aron -