Steam Deck Screen Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim

Comments: 126

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

2 - 3 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the screen (aka display) on your Steam Deck LCD. The procedure is the same for both standard and anti-glare etched glass screens.

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

Note: If you're installing a 512 GB model display onto a 64 / 256 GB device or vice versa, you'll need to ensure that a matching display flex cable is installed as well. Both types of displays come with their specific flex cables.

Note: Valve started shipping Steam Decks with refreshed internal designs in early 2023. Your Steam Deck may look different than the one depicted in the photos, but the procedures are very similar. Remove the back cover to check what version you have. An original Steam Deck will have a metallic motherboard shield and a fan with square sides, as seen here. A refreshed Steam Deck will have a black motherboard shield and a fan with curved sides, as seen here.

Tools

Parts

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 into its case to protect the thumbsticks and prevent wobble.

Step 2

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:
Four coarse thread 9.5 mm-long screws
Four fine thread 5.8 mm-long screws
Despite the standards, Phillips screwdrivers can vary in size and shape—two drivers labeled as the same size may fit differently in the same screw. Use the size that fits the snuggest into the screw head.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your Steam Deck.

there should be a picture of the SD card slot at the start of every Steam Deck teardown. i know the note is there but i generally use the pictures to guide me and forgetting to remove the SD card is a very critical step

Nathan Barrow -

I agree, I just broke mine...

Camille B -

What is the the #1 philips used for? Only the #0 is mentioned in the instructions.

Christopher Martin -

I wish they would specify which size to use for which screws.

Mark D -

I found it easiest to use a PH1 for the red screws, and PH0 for the rest (including the internals.)

Chris Clawson -

Be careful you can strip the screws take your time

I use PH00 bit

jaybush74 -

I used the PH1 bit for this. You can use smaller bits but ideally there should be no play of the bit in the screw head.

Charles Semple -

are there playstation replacements (circle,square,cross,triangle)

Deór -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 size for the screws on the back.

Luis B - 10/01/23

I've completed the guide and found it very helpful!

I think somewhere in this part it would be helpful to name the size of the correct Phillips driver to use:

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:

Four 9.5 mm screws

Four 5.8 mm screws

Maynard -

I used the PH1 for the 9.5mm screws and PH00 for the 5.8mm screws. The PH0 wanted to strip one of the small ones.

Pol Llovet -

FYI - 512gb version has blue threadlocker on the Orange screws.

Kyle -

Just a point for knowledge sake, the Four 5.8mm screws on this step are factory installed with a version of locktite. Not sure why but there will be slight resistance when removing the first time.

Derek Schmidlin -

Stripped two of the 5.8mm screws, feel pretty dumb, now I'm stuck at step 2 of 43 :|

Yareyous -

Step 3

Insert an opening pick into the thin gap between the back cover and the front shell, along the edge of the right grip.
If you're having trouble inserting your pick at the grip seam, try starting at either the top or bottom long edges first, then slide the pick towards the grip.
Pry up on the back cover to release it from the locking clips.

I found it easiest to start this process at the top of the device near the fan exit.

Peter Lindberg -

second that and inserting the pick in the bottom middle and sliding the pick to each side

Sub -

I also found the top near the fan exit to be easier

Travis Patton -

Thank you for this tip, it definitely was easy starting at the top instead of by the bumper/triggers. After I opened the top I did the bottom and then it was way easier to gently open the sides. be very careful and go slowly to make sure that none of the clips are damaged

Luis B -

this as suggested above:

1. open the top

2. open the bottom

3.gently open the sides

austrasier - 17/04/23

same; i pried from the top of the screen area. I was unable to find an opening on the side

Dennis Wu -

I also started from the middle of the deck and worked my way out since I couldn't get a grip with the pick on the deck's side grips. Since this is a common step for pretty much all guides for opening the deck I think it's also worth noting that you should be careful not to bend the trims/seams where the front and back covers meet with the pick. When I first opened my deck you can definitely see where I nudged the pick in between the covers since I was probably using too much force on the pick itself.

Kaleb McKone -

It would be useful to note here that if you want to insert the little blue triangular iFixit opening picks into the right side along the edge, there isn't actually a gap as the directions say, at least not on newer Decks. You'll be making the initial gap using the pick. Brace it on something because you will need to use enough downward force that you're flexing the pick a bit and it'll probably be digging into the skin of a bare hand. With enough force suddenly it will make a click and go in just a bit, and then you're in business.

CaptFrost -

plastic picks didnt work for me but finger males did the job on prying this open

jacobbagsic -

I found it easiest to open starting with R1 or L1 buttons and proceeding to the center of the top edge

Karol Gro -

This step was the hardest by far. First I didn't find an opening at the sides, and it did take a really long time until I finally got it open... Then, when I had the one side opening open it didn't just pop out, I needed to slide all the way to the other side with the pick and open everything. I guess they made it even more drop resistant.

Dollique -

Step 4

Once the clips are disconnected from one edge, the rest disconnect easily.
Grip the back cover at the opening you just created and pull it up and away from the device to unclip the long edges.
Remove the back cover.

If you have an SD card, you will want to take it out. I followed the guide and didn't think about the SD card I had inside. When I went to snap the case back on it clapped shut on the exposed SD card, shearing it in half and leaving the bottom half stuck in the SD card slot. I am still endeavoring to get it out.

Novice -

you can use the case that comes with the steam deck to support it once the lid is removed

Luis Barbosa (Armored Saint) -

You can get the pry pick inserted easier if you start in the gap for the shoulder buttons. A lego brick separator works well here

Andrew Borsje -

Step 5

If you have a refreshed Steam Deck version with the black motherboard cover, skip this step.
Use a pair of tweezers to remove the piece of foil tape covering the hidden screw on the board shield.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this tape so it can be reused. If necessary, you can fashion a replacement by cutting a piece of aluminum foil tape to fit.

Use some heat here from a hairdryer to make this part easier.

If you screw up here you can replace the little aluminium square with some aluminium tape from Amazon. No less than 50 microns thick, slightly thicker is fine. and the square is 13mm both ways.

Matt S -

Thanks for that Matt, i destroyed the original tape and i had no solution since i read your comment.

Cihan Kocaman -

there are other new version of board shield from 2023.

Gorf Woo -

Is it alright to use the deck without the tape?

Jake -

You should not. This is EM shielding to protect your processor and ram from radio waves in the air

Andrew Borsje -

I found out my 3 Weeks new Steam Deck is a old Version... gg. Valve...

Miller Schiffer -

wenn ich aluminium foile benutze, womit soll ich sie dann verkleben?

Christian Dud -

If we have the new version with the black shield, how do we access the SSD?

James Bennett -

I need this part, does anyone know where to get it?

rolando norica -

Step 6

Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the board shield:
One 3.4 mm screw
Two 3.7 mm screws
Only the two 3.7 mm screws along the left edge are present in refreshed Steam Decks.

The procedure ended here for me, used an ifixit PH 00 bit on the screw behind the aluminium tape, bit wouldnt bite too great, one wrong twist and the screw was stripped. Not sure who or what initially screwed in that particular screw as the rest of the screws on the shield were fine, but boy is it in there tight. So now i have a stripped screw and a botched ssd replacement, don't think valve will let me RMA for this, but i'll give it a try and update accordingly.

Y. van S -

Any updates? Did they let you RMA?

Emanuel Gjoni -

I found one screw to be ridiculously tight too, managed to undo it without stripping thanks to reading your comment beforehand and going extra careful. Not going to lie, it was a tense moment :D

Andy HL -

I think the tendency is to go too small on the screwdriver bits because you're working on small electronics.

I used the PH1 bit on the screw under the foil and the PH0 bit for the two remaining screws without any problems.

Charles Semple -

What does this shield actually do? Some kind of magnetic protection?

Corey Cleric -

if I had to replace the key (R2) and that's it, can I directly remove it or do I have to act here on the motherboard too?

pujattidanny -

have you gotten an answer yet? trying to change mines as well but dont wanna do too much to the deck

briaNN -

button Not key, i’m sorry

pujattidanny -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 PH for these screws with no issue

Luis B -

If only swapping the SSD, it is not necessary to remove the top left 3.7mm screw. The heat shield is flexible enough that you can move it out of the way to access the SSD screw. For me this was necessary as the 3.7mm screw was completely unmovable and quickly stripped.

Scott A -

FYI there is a little pin on the cover that slots into the board. It is located near the top screw. I needed that to be inserted for the cover to go back down properly.

Seth Robinson -

For anyone who may have stripped a 3.7mm screw, Steam Support states it's M1.6 diameter with a 0.35 thread pitch and a 3mm length. Hopefully that'll help anyone trying to locate a replacement screw. Hoping iFixIt can make an internal screws kit as they're kinda hard to find the right one online.

Michael Dyer -

Did valve change the shield recently as my new 64gb deck has a black shield with no hidden screw.

David Alexander Hubbard -

Yes there's a new hardware revision out there that some people are getting. Consider stopping at this point and putting your deck back together if you have one of these new hardware revisions (the fan is quite different as well to the pictures) until iFixit has an updated repair guide.

Simon Meacham -

There are only 2 screws now, but be careful taking the shield off, because there are still thermal pads under it sticking it to a heat pipe.

Rudolfs Skurulis -

Are they m2 3.7mm screws? I am looking to replace mine because they instantly stripped and I had to remove them with needle nose pliers because they were over tightened.

Nick -

I need this piece, can someone help me where can I find it please?

rolando norica -

Step 7

Remove the board shield.
Depending on the age of your Steam Deck, this shield may stick to the thermal pads underneath.
During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn't pinched underneath.

When putting back on, run a pick along the edge of the shield between the wires to make sure nothing is pinching and the wires are clear of the shield before screwing down.

Matt S -

During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn't pinched underneath.

Are you saying that the fan cable should be positioned above the board shield instead of being pressed down by it? Just like the image shows, where it 'lays on the side of the board shield'?

James -

Necesito esta pieza la mía no la traía se ve que se la quitaro

rolando norica -

Step 8

Grip the battery cable by its pull tab and pull it directly away from the motherboard to disconnect it.
Alternatively, use the flat end of a spudger or a clean fingernail to gently push the connector out of its socket, then disconnect it completely by hand.

After fully reassembling my device I found that my battery was not showing any stats anymore. I couldn't start the device without being plugged in, however if I restarted it would stay on even if my power cable was detached. Battery showed 0%. It turns out I had not fully reinserted the battery cable at this stage during reassembly. MAKE SURE YOU PUSH IT ALL THE WAY BACK IN!

Michael Hoffmann -

Awesome thanks for this tip!

petergeranio -

It is helpful to lift up gently with a the tapered end of a spudger underneath the tucked-in portion of the battery cable, creating a bit of flex in the cable before pulling on the pull tab. I found that without doing so, the fabric pull-tab simply tore off of the cable under light-to-moderate force (the fabric itself ripped cleanly across, like a paper towel). Careful, gentle pressure with a spudger can be used to remove the plug by prying gently on the rear ridge of the plastic plug (not the wire!) if this happens.

Gene Eckser - 08/08/22

This is exactly what happened to me. Maybe it was a pull tab previously, mine was a ribbon cable that tore - captured the image here: https://www.ianwootten.co.uk/2022/11/22/...

Ian Wootten -

This was the best approach (and I feel safest for the wiring) for me. Mostly push pressure on the plastic ridge with some minor pull tension on the fabric.

Victor -

I found it less scary and easier to remove the battery connection by using a fingernail on the ridge and pushing it off the connector. I felt like pulling on the battery cable was too harsh.

montgomery mchargue -

Yeah, pulling cables like these is usually ill advice. They might be fine if it's a new device, but for old devices that have been sitting there for years, there's a good chance the connector has grown brittle and the cable might just come off separately (something I learnt the hard way).

skzm -

Upon plugging the battery back in, I found it easy to use two spudgers- one on each side- to pull/push the connector back into it's port. Be careful to not put any pressure on the battery wires themselves.

montgomery mchargue -

When reconnecting the battery cable, you'll know when it's inserted and power is restored, because the white LED will illuminate at the top of the Deck near the power button. You should be able to see it while you're reconnecting the battery cable

Michael Davis -

This is only true if you haven't put the deck into battery storage mode as directed.

Ean Manley -

Why not just let the battery discharge completely and then not have to disconnect it?

Jeffrey Martin -

Completely discharging a battery reduces its lifespan. It's completely unnecessary.

Stefan Camporese (CENTER) - 12/11/22

Because no lipo battery is ever completely discharged -- you would not be able to recharge it if it was. There will always be enough power left in it to cause damage if shorted even if it isn't charged enough to power up the device it's connected to.

David Cameron -

I would personally not recommend pulling the tab. It doesn’t apply force at the correct angle. You should revise these instructions to advise using a combination of pulling on the tab, and careful pressure on the connector towards the right of the mainboard to carefully work it out.

Using the pull tab alone could cause problems if not done extremely carefully.

William Winborne - 09/01/23

This part was wayyyyy easier than I anticipated and I worried for nothing because I used the ifixit spudger to push it out a bit and then I literally used my finger nail and was able to slide it right off. Dont be afraid, its not that difficult and its not that delicate to break if you do it patiently

Luis B - 10/01/23

I inserted the cable very firmly with a spunger, being careful not to press down too hard on the cables, and even tried redoing it, but I don't see any LED illumination. I am now unable to boot the deck into the boot manager. Any additional tips?

junefish -

What is the risk of not unplugging the battery? Just curious!

Nick Hight -

Once I was changing termal paste on my Windows based expensive tablet PC... And I was so scared to disconnect any cables (there was many of them), so I did it all with battery connected (I didn't even knew where is battery cable). When I tried to put board shield back... it didn't go right into needed place... and short circuit some small component. It flashed. That was the end of my repair. Dudies from repair service later told me that multiple components fried including CPU, so repairing is too hard. That's what can happen if you don't disconnect battery.

bugwarlabs - 02/06/23

To pull the battery out I used my spunger, but the batter had actually not space to be pulled out completely. I needed to lift the cable up with the spunger to get the cable fully out. When plugging it in again I had to press the battery down kinda hard so it would fit again. This was really scary and I recommand using two spunger as someone said above.

Dollique -

Does it have to be a clean fingernail?

Steven Murphy -

Step 9

Use a Phillips driver to remove the 3.4 mm screw securing the SSD.

Step 10

With the SSD screw removed, the SSD will pop up at a shallow angle.
Grip the end of the SSD and pull it away from its M.2 board connector to remove it.
During reassembly, insert the SSD at a shallow angle into its board connector, and secure it back into its horizontal position with the SSD screw.

Step 11

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the sticker from the top edge of the fan.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this sticker so it can be reused. Use a little bit of heat if necessary to soften the adhesive.
If the sticker feels like it might tear, use tweezers to peel up one edge just until you can grip it with your fingers, then remove the rest by hand.

It's not super clear from the pictures but you're aiming to remove the black strip, not just the small white square sticker. Use heat and go slowly.

Matt S -

I didnt like using the tweezers for this part because the sticker was so stuck that it felt like using the tweezers was going to rip it. I used the tweezers to lift it a bit and used my finger to gently lift the rest.

Luis B -

You don't need to remove the sticker entirely from the heat sink, just the side where it sticks to the fan. At least on mine, the black sticker was 80% on the heat sink, so it was much easier to just peel off the thin strip from the fan

jamesmiglietta -

If you complete step 10 (removal of heatsink) first you can lift the sticker off of the fan very easily by putting gentle lifting pressure from below the heatpipe. By using the heatpipe to disperse the lifting pressure it reduces the chances of ripping.

I let my steamdeck discharge battery from full to 25% using a high-resource loading screen to apply load (prior to repair), which also had the added benefit of warming all the adhesive in the unit. Made things amazingly easy to work on.

Kyle -

Step 12

For original Steam Decks: Use a Phillips driver to loosen and remove the two screws securing the heatsink to the motherboard:
One captive 3.5 mm screw
One 3.4 mm screw
No, your eyes don't deceive you! The third heatsink screw was removed earlier in the disassembly: it doubles as the hidden board shield screw.
For refreshed Steam Decks: Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the heatsink to the motherboard:
Two 2.9 mm screws
One 3.7 mm screw
During reassembly on both versions, tighten these screws in order (1, 2, 3) as stamped into the heatsink.

Step 13

Lift and remove the heatsink.
Before reinstalling the heatsink, follow this guide to clean the heatsink and APU and reapply thermal paste.

Where i can buy this heatsink?

Savatium -

Whats the heat sink application method??

Thedegen -

Whats the thermal paste application type?

Thedegen -

Step 14

Use a pair of tweezers to grip the edges of the fan connector and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
Pull the fan cable by its connector, not the wires themselves.

Step 15

Use a pair of tweezers to peel up and remove the Wi-Fi shield tape.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this sticker so it can be reused. Use a little bit of heat if necessary to soften the adhesive.

The steam deck looks to be shipping now with an additional plastic sheet adhered to the wifi module meant to better retain the connectors in place, that will have to be removed.

Stephen Micheals -

Is there a link to buy a replacement WiFi shield? I seem to have lost mine while taking it apart. I can't seem find one online by searching "WiFi shield, steam deck".

Allen Michael Ubaldo -

Step 16

Use a pair of tweezers to grip the edges of the speaker connector and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
Pull the speaker cable by its connector, not the wires themselves.

Step 17

The Wi-Fi module is located next to the SSD on refreshed Steam Decks.
Use a pair of tweezers to grip the antenna connector close to its base.
Pull straight up to disconnect the cable.
Repeat for the second antenna cable.
During reassembly, ensure that both antenna cables are reconnected at their appropriate connectors. The labels on the cables match the markings on the Wi-Fi module.
To reconnect each cable, align the connector directly over its socket, and then press down so it snaps into place.

Step 18

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the display cable's ZIF connector.
Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.
Grip the cable by the pull tab, not by the cable itself.

My version has a black flap, so don't think it's not there and pull the connector, instead be careful and the flap will indeed flip up.

dancameron -

Step 19

Refreshed Steam Decks don't have this audio cable. If you have a refreshed version, skip the next three steps.
Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the audio cable's ZIF connector.

FYI the locking flap was not white, but black on my model.

David VanWormer -

On my second revision Deck this was not a ZIF connector, but a insert connector with no locking mechanism.

kei taniguchi -

Step 20

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.
Grip the cable by its pull tab, not by the cable itself.

Step 21

Carefully peel the audio cable off of the battery.
The audio cable is secured to the battery with some light adhesive.
If the adhesive is stubborn, don't force the cable. Lightly heat the audio cable using an iOpener or a hair dryer to soften the adhesive.

Step 22

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the button board cable's ZIF connector.
Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.
Grip the cable by the blue pull tab, not by the cable itself.

Please note, when replacing the button board cable, and when removing the motherboard, there may be adhesive that sticks the DB cable to the ribbon cable underneath it, which is the Interconnect Cable, to the right of the image above.

Since the adhesive will stick that cable to the Interconnect Cable, the DB cable that connects to the BOTTOM of the motherboard may disconnect from its zif connection. You will have to connect the DB cable that connects to the underside of the Steam Deck's motherboard first to ensure the connection from the DB to the button board is established. This can be tested in the BiOS as basic directional pad and A and B buttons should be functional in the BiOS or Recovery Menu.

Opz Sigma -

Step 23

Use a Phillips driver to remove the three 3.7 mm screws securing the motherboard.

I’m stuck at this step, because the two top screws refuse to come loose. I had no issue getting the singular bottom screw out.

CBomb002 -

Same issue here, except the top left screw came out with no issue. The bottom and top right screws don't move at all.

Evander Bailey -

Step 24

Remove the motherboard.
The audio and button board cables attach to the underside of the motherboard with ZIF connectors.

On replacement, check all the way around the motherboard for trapped cables!

Mark H -

Second the above, the DB cable is usually attached to the underside of the motherboard, however due to adhesive that the DB cable is ontop of, when removing the motherboard it can disconnect the DB cable from the motherboard.

Also this is important to make sure that the following aren't inaccessible when re-installing the motherboard:

Heatsink Fan near top-right
MB cable to display near bottom left
Speaker and Wi-Fi cables near bottom right
DB cable that connects underneath Motherboard near bottom left
HD Audio cable underneath Motherboard near bottom right

Opz Sigma -

Peux ton changer le lecteur sd ??

Il est défectueux

d.karimali -

Step 25

Use a pair of tweezers to peel back the sticker covering the display connector.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this sticker so it can be reused. Use a little bit of heat if necessary to soften the adhesive.

Step 26

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the display cable's ZIF connector.
Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.

If the screen is glowing after turning it back on after re assembly but it’s showing blank, did I not reconnect the display correctly or is it something else?

Noah Buller -

I have the same question.Can anyone can help?

Charles Lin -

me too, is it screen problem? do I need to buy it again? anyone can help?

ardhan catch -

Finally I replace the display cable and it's work.

Hey forks,find some new display cable then change it.

Charles Lin -

Step 27

Prepare an iOpener and apply it to the top edge of the display for one minute.
A hair dryer or heat gun may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the Steam Deck—displays and internal batteries are both susceptible to heat damage.

Step 28

Apply a suction cup to the top left corner of the display by pressing down on it to create suction, as close to the edge as possible.
If your screen is badly cracked, covering it with a layer of clear packing tape may allow the suction cup to adhere. Alternatively, very strong tape may be used instead of the suction cup. If all else fails, you can superglue the suction cup to the broken glass.

Step 29

Pull up on the suction cup with strong, steady force to create a gap between the display and the frame.
Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap.
Don't insert the pick more than 1/8 of an inch (~3 mm) or you risk damaging the display panel, ambient light sensor, or fragile cable underneath.

The suction cup simply does not lift up the screen enough to insert the pick - there is no gap. No matter how much heat.

Ebben -

Step 30

Slide the opening pick across the top edge to slice the adhesive.

Step 31

Heat the right edge of the display for one minute.

Step 32

Slide the opening pick down the right edge to slice the adhesive.

Step 33

Heat the bottom edge of the display for one minute.

Step 34

Slide the opening pick across the bottom edge to slice the adhesive.

Step 35

Heat the left edge of the display for one minute.
Slide the opening pick across the left edge to slice the adhesive.

Step 36

Once you have sliced around the perimeter of the display, carefully lift the right edge up, opening it like a book.
Remove the display.

Step 37

During reassembly:
Look over the new display adhesive and match each strip to its respective side of the display.

Step 38

To ensure a good adhesive bond, thoroughly clean all adhesion surfaces.
Remove large chunks of adhesives with the flat end of a spudger or plastic opening tool.
Don't use metal tools, as they can scratch the surface.

Step 39

Use adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol (>90%) to remove any remaining residue. Wipe in one direction with a lint-free cloth or coffee filter until all the adhesive residue is gone.
While isopropyl alcohol is generally safe to use on electronics, they will dissolve certain foam adhesives. Be careful to contain the alcohol when cleaning—don't use too much.
Allow any leftover isopropyl alcohol to completely evaporate before reassembly.

Step 40

Before you peel any liners, locate the surface the sticky side should adhere to.
Once you have a good idea of where the adhesive strip goes, peel off and discard the liner, exposing the adhesive underneath.
Be careful with exposed adhesives. Most of the time, you can't peel and reapply adhesive strips if they're stuck to the wrong spot.

Step 41

Hold the exposed strip by its tabs and carefully line up the edge of the adhesive to the outer edge of display.
Use your old display as a reference for where the new adhesive strips should be applied on the new display’s edges.
Be careful with alignment. Most of the time, you can't peel and reapply adhesive strips if they stick misaligned.
Set the adhesive onto the surface and press firmly with your fingers to set it in place.
Repeat the previous two steps for the three other display adhesive strips.

Adhesive from kit stuck to the inside of the box :(

Beka P -

Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. Please contact our support and we'll get that resolved!

Carsten Frauenheim -

I skewed up the first attempt because my old glass was shattered along that wide side. Couldn't use it as a guide-- my mistake, so I had to get a second set of adhesives, shipping costs and all.

Here's a tip: 3/4 of the sides, the plastic liners mostly go right up to where the monitor sticks out. Very easy, only one place to go basically. However, there is one side that is a little wider than the others, and if you're auto piloting, you might not notice that the plastic liner does NOT fit snug with the part that the monitor sticks out. You need to make sure the adhesive on the edge of the screen, or it won't align.

In an ideal world, the liner would be offset by just the right amount, but alas, it is not. Be extra careful on this step!

Nicholas Graham -

Step 42

Peel off and discard the remaining plastic liners on all four strips, exposing the adhesive underneath.
Repeat for all four display adhesive strips, being careful not to touch any exposed adhesives.

Step 43

Set the new display in place on the midframe and press firmly along the edges for 20-30 seconds to ensure a good adhesive bond.

If you are noticing a lot of backlight bleed, you probably tightened the back panel too tight, or used the wrong size screws. Back them out to reduce backlight bleed.

Daniel Moler -

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 answers community for help.

Author

Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 10/03/20

110978 Reputation

22 comments

Attempted this tonight after smashing the screen on my deck. Easy to follow and worked flawlessly first time. Thank you

Matt Willis - 15/09/22

On peut mettre un autre ecran OLED ou autre ?

lapartdesanges50 -

Non. Le matériel ne prend en charge qu'un écran très similaire ou identique à l'original.

Forge -

This guide is gold standard. Not once did I think “why didn’t they mention this?”

Lenny Zappa -

Woop Woop Fixed my screen after my anker powerbank fell on it

trevor.davis.1990 -

The exact same thing happened to me

Matonater8 -

Thanks for the guide! I just replaced my Steam deck screen. Guide was simple and straight forward

Manni Live -

I did the tutorial to the exact way explained and it’s working perfectly. Thank you kind souls.

Dallas Hall -

Clear and concise. Worked first time with little to no experience working on electronics. Thank you very much!

James Butler -

Super easy to follow, thanks so much! The comments on each step were also super helpful. <3

Jeff Larsh -

Well well well. I've never attempted this sort of repair before. It worked.

I'd say the only addition I'd make is that if the cracks to the screen are deep the screen might detach from the side in pieces. Be careful. Mine popped away with the pick just fine after lots of application of the i Opener but it split and shattered with the cracks.

Also the adhesive on mine was really hard to melt.

Apart from that it was plain sailing. Just be really careful with those stickers. Keep track of the screws and be super careful to watch where they go when reassembling.

Heed ALL the advice about where and how to remove the connectors.

The audio connector was really fiddly so be really careful with the tweezers. And really pay attention to applying the adhesive because it's a one shot thing. It will not peel off if you misalign.

Michael Foster -

Thanks for the guide, it was clear and easy to follow. I was surprised that there was a difference on how my Steam Deck had a plastic cover on the WiFi module that I had to remove in order to get to the antennae. Not sure if that's an older model thing or not, but just a heads up for anyone who runs into it.

GuyLaDouche -

Valve has made some hardware changes to the Deck recently — we're on it! Expect some guide updates soon. In the meantime, happy fixing, and glad it went well!

Carsten Frauenheim -

Replacement worked out great! Really detailed and easy to follow guide! Thanks!

Jonas oh -

Thank you for the great guide! Just finished my screen replacement a while ago and I'm very happy!

Miro Trendafilov -

after having my deck for a week and steam not honoring the warranty, this is my only way forward, thanks ifixit and F U Steam

Scott Healy -

Just finished! Super easy, only problem the back screws were super tight and hard to remove, after that was super simple!

Matonater8 -

My second on this same device, and someone else attempted first. There seems to be an issue with the touch response, as in we didn't get any the first time I fixed it (second replacement overall), hoping this time is the winner, not sure what to do if this fails again, rechecked all the flex's, measured and verified position of all the screws and mapped them on the way out...step by step it should be flawless, but so should the last time, so we'll see.

Rhawr -

Took 4 hours... followed step by step, screen still doesn't power on, unit is on, makes sounds, haptics work... zero image coming out of screen. Correct screen for the model I have.

So far would not recommend...

Marc Chabot -

Hi, I've followed a similar guide to upgrading to the deckhd screen and I get no display appear. I've tried two mb to screen cables, still the same. Am I missing something?

I get haptics, sound and can connect to external display and it all works. The screen is even responding to touch but no image. Any ideas?

Scott Drayton -

Same to me

Did you solve it? Then tell me how to do it

Stardomiya Park -

Hello, smart friends.

My SteamDeck needed the LCD panel replaced and I carefully read your guide to get the job done.

However, as reported earlier, my SteamDeck also stopped displaying images.

The backlight of the LCD panel is lit and HDMI output is enabled.

My SD has a black metal cover and 64GB of ROM.

Do you have any suggestions?

ONO Smire -