Skip to main content

Valve reveals Steam Deck internals, showing how hard it is to upgrade

The Steam Deck is Valve’s hotly-anticipated Switch-like handheld, and we finally have a look at the console’s internal hardware. As originally reported by videocardz.com, Valve has released an official teardown video showing the components and how to replace some of the more prominent parts.

Well, it’s not a teardown video in the traditional sense. The video mainly shows users how to replace the thumbsticks and the SSD, but it gives a great look at the components overall. The video also claims that it is showing why users shouldn’t do this on their own.

Per the video:

“…It’s why you really shouldn’t do this video. That’s because, even though it’s your PC…the Steam Deck is a very tightly designed system.”

So take that as you will. The video takes some time explaining why you really, really shouldn’t do take the console apart on your own, but at roughly the two-minute mark, we finally get a look at the inside.

A closeup of the Steam Deck teardown showing the exposed SSD and heat sink.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

To the right is the battery, and to the left is an outer shield that covers the SSD and the AMD Van Gogh APU. In the center is a fan, but the rest of the cooling system (including the heat sink) is below the outer shield. You’ll notice that all of this is very tightly packed together.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

The narrator reminds viewers that an off-the-shelf SSD could affect power consumption and other components. Once the outer shield is removed, we get a look at what is probably the APU underneath it (though the narrator doesn’t mention it).

The APU (AMD’s name for a CPU/GPU combo) is the big selling point of the Steam Deck. It’s like integrated graphics on steroids. The chips found in the Xbox One X and PS5 are built on the same architecture. The Steam Deck obviously won’t be able to deliver that kind of performance. There just isn’t enough space for all the cores. However, early tests have shown that makes it for a pleasant gaming experience on the Steam Deck’s 720p display.

While the Steam Deck won’t win any awards for repairability, it’s definitely cool to take a look at what’s running under the hood. The first Steam Decks will be shipping out this December to early backers.

Editors' Recommendations

Caleb Clark
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Caleb Clark is a full-time writer that primarily covers consumer tech and gaming. He also writes frequently on Medium about…
If I’m not supposed to smell the Steam Deck vents, why do they smell so good?
Someone smelling the fumes from the Steam Deck.

Candles? No. Potpourri? Not for me. Essential oils? They aren't that essential. The only thing that can soothe my olfaction is the sweet smell of the Steam Deck vents. It's the smell of burning plastic, the sweet and honey-like aroma of ozone, and the sense of dead brain cells.

But now, here's Valve saying I shouldn't smell my Steam Deck vents. Steam support is saying to "please refrain from this behavior for the safety of your health." That's even after Steam support told Reddit user Metapod100 that it "understands that it may be a meme." I guess you shouldn't smell your Steam Deck vents, at least if you want to follow Valve's official guidance.

Read more
What reviews didn’t say about the Steam Deck OLED
The Steam Deck OLED on a pink background.

The Steam Deck OLED is a complete refresh of the original model. It packs the same power under the hood, but Valve touched nearly every part of the OLED model to improve on an already stellar design. We have the device in our hands now, and it has a few notable changes that go beyond performance and specs.

Our own Steam Deck OLED review is live, but we wanted to focus in on six unique aspects of the device you wouldn't find in a typical review.
The fan is new (and way better)

Read more
Steam Deck OLED fixes the worst part of Valve’s handheld
Valve's Steam Deck OLED.

Valve just announced the Steam Deck OLED, which is an updated model of the original Steam Deck featuring a new OLED screen. Unlike the previous model, Valve is only selling two versions of the Steam Deck OLED, one with 512GB of storage and another with 1TB of storage for $550 and $650, respectively.

Although the OLED screen is the star of the show, Valve is making some upgrades elsewhere, too. The new design is now based on a 6nm APU, as opposed to the 7nm APU in the previous model, and it supports Wi-Fi 6E. The previous model only supported Wi-Fi 5.

Read more