All Hands on Deck
Valve has announced that its Steam Deck Repair Centers are now fully operational and anyone encountering any issues with their expensive handheld hardware can now send it away for evaluation and repair — though the publisher was quick to add that you probably would never need to, of course.
“If you encounter an issue and need to send your Steam Deck for repair or replacement, devices will now go to one of our repair centers,” writes Valve in a statement on Steam. “Once there, our team will diagnose the device, repair if needed, then ship the fixed unit back to you.”
If your issue is covered by warranty, then the team will repair your Steam Deck free of charge and whisk it back to you. Should your warranty have expired, then the team will contact you to discuss any issues found with the device and come to an agreement on what is to be done to get the powerful piece of kit fully operational and back in your hands once again. Of course, some problems will not be covered by the free repair scheme.
“If your dog gnaws on your thumbstick and breaks it, this is not covered by warranty,” offers Valve as an example. “Previously your only option was DIY repair, but now you’ll now be able to contact support, who will supply instructions to ship your Steam Deck to one of our repair centers. Our team will take a look and offer to replace and calibrate your thumbstick for a fee.”
So better keep ol’ Fido away from your purchase.
The Steam Deck, essentially a powerful handheld PC, launched earlier this year and has since been rolling out units to its pre-order customers. Valve has handled the launch well for the most part, and has increased the rapidity with which it has been fulfilling its orders over the summer months. If you wish to place your name on the reservation list, or for more details about the hardware, check out the official store page.
