Viewer Tries to Fix His Own Steam Deck - It Didn't Go Well

Viewer Tries to Fix His Own Steam Deck - It Didn't Go Well... A viewer named Kyle dropped his Steam Deck and then noticed the bumpers weren't working. He tried to fix them himself by using Xbox One controller buttons but couldn't get the buttons working again. So I bought the Steam Deck for $300 so I could make a video seeing if I can get it repaired.
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[@estrabetenovomultilaser1936]

Respect for you not mocking the guy who attempted fixing it, it's one of my pet peeves when KZbinrs mock the guy who tried fixing it

[@Tronicsfix]

I applaud anyone who gives it their best. I do mock people who call themselves "repair shops" and then do stuff like this without making it right with the customer.

[@VintageCR]

Same! what good will it do though, giving a bunch of pointers but explaining it in a negative way(mocking). it's not giving the previous person a good vibe. While on the topic, the previous guy did his absolute best before he decided to put down his soldering iron. He fought with honor and was SMART to stop before things could potentially get worse. and being smart always wins.

[@penguiin12]

yeah i see this a lot on car/powersports channels. they go meet some random person to buy some new project machine, tell the guy all their socials then really rip into them when they get the thing home. like, why would you do that? thats so rude when the person is probably gonna watch the video lol

[@elyzky1]

​@@TronicsfixPlease what's the name of the instrument that you use in your iPhone screen repair video to transfer old iPhone screen details to the new screen before installation?

[@lukedavis436]

Yeah I've been mocked for trying to become a repair tech, i may only fix E-waste devices, have crap tools and not much experience... But we all start somewhere right?

[@lbdjthethird1240]

I can appreciate one who tries to repair something themselves but knows when it is time to hand it over to the seasoned hand. This stuff is not easy to do even though you make it look like a walk in the park.

[@Tronicsfix]

Yep, you have to know your limits and when it's time to call it quits.

[@Ashismohapatra278]

Well I've been watching his channel for so long that I've noticed that he's got nice and steady hands and good equipment with longtime experience

[@lbdjthethird1240]

@@Ashismohapatra278 Yeah for sure he has developed that steady hand. I heard him recently say he used to be in the repair business but just does content creation for all of us now (which btw, THANK YOU FOR DOING). Dude both literally and figuratively has the hands of a surgeon, know what I mean.

[@Gatorade69]

Watching these videos and others they make it look so easy but you also have to realize they have TONS of experience to make it look that easy.

[@Gatorade69]

​@@lbdjthethird1240I mean technically this is electronic surgery. That's my problem is my hands aren't steady at all.

[@SiggyPony]

The original owner got so close to fixing it 😅😅 I hope they continue and get better :) its really important to be able to fix your own things I think.

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes! They almost had it

[@Dj1Crook]

which is where right to repair should be easily accessible for everything

[@captainp.2721]

Absolutely, it's a must have skill in life. A man should be well versed in fixing things. Not necessarily deep stuff, but basic things. Cars, bikes, a chair etc. Important life skill for sure.

[@HardWhereHero]

@@Tronicsfix Dont they make the PCB with the button attached already? Could have swore I seen em on AE.

[@bowserpeach-eater8311]

@HardWhereHero I don't think so valve won't even sell them to ifixit, apparently the board must be configured at the factory according to them, there is definitely used ones out there but people are often asking 150$ for it, and also there is two different daughterboard model revisions and you have to get the right one for your steam deck

[@Bulk_eats]

I hope the original owner continues to practice and improve their repair skills. We all make mistakes, but correcting them is very satisfying!

[@donaldino4669]

Mister Porter, watching you trying to repair stuff, trial and error, making assumptions why it doesn't work, trying again and failling, keeping your cool, explaining what you think is the next step and continuing until resolution and sometimes a "yeah it works!" is one of the most relaxing stuff there is lately on youtube. Thanks for sharing those good vibes with us.

[@paladingeorge6098]

Its nice to know that even if you weren't able to fix the buttons, you can always replace the module itself with an OEM part. Im glad Valve made OEM parts available for sale.

[@senpailonestarr2787]

This part isn’t available at ifixit.

[@Ryan_DeWitt]

Steve makes it look so easy! I can micro solder too! Will take me 5 minutes. 2 hours later, "oh crap, I really F'ed this up." Maybe I should have practiced first on some electronics I don't care about.

[@Tronicsfix]

Lol, it takes some practice

[@lenorkhide2873]

I really liked how you were describing some of the issues you were having and why you switched to different irons. I also really liked just the talking through of some of the technique to what you were doing. Seems like a subtle change to the normal format. I really like it

[@lenorkhide2873]

Same with the descriptions of chasing the grounding issue and what conformal coating is for

[@Tronicsfix]

Yes, I’m trying to do that a bit more

[@captaincrunch1707]

I bought a cheap $10 case just because of your prior video on damaged(dropped) deck bumpers. The case has a raised edge that’s higher than the bumper so it will take the brunt of a fall instead of the delicate bumpers.

[@Tronicsfix]

That’s a great idea!

[@TemptationS666]

I have NOTHING but the utmost respect and appreciation for you TronixFix! A TRUE modern day Tech Hero.... When companies don't want us to be able to fix our own devices and contribute to the "just buy a new one" mentality.... THANK YOU for uploading these videos and showing people (maybe if not always super in depth) how to repair or at least ATTEMPT to repair their devices

[@dadrunkcanadianlive440]

Watching soldering & stuff is super interesting. I love taking things apart & putting things back together. I only do minor cosmetic changes & it’s fun to do.

[@blutey]

You're very patient and methodical with your fixes. Good job on figuring that one out in the end!

[@glutentag5853]

It's crazy how well controlled your fingers are, I can't hold anything without shaking. Also it always shocks me when I see the size of your finger against the electronics

[@Tronicsfix]

I’m actually pretty shaky. It’s all about positioning and support

[@TimInertiatic]

@@Tronicsfix good to know. Next time I have a broken electronics thing I want to give it a go, but I have proper shaky hands 😁

[@DeepThought420]

You're a true Superhero to all of us gamers! Thank you for another awesome video! 🎉🎉🎉

[@Tronicsfix]

My pleasure!

[@keithdavison2960]

Just a quick note I have been looking for a how to video for a console task and KZbin has some very dumb people trying to explain things they clearly don’t know, then I found you and your channel and a Video explaining exactly what I needed and you articulated how to as well as the pitfalls in less than 3 minutes, thank you so so so much you rock

[@Goldrush1988]

Ive started buying broken retro consoles thanks to watching you're videos. Its so much fun bringing them back to life. Now to bring myself to start selling them. They have entered my collection and its difficult to part ways with them now lol.

[@gokublack8342]

I've fixed some Xbox Ones a PS4 and a Wii (Ig Wii is the only really Retro one) but part of me always wanted to try to fix a gamecube(Such a fan of those) have you ever revived a Gamecube?

[@Goldrush1988]

@@gokublack8342 No I haven't but I did buy one recently so I will in the near future.

[@capsel22]

kudos to anyone who tries to fix their own kit. I honestly thought that person did a pretty good job, better than I would have.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Much respect, man. Even with a microscope I probably would have just begged Valve support for an exchange like I did when the power button on my Deck no longer aligned with the switch underneath. Those pads are part of a huge ground plane and without any thermal relief spokes, and I've learned the hard way that these are a huge pain to solder to.

[@Saadi_Lyfe]

Loved the video and the diagnostics we get to learn from you... thanks 😊

[@bryans8656]

I never tire of watching you troubleshoot and fix gadgets.

[@ashhks]

Hey Steve, I'm a big fan of your channel and videos! Thank you very much for all your efforts. I think it would be fun to see you try to fix some steering wheels. Wish you all the best my friend 🙏

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

Nice fix. Shoutout to Kyle for trying! 17:19

[@rairai5114]

I'm not into fixing stuff, or even engineering, but I find your videos fascinating!

[@CBarker151]

Great video as always. The microscope output really helps see what is going on, but hides the truse scale of what you are doing, until a finger comes into view!

[@TheNeoMassacre]

Steve the Perfect Amount of Thermalpaste on that Steamdeck would make it even more Perfect.

[@Tronicsfix]

Lol, true

[@CreatingArt3185]

Props to the original owner for giving it a go plenty of people would’ve just chucked it in the bin 🗑️

[@srbnat]

I hope those people will tell me their address

[@Tomazack]

No one's that stupid unless they're filthy rich. It usually ends up as a scam on eBay or sold for parts on eBay if the seller is honest.

[@furqanbangash]

This is very satisfying to watch.. keep them coming...

i tought it wouldn't work, but you are the best! great job!

[@patterisepi]

Your workmanship is usually top notch so when the solder joints on this one are tiny bit crooked I noticed it immediately :)

[@Touch_Grass_Fr]

Another day fixing stuff Great work!

[@Tronicsfix]

Thanks 👍

[@2dthoughts]

$300 for broken electronics seems crazy, even knowing 100% you can fix it

[@TheFallingFlamingo]

To be fair, it was only two buttons that were broken. Those account for a fraction of a fraction of the MSRP of a Steam Deck. The device was still totally usable, it was in good condition, and, very importantly, it was easily repairable by the *buyer.* Even if the buttons hadn't been fixed, one could still attach a Bluetooth controller, a keyboard/mouse, or remap the buttons in SteamOS software.

[@brucepreston3927]

He bought it for content, and will make back way more than he paid by making a video on it...Most people wouldn't pay that much if they were trying to flip it or something...

[@2dthoughts]

@@brucepreston3927 i understand why he bought, but not a reasonable ask in my opinion from the seller

[@Xelief]

@@2dthoughts Nothing wrong with Tronics giving him a bit of a break

[@mobrocket]

​@@TheFallingFlamingo I don't understand what you are saying The point is $300 for a broken steam deck is high, when a new one is $399 Granted he does it for content, so he will easily make that back and after the resell of it

[@ExperimentalCreat0r]

I love this channel so much, it made me learn abt consoles, how 2 fix, etc. And now i wish i had my ps1 back so i could open it

[@bigdawghoss9871]

Can confirm. I'm rather seasoned with electronics repair. And swapping out the buttons for the steam deck was tough. The screws are very delicate and tend to strip easily. And the power connectors for each control board module break so easily. I was so gentle with them and one cracked. Luckily half remained and i secured it with Kapton tape. But i definitely don't plan on cracking it open again unless absolutely necessary

[@DCstar]

I think it’s nice that the person tried to fix this on their own but practice makes perfect.

[@mtshark7]

Nicely done Steve!

[@MahmoudYahyaoui]

Small mistake not testing continuity on the button before assembly :p great video as always

[@bringingbackthegore]

This was an especially informative video. I always like watching trace repairs! Can you please tell me which digital microscope you use? I see you listed the Omano model on your Amazon lists page but I don't see the microscope with the screen that I've seen you use. Thanks so much for the help and videos!

[@flyinryanfpv]

I'm jealous! That's a great deal!! Cheers Mate 🍻

[@justinc9991]

Micro-soldering is not your best friend BUT u fixed and that’s a huge win! GL!

[@digitaldonovin1189]

I dropped mine within the first few months of owning my deck. My bumper would not reach the button. But instead of removing it and soldering it like 1 or 2 mm higher. I just got a tiny piece of paper and folding it to create a bridge between the bumper and button.

[@Tronicsfix]

Great idea! the bumpers get damaged a lot because of drops.

[@Dragoncb456]

I think the problem you had with the first button repair was that the pad was grounded already on the board prior to you soldering the button back on I still saw solder connecting the far left and center pads. But that is just a theory. Though, good thinking on raising that pin and just routing around the pad. Love your videos, oddly satisfying to watch especially with the soldering.

[@RGInquisitor]

I did a similar "repair" on my own Steam Deck. The right bumper came from factory with no "clickyness" to it. It still worked fine, however I hated how the left bumper was all nice and clicky and the right one was all mushy. After watching a previous video of yours, I bought some Nintendo DS Lite microswitches and swapped out the right bumper myself. It went great! However, now I have a different issue.... the left bumper is not as clicky as the replacement!

[@marceloabreu669]

Seu trabalho é espetacular.. parabéns...

[@ztechrepairs]

Dang glad the gent stopped when he did. That repair could have been a lot worse lol.

[@gabe2252]

I love the steamdeck repairs the most.

[@ItsHyomoto]

Good lesson here: channels like this can give you confidence and advice, but Tronix also does it for a living as well as has dedicated tools for it. It definitely isn't as easy as he makes it look!

[@JimNichols]

Drank too much coffee this morning didn't you Steve? lol.... Great video bro! As usual the scripting, editing and videography is dead on the money.

[@virgildeklerk]

Very nice fix Steve, i know how hard this is, i've replaced a xbox one controller micro usb port with trace repair ones pfffff so difficult but i was succesful. Keep up the great videos

[@brucepreston3927]

I'm learning how to replace those small ports myself, and it has been much more difficult than I thought it would be...I don't have the best tools, but i've managed to successfully replace 10 or so of them...I really need to get a microscope though!

[@Tronicsfix]

Nice work!

[@deanhayashi5299]

I’ve been binging your videos…and I don’t know why. I used to sell electronics at Sears. So I have some basic knowledge. Also in trying to sell protection agreements I’m glad to know when mother boards go bad they can be expensive to replace. Because that was part of my sales pitch 😅

[@SApcProSergijAleksovski]

Wow, such a hard job. Congrats!

[@Tronicsfix]

Thanks!

[@yassine1806]

👍thank you for the inspiration

[@outfield1988]

I like low melt solder when desoldering. I am addicted to it

[@DanielMcGeary]

Such a dope channel.

[@matemagyar9446]

I tend to forget how small these things are.. I was wondering why did you bother/struggle with the mask, then you put your finger there , and I realized how small place was there.. maybe it’s just me , but it’d be wonderful if you sometimes zoom out to “real life” so we can see how precise you have to be. Keep up the good work, love your vids and your mentality!

[@OperationDecoded]

I suspected a short first but then when I thought you fixed it (and so did you) it turned out it didn't need to be connected the way it did but how did you know that in the first place? It was not just guessing I assume?

[@robertpage2023]

I could see that the pin area on the left had solder still spread into the middle pin area. Get a grinding pen and grind a trench between those two pins. That solder mask only coated the touching solder. Once you get that trench ground out, THEN add the solder mask. OR solder mask all under the middle pin to insulate that middle terminal from the left side.

[@fireteamomega2343]

That would work on a non layered board but with that you risk grinding into the next layer and hitting a trace. Some boards are twenty layers deep.

[@CooLDEaFY4204Me]

Wow good job Steve Impressive work

[@Tronicsfix]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed.

[@CooLDEaFY4204Me]

Yea bro :

[@1998LeonSKennedy]

At the moment I saw the almost inexistent pin I thought "Why don't you just cover the whole pad and use the wire directly into the button?" Guess that was really the perfect solution XDXD Amazing to see and guess on these repairs.

[@isaaccervantes5955]

We have right to fix , sometimes w just get it wrong . Glad you could help him out

[@Sanadis]

How easy is it to removal the conformal coating if the button ends up getting broken again? Just thinking of future proofing if someone had to DIY replace a component that was coated by a previous repair.

[@Hectic_Times]

I have never worked on electronics in my life besides replacing batteries in the remote, still completely entertained by this.

[@grantrule6593]

Amazing Video Steve

[@Tronicsfix]

Thanks!

[@xrhaiden7849]

What kind of trace wire do you use? I’m looking to purchase one of those pencils, but can’t seem to find it. Thanks in advance!

[@vadnegru]

Valve actually made a good job making this much test pads. If there are schematic freely available it would make any repairs easy.

[@JhustineProvido]

loved this video!

[@mongo6167]

I never think that the stuff your soldering is that small until I see a finger come into the screen and it’s massive!🤣

[@Milkex]

About to do this on my deck. PLEASE would you tell me what temp and airflow you used on your heatgun? Thanks!

[@nhand42]

I reckon that middle "pad" was actually the ground plane. It was far too close to the neighbouring pads to be from-factory. The previous owner probably scraped through the original middle pad and exposed the ground plane.

[@LightPhoenix7000]

On that left trigger button, maybe it didn't show as well on camera but it looked like the left leg's pad had excess solder over the mask. I wonder if that was causing a bridge there rather than any issues with your wire soldering.

[@Tronicsfix]

That's possible.

[@effingandjeffing8270]

Yeah look at 8:25 it's joined the the corner of the next pad.

[@richardbriansmith8562]

Awesome video Tronicsfix Awesome steam Deck Fix Tronicsfix.

[@James-gj8rn]

I've never seen inside of a Steam Deck so this will be interesting (and for the record i love mine, paired with my PC build) :)

[@HxCxDxE]

I really want to get into fixing things like this what gear would you recommend for a total beginner?

[@aparidaewithaclue3267]

crazy repair!

[@MikeGervasi]

Is the red conformal you put on not UV activated? Or did you pull a fast one and use red nail polish?

[@aerodigital]

Spills are a friggin nightmare for these things. You can fix them, they will work, but getting the button feels back to the original is very hard. Didn't know the Xbox switches would fit, going to order a handful of those! Of course going to use a heat station to repair so no ripped pads. Don't get junk in your touch pads, those are on the bottom and you have to remove everything including the screen to clean it thoroughly. Nice video!

[@gsuberland]

Looks like the initial repair attempt cut the soldermask off the top layer and found a buried ground via under the pad, and assumed that was the connection point. Not entirely surprising on HDI boards.

[@M1H1yt]

People try fail but tronicsfix never fails at tech

[@NimerHassan]

You are the best ❤️

[@TimidSylveon]

I honestly don’t blame him! I tried jumping deep into complex repairs early on too when I started and ended up burning a hole through an Elite Controller PCB 😅. We all start somewhere, though! You learn from these mistakes and it’s better to try and save an electronic rather than what most would do: bin it and cause eWaste…

[@Tronicsfix]

Yep, sometimes you learn best by just jumping in

[@mangakey]

Damn this channel really blew up I remember joining back when it had less than 100k subs...

[@sebastiendube9487]

Hey do you fix power sipplies for desktops?

[@isaak3267]

My fav KZbin channel

[@jimmymyers]

Would love to see you try to fix a broken microsd slot on a ROG Ally. Mine fried itself and i had to return it.

[@Tronicsfix]

I’d love to! I’m watching for broken ones

[@Xmifi_]

Would you do a video on all the tools you use like the magnifying camera and share some tips?

[@Tronicsfix]

Great idea! Might have to do that sometime

[@GrenPara]

I have watched up to 12:41 of the video and have not yet seen if it is fixed. But I am wondering if you tested the button to make sure it works using multimeter? That would have been first thing I did before soldering it onto the board. Even totally new items I received for repairs get a quick test to make sure it works before it is even attempted to install.

[@smiddy0000]

Skipping the video to the end is not that difficult, way faster than typing a reaction ;)

[@IcanMixx]

Hi first of all I am a big fan next I have a question regarding playstation 5 I recently changed the HDMI port because it was broken and by accident I lost a capacitor that was in between the 19th and 18th pin it was a 100nf will it be a problem for the HDMI to work? Really looking forward to your reply thank you in advance

[@12345.......]

I respect the effort by Kyle. Worst case scenario, it still needs to be fixed.

[@Tronicsfix]

Yep. He was so close!

[@MrChuk99]

Hi, can you do same repair but for DS lite shoulder button. I being trying to see an expert doing that but no one have a video about that

[@thiago4santos]

Guys this skill isn't like screwing some screws, it seems easy because he is a professional. You will break your electronics if you try to do this without experience.

[@virusfr33]

What brand of magnet wire are you using? I wanna get something better than I'm using ATM.

[@XDFilip968]

Hi just asking how do you fix my cintroler one of my buttons don’t work and I have to slam it for it to work could u please help?

[@daveykeogh]

Is it worthwhile lifting the legs of the switch, or snipping them on in situ before trying to remove the switch (If you don't have a hot air station)? Once the switch is gone you can remove the remnants... I hate removing bulky switches from PCBs.

[@truthhurts3524]

I’d like to think I could fix it myself, but know I’d just mess it up even more. After saving up $$ to buy one, I’m super careful with my deck, fingers crossed it stays just like new. 🤞🏽

[@user-oi4eg7rq8w]

The surgeon of electronics

[@mavowar72]

Hope your health is getting better Steve

[@timgonzalez1108]

I used my Razr until I got an iPhone 4S. Still love the design

[@Cabeza492]

I have a great respect for your work so I don't know if I should say this, but I think that you probably try using a thinner wire to do jumpers on broken traces. It works better for me, but hey... you are the real expert, and many of us must admit that we learn a lot from you. Thanks Steve, regards from Argentina!

[@MoRatzzz]

Where do i find the Soilder Wire? 8:36 Or what is it called?

[@eramires]

Imagine having a robot arm that can move smooth and precise at that level of magnitude, for repairs like these? would be awesome ^^

[@creativename3217]

I have watched your videos for years and I’ve always wanted to do this, so I decided to buy a broken Nintendo switch for parts, and calculated my earnings. Is there anything you can suggest to newbie’s?