Steam Deck LCD batteries stay on sale at iFixit

Valve says iFixit will continue selling Steam Deck LCD replacement batteries after all, reversing fears that the handheld’s most critical repair part was already being phased out.

As of 5PM ET, Valve told The Verge:

“We just confirmed with iFixit that they plan to have batteries back in stock by next week.”

Boyle added that iFixit will keep receiving the same OEM parts sourced through Valve’s partners as before. The concern began after a Reddit post suggested Valve was ending replacement batteries and screens for the original Steam Deck LCD. Earlier in the day, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens confirmed to The Verge that the company had heard the same thing.

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By the afternoon, though, the situation had changed. Wiens said Valve and iFixit had found a path forward through a supplier, and said iFixit would pursue an aftermarket source if Valve ever sunsets the part later.

“I want people to know we are going to find a way to get batteries for these things.”

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Wiens described Valve as “a really great partner” and suggested the issue may have come down to forecasting demand for replacement parts. Make too few and you run out; make too many and inventory sits unused.

The battery’s future likely has little to do with upcoming EU rules on user-replaceable batteries. Those rules take effect for new devices in February 2027, but they should not affect the Steam Deck LCD, which Valve stopped selling last December. The Verge also notes that while some US right-to-repair laws require parts support for a set number of years, many explicitly exclude game consoles.

Even when available, the Steam Deck battery is not an easy repair. As iFixit noted in 2022, the battery is heavily glued into the frame, so removing it requires carefully loosening adhesive to avoid damage or even fire. Valve designers told The Verge in a 2022 interview that they were not fully satisfied with that adhesive choice. Wiens said newer shock-to-release glues exist, but are often too expensive for original devices, even if they might make sense later as an aftermarket upgrade.