Original Steam Deck can last years, but battery and parts support set limits, Engadget says

The report said rumors of a Steam Deck 2 continue and that a RAM crisis has hit the current model, likely making any successor more expensive. Four years after the original Deck arrived, the handheld PC market it helped spawn has grown, with devices such as the MSI Claw 8 EX pushing boundaries the original Deck cannot match, according to Engadget. Even so, the publication said the original model remains useful for players willing to accept compromises.

Battery wear is one of the most likely reasons an original Deck will need attention, Engadget reported. iFixit rates battery replacement as difficult because the battery is firmly glued in place; DIY owners are advised to watch multiple videos before deciding whether to attempt it. Owners who do not want to repair the device themselves can open a support ticket with Valve to find out the cost, then compare that with the price of a new handheld. Because the Steam Deck OLED and competitors have become more expensive amid the RAM crisis, paying Valve to fix an original Deck may be the better move, the report said.

Engadget also described a July 2026 scare among Steam Deck LCD owners. A Reddit thread shared an iFixit support reply saying the company had no immediate plans to restock OEM Steam Deck LCD batteries, and an iFixit staffer confirmed in comments that Valve was "just starting to sunset these parts," according to the report. Valve later said it would keep supplying batteries, and iFixit said it would source aftermarket batteries if that changed. When stock returned, the price of replacement batteries rose from $80 to $130, the report said; iFixit currently offers an aftermarket battery for $80. Valve has not made long-term commitments for other parts, including the screen.

Other hardware repairs may be easier, according to the report. Thumbsticks can be replaced relatively easily without soldering, and iFixit sells replacements for $40 each. The SSD can be removed with a single screw and the fan with a few more; triggers, button input boards and the display require more work, while the USB-C port, microSD port and battery are the hardest components to swap. Engadget said a hardware failure does not immediately mean the end of the line, and several repair options may be better than buying an expensive new handheld.

On software, the report said the original Steam Deck LCD is in better shape. Valve no longer sells the LCD model but still supports it with software updates, and the device runs the same software as the Steam Deck OLED, which Valve still sells. The handheld is also part of a larger Valve ecosystem that includes the Steam Machine, a new Steam Controller and Steam Frame, giving Valve extra incentive to keep the ecosystem running smoothly, Engadget reported.

Engadget said the Deck’s processor, GPU and 16GB of RAM likely put a lower ceiling on its longevity than Valve’s support. The device struggles with demanding modern games such as Control Resonant, but many developers still optimize games for the handheld, and there is a wealth of supported titles. Indie games, retro games through emulation or native play, older AAA titles and streaming from a PC, Steam Machine or cloud service can keep giving owners plenty to play. Unless their tastes lean toward the latest GPU-intensive releases, owners are likely to run into battery or other hardware problems before running out of games, the report said.

Editor's Summary Engadget reported that the original Steam Deck LCD can remain useful for years for indie games, older titles and emulation, but battery wear and uncertain long-term parts support are the main constraints. Valve continues software support for the LCD model, while repair options range from self-replacement to Valve service. Owners face a trade-off between repair costs and buying a newer handheld.