Steam Deck and handheld gaming PC repair

Steam Deck, ROG Ally, Legion Go and MSI Claw: sticks, screens, charging, SSD upgrades and data recovery.

What goes wrong

Handheld gaming PCs are small laptops with controllers attached, and we treat them as such. They are carried everywhere, so screens, analogue sticks and USB-C ports take the punishment.

They are also the easiest consoles to recover data from. Each has a standard M.2 SSD that can be removed, read and replaced, although the size of drive that fits varies by model.

Repairs

Analogue sticks and buttons

Drift, worn sticks, triggers and bumpers.

Screens

Cracked glass and failed displays, LCD and OLED.

Charging port

USB-C socket replacement and charging circuit repair.

SSD upgrade

A larger drive fitted, with your system and games copied across.

Battery

Replacement of worn or swollen batteries.

Cooling

Fan replacement and new thermal compound.

Your saves and data

Most Steam games use Steam Cloud, so saves return when you sign in on another device. Games that do not, emulator saves, screenshots and anything in desktop mode exist only on the SSD.

The SSD is removed and read directly. The Steam Deck runs a Linux-based system with its own disk format, which Windows will not show, and that is often mistaken for an empty or dead drive. See SSD data recovery.

Sending a console

Take out any disc or game card, and remove memory cards you want to keep at home.
Send the console itself and its power lead. Controllers are only needed if they are part of the fault.
Box it with at least 5cm of padding on every side. The original box alone is not enough protection.
Add a note with your name, phone number and what the console does. Include your sign-in PIN if one is set.

We collect by insured courier from anywhere in the UK, or you can bring it to the workshop in London SE1. Every repair starts with a free assessment and a fixed price, and carries a 3-month warranty. See console repair prices and how the courier service works.

Common questions

Can any M.2 SSD be fitted to a Steam Deck?

It takes the short 2230 size. Other handhelds take different lengths, and we fit the correct one for your model.

My ROG Ally will not read its microSD card any more. Can that be repaired?

Send it with the card. We check the reader and the card, and recover the card's contents if it has been damaged.

Get a price from a technician

Tell us the make, the model and what has gone wrong. A technician replies with a price and the quickest way to get your laptop to us – normally the same working day.

020 7237 6805

Creative IT workshop
Unit 1, 80 Willow Walk, London SE1 5SY
Monday to Saturday, 9am–6pm