Official CAD files and replacement parts challenge the status quo
Valve
Valves Steam Deck has console modders hyped.
For decades, modders have tweaked and enhanced handheld consoles by reverse-engineering each consoles design and hardware.
The Steam Deck challenges that status quo - and its exciting news for the consoles mod scene.
Valve
You could technically yank all the guts out and put it in some other enclosure.
This is an unprecedented perk for the mod community.
Nintendo and Sony have never released CAD files for a handheld console.
Valve
Valves official files should help modders start on the right foot.
The basic Game Gear aesthetic is cool, but I think a clear acrylic case would be really sweet.
And it’s not just hobbyist modders and YouTube creators looking to get in on the action.
This, too, is unprecedented for a major handheld console.
Nintendo and Sony ask customers to send in a console for repair if its defective or damaged.
Readily available replacement parts are helpful if you drop your Deck but also a key for hardware mods.
Hardcore modders can experiment with less fear of permanently damaging the entire unit.
Modders could also use replacement parts to prototype a mod before placing it in the Deck they use daily.
Just looking at the circuit, people are going to be able to test things out, said TheTerk.
Some have even proposed using an eInk display to enhance the Decks battery life.
