Steam Deck OLED Left Thumbstick Replacement

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the left thumbstick in your Steam Deck OLED. The stick is part of a complete module and needs to be replaced as one unit.

Although the procedure is nearly identical, follow this guide to replace the right thumbstick.

Remember to follow general electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety procedures while repairing your device.

Turn on your Steam Deck and allow the battery to discharge below 25% before starting your repairs, as a charged lithium-ion polymer battery can be dangerous if accidentally punctured.
As an extra precaution, Valve recommends putting your Steam Deck into battery storage mode within the BIOS before starting any internal repairs. Read how to do that here.
Power down your Steam Deck and unplug any cables.
If you have a microSD card installed, make sure to remove it before opening the Steam Deck. If you attempt to remove the back cover with it still installed, it could snap right in half.
During your repair, it can be helpful at times to lay the Steam Deck face-down in its case to protect the thumbsticks and prevent wobble.

Tool used on this step:

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Use a T6 Torx driver to remove the eight 5.8 mm‑long screws securing the back cover.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Insert an opening pick at an upward angle between the back cover and the front shell near one of the triggers.
If you can't insert your pick here, try along the top or bottom edges of the Steam Deck OLED before sliding it toward the handle.
Slide your pick along the edge of the handle to release the clips securing it to the front shell.

Reinsert your pick and slide it along the top and bottom edges until the back cover feels loose.

Grip the unclipped handle and pull it away from the front shell to release the remaining clips.
Remove the back cover.

Grip the battery cable pull tab, located to the left of the battery.
Firmly pull the battery cable straight away from the motherboard shield (toward the battery) to disconnect it.
This bundled cable is fairly stiff. If you're having trouble, re-grip the pull tab close to the head of the connector and gently walk it side-to-side as you pull.
If the cable pull-tab feels fragile or rips during this process, remove the motherboard shield and disconnect the cable using a spudger.
When the battery cable comes free, it might push up on the motherboard shield. Don't worry, as this won't damage anything.

During reassembly:
Use the flat end of a spudger to slide the battery connector into its socket on the motherboard.

During reassembly:
Use your T6 Torx driver to remove the two 3.8 mm‑long screws securing the motherboard shield.
Lift the top edge of the motherboard shield up and flip it over the bottom edge of the frame, away from the motherboard.
Be careful not to crease or strain the cable.

During reassembly, follow this step and the above four steps to reconnect the battery.
In this reassembly step, you'll disconnect the interconnect cable to free the motherboard shield.
Use a spudger to flip up the small white locking flap on the right button board interconnect cable ZIF connector.
Use tweezers or your fingers to grip the cable's pull tab and slide it straight out of its socket to disconnect it.
The pull tab may be labelled C‑R.

Use the point of a spudger to flip up the small locking flap on the left thumbstick ZIF connector.
The pull tab on this connector may be labeled TS.
Use tweezers or your fingers to grip the cable's pull tab and slide the connector straight out of its socket to disconnect it.

Use your T6 Torx driver to remove the three 5.9 mm‑long screws securing the left thumbstick.
During reassembly, hold the Steam Deck OLED off your work surface so it doesn't rest on your thumbstick as you tighten the screws.