Steam Deck SSD Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim

Comments: 90

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the SSD in your Steam Deck.

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

These steps only describe how to physically remove and replace your SSD. You will need additional software tools and procedures to install an OS and get the replacement SSD to function as intended.

Follow Valve's Steam Deck recovery instructions to recover, repair, or re-image your Steam Deck's SSD with SteamOS. For installing Windows, official resources can be found here.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

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 break in half.
During your repair, it can be helpful to lay the Steam Deck face-down into its case at times to protect the thumbsticks and prevent wobble.

Step 2

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:
Four 9.5 mm screws
Four 5.8 mm screws
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your Steam Deck.

there should be a picture of the SD card slot at the start of every Steam Deck teardown. i know the note is there but i generally use the pictures to guide me and forgetting to remove the SD card is a very critical step

Nathan Barrow -

I agree, I just broke mine...

Camille B -

What is the the #1 philips used for? Only the #0 is mentioned in the instructions.

Christopher Martin -

I wish they would specify which size to use for which screws.

Mark D -

I found it easiest to use a PH1 for the red screws, and PH0 for the rest (including the internals.)

Chris Clawson -

Be careful you can strip the screws take your time

I use PH00 bit

jaybush74 -

I used the PH1 bit for this. You can use smaller bits but ideally there should be no play of the bit in the screw head.

Charles Semple -

are there playstation replacements (circle,square,cross,triangle)

Deór -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 size for the screws on the back.

Luis B - 10/01/23

I've completed the guide and found it very helpful!

I think somewhere in this part it would be helpful to name the size of the correct Phillips driver to use:

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:

Four 9.5 mm screws

Four 5.8 mm screws

Maynard -

Step 3

Insert an opening pick into the thin gap between the back cover and the front shell, along the edge of the right grip.
Pry up on the back cover to release it from the locking clips.

I found it easiest to start this process at the top of the device near the fan exit.

Peter Lindberg -

second that and inserting the pick in the bottom middle and sliding the pick to each side

Sub -

I also found the top near the fan exit to be easier

Travis Patton -

Thank you for this tip, it definitely was easy starting at the top instead of by the bumper/triggers. After I opened the top I did the bottom and then it was way easier to gently open the sides. be very careful and go slowly to make sure that none of the clips are damaged

Luis B -

same; i pried from the top of the screen area. I was unable to find an opening on the side

Dennis Wu -

I also started from the middle of the deck and worked my way out since I couldn't get a grip with the pick on the deck's side grips. Since this is a common step for pretty much all guides for opening the deck I think it's also worth noting that you should be careful not to bend the trims/seams where the front and back covers meet with the pick. When I first opened my deck you can definitely see where I nudged the pick in between the covers since I was probably using too much force on the pick itself.

Kaleb McKone -

It would be useful to note here that if you want to insert the little blue triangular iFixit opening picks into the right side along the edge, there isn't actually a gap as the directions say, at least not on newer Decks. You'll be making the initial gap using the pick. Brace it on something because you will need to use enough downward force that you're flexing the pick a bit and it'll probably be digging into the skin of a bare hand. With enough force suddenly it will make a click and go in just a bit, and then you're in business.

CaptFrost -

plastic picks didnt work for me but finger males did the job on prying this open

jacobbagsic -

I found it easiest to open starting with R1 or L1 buttons and proceeding to the center of the top edge

Karol Gro -

Step 4

Once the clips are disconnected from one edge, the rest disconnect easily.
Grip the back cover at the opening you just created and pull it up and away from the device to unclip the long edges.
Remove the back cover.

If you have an SD card, you will want to take it out. I followed the guide and didn't think about the SD card I had inside. When I went to snap the case back on it clapped shut on the exposed SD card, shearing it in half and leaving the bottom half stuck in the SD card slot. I am still endeavoring to get it out.

Novice -

Step 5

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the piece of foil tape covering the hidden screw on the board shield.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this tape so it can be reused. If necessary, you can fashion a replacement by cutting a piece of aluminum foil tape to fit.

Use some heat here from a hairdryer to make this part easier.

If you screw up here you can replace the little aluminium square with some aluminium tape from Amazon. No less than 50 microns thick, slightly thicker is fine. and the square is 13mm both ways.

Matt S -

Step 6

Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the board shield:
One 3.4 mm screw
Two 3.7 mm screws

The procedure ended here for me, used an ifixit PH 00 bit on the screw behind the aluminium tape, bit wouldnt bite too great, one wrong twist and the screw was stripped. Not sure who or what initially screwed in that particular screw as the rest of the screws on the shield were fine, but boy is it in there tight. So now i have a stripped screw and a botched ssd replacement, don't think valve will let me RMA for this, but i'll give it a try and update accordingly.

Y. van S -

Any updates? Did they let you RMA?

Emanuel Gjoni -

I found one screw to be ridiculously tight too, managed to undo it without stripping thanks to reading your comment beforehand and going extra careful. Not going to lie, it was a tense moment :D

Andy HL -

I think the tendency is to go too small on the screwdriver bits because you're working on small electronics.

I used the PH1 bit on the screw under the foil and the PH0 bit for the two remaining screws without any problems.

Charles Semple -

What does this shield actually do? Some kind of magnetic protection?

Corey Cleric -

if I had to replace the key (R2) and that's it, can I directly remove it or do I have to act here on the motherboard too?

pujattidanny -

have you gotten an answer yet? trying to change mines as well but dont wanna do too much to the deck

briaNN -

button Not key, i’m sorry

pujattidanny -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 PH for these screws with no issue

Luis B -

If only swapping the SSD, it is not necessary to remove the top left 3.7mm screw. The heat shield is flexible enough that you can move it out of the way to access the SSD screw. For me this was necessary as the 3.7mm screw was completely unmovable and quickly stripped.

Scott A -

FYI there is a little pin on the cover that slots into the board. It is located near the top screw. I needed that to be inserted for the cover to go back down properly.

Seth Robinson -

Step 7

Remove the board shield.
During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn't pinched underneath.

When putting back on, run a pick along the edge of the shield between the wires to make sure nothing is pinching and the wires are clear of the shield before screwing down.

Matt S -

Step 8

Grip the battery cable by its pull tab and pull it directly away from the motherboard to disconnect it.
Alternatively, use the flat end of a spudger or a clean fingernail to gently push the connector out of its socket, then disconnect it completely by hand.

After fully reassembling my device I found that my battery was not showing any stats anymore. I couldn't start the device without being plugged in, however if I restarted it would stay on even if my power cable was detached. Battery showed 0%. It turns out I had not fully reinserted the battery cable at this stage during reassembly. MAKE SURE YOU PUSH IT ALL THE WAY BACK IN!

Michael Hoffmann -

Awesome thanks for this tip!

petergeranio -

It is helpful to lift up gently with a the tapered end of a spudger underneath the tucked-in portion of the battery cable, creating a bit of flex in the cable before pulling on the pull tab. I found that without doing so, the fabric pull-tab simply tore off of the cable under light-to-moderate force (the fabric itself ripped cleanly across, like a paper towel). Careful, gentle pressure with a spudger can be used to remove the plug by prying gently on the rear ridge of the plastic plug (not the wire!) if this happens.

Gene Eckser - 08/08/22

This is exactly what happened to me. Maybe it was a pull tab previously, mine was a ribbon cable that tore - captured the image here: https://www.ianwootten.co.uk/2022/11/22/...

Ian Wootten -

I found it less scary and easier to remove the battery connection by using a fingernail on the ridge and pushing it off the connector. I felt like pulling on the battery cable was too harsh.

montgomery mchargue -

Upon plugging the battery back in, I found it easy to use two spudgers- one on each side- to pull/push the connector back into it's port. Be careful to not put any pressure on the battery wires themselves.

montgomery mchargue -

When reconnecting the battery cable, you'll know when it's inserted and power is restored, because the white LED will illuminate at the top of the Deck near the power button. You should be able to see it while you're reconnecting the battery cable

Michael Davis -

Why not just let the battery discharge completely and then not have to disconnect it?

Jeffrey Martin -

Completely discharging a battery reduces its lifespan. It's completely unnecessary.

Stefan Camporese (CENTER) - 12/11/22

Because no lipo battery is ever completely discharged -- you would not be able to recharge it if it was. There will always be enough power left in it to cause damage if shorted even if it isn't charged enough to power up the device it's connected to.

David Cameron -

I would personally not recommend pulling the tab. It doesn’t apply force at the correct angle. You should revise these instructions to advise using a combination of pulling on the tab, and careful pressure on the connector towards the right of the mainboard to carefully work it out.

Using the pull tab alone could cause problems if not done extremely carefully.

William Winborne - 09/01/23

This part was wayyyyy easier than I anticipated and I worried for nothing because I used the ifixit spudger to push it out a bit and then I literally used my finger nail and was able to slide it right off. Dont be afraid, its not that difficult and its not that delicate to break if you do it patiently

Luis B - 10/01/23

I inserted the cable very firmly with a spunger, being careful not to press down too hard on the cables, and even tried redoing it, but I don't see any LED illumination. I am now unable to boot the deck into the boot manager. Any additional tips?

junefish -

Step 9

Use a Phillips driver to remove the 3.4 mm screw securing the SSD.

Step 10

With the SSD screw removed, the SSD will pop up at a shallow angle.
Grip the end of the SSD and pull it away from its M.2 board connector to remove it.
During reassembly, insert the SSD at a shallow angle into its board connector, and secure it back into its horizontal position with the SSD screw.

Step 11

The SSD is wrapped in ESD shielding that will need to be transferred to the replacement SSD. Alternatively, replacement shielding can be found here.
Use a pair of tweezers to slide the shielding off of the SSD.
If the shielding feels stuck, use a pair of tweezers to peel off and remove the shielding instead, taking care to keep it in the best condition possible.
Only the SSD remains.
The Steam Deck uses a single-sided M.2 2230.
To recover, repair, or re-image your SSD, follow Valve's Steam Deck recovery instructions.

If ESD shielding needed to be replaced, what would be recommended?

Jeffrey Martin -

Also would like to know where to buy replacement for shielding. Would prefer not to re-use the existing one.

Rory Murphy -

I broke the shielding. Can not find where to buy one. Currently panicking. Help?

Luis Ortiz -

IFix it litterally sells replacement shielding.

There is a link in this guid to the shielding...

Steam Deck SSD Foil Cover

Stephen Girty - 19/02/23

I was able to slide the shielding off (and on) like a sleeve. No need to open it up.

Andy HL -

I'm happy the SSD upgrade kit already comes with a ESD shield (plus everything else you need). Just 5 bucks more than the SSD alone.

Marcos Alano -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

To recover, repair, or re-image your Steam Deck's SSD with SteamOS, follow Valve's Steam Deck recovery instructions.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Steam Deck answers community for help.

Author

Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 10/03/20

87825 Reputation

38 comments

idk why valve couldn't have just made the m.2 slot a 2230/2242/2260 & 2280 m.2 NVMe SSDs support??/ they could have done it! im hoping someone out there can make a new back shell that includes the nvme. m2 adapter riser cable extender that moves the nvme ssd to the back case somewhere else with more room and to also not only allow for better cooling of the SSD but also allows us to use any size m.2 nvme SSDs like 2230 up to 2280 m.2 size ssds as i have tons of gen3 x4 2280 nvme ssd lying around from all my AMD ryzen machines from my 1800X X370 all way up to X570 and 5700X / 5800X & 5800X3D etc..

adamnfs2 -

I think it has to do with power draw... The Steam Deck isn't designed to cope with a incredibly fast (and power hungry) 2280 drive. I learned this the hard way on my laptop. I changed the drive myself to a 5500MB/s one and I could tell that not only did the SSD run hotter but also the components surrounding the SSD, it completely changed the thermal characteristics of the device. I added this drive to my desktop computer instead and bought a low powered one for the laptop. By having a 2230 drive on the Steam Deck, Valve forces users to choose drives that are typically designed for small and low powered devices.

Dennis -

lol thats a massive first world problem. we dont all have "tons" of m2 drives, ya know a reletively new tech, laying around

sk8r2211 -

and possibly even a m.2 door/cover to allow easier m.2 ssd removal W/O having to disassemble our steam deck! if the battery needs unplugged then a battery "KILLSWITCH" or "BATTERY DISCONNECT" Switch be also added to the decks after market backplate/cover to allow the steam decks battery to be disconnected from the unit with a toggle of a switch? allows for safter disassembly and m.2 SSD replacement with out having to repeatedly disassemble the steam deck....(SSD nand flash memory can fail) if i had the tools and capabilities to do this myself i would/ but i still dont even have my steam deck yet (Q3 July -Sept. 2022 ;( my friend just got his (ordered on same day) so WTF is mine valve!?????

adamnfs2 -

It's already incredibly impressive that the Deck does what it does, at its price point, with its form factor. It'd be even bigger with any other physical features like that.

The unit isn't necessarily designed with modularity in mind, at least not first and foremost. People aren't "supposed" to be replacing these according to Valve; if that were the case then the internals would have to be shifted around quite a bit to ensure that people wouldn't be able to break stuff when they swap drives/etc. Although this is a very easy repair, people will inevitably mess it up. Valve doesn't want to have to replace everyone's devices if they destroy the internals on their own volition.

The fact that the SSD replacement process is this easy, and it doesn't instantly void your warranty, is amazing. Very few companies have this type of policy with hardware of this nature. A handheld device with fully upgrade-able storage to this extent has been neigh unheard of until now.

ralkia -

eh. i guess pwr draw// but adding a 5500mbps nvme sounds like a gen4 pci-e nvme m.2 im sure the steam deck (even thougt it is running AMD's Zen2 (4c/8t ) CPU cores with a small cluster of( i think) 8cus (in the decks APU) but i dont think it has gen4 pci-e support to using an m.2 gen4 speed (4000mps+ (usually gen4 nvme are (1st gen ones like saberent rocket 4(OG model) below specs..

Tech Specs

SKU

SB-ROCKET-NVME4-1TB

Performance

Up to 5,000 Seq. Read /&/ 4,400 MB/s Seq.Write (yeah this one would not work) but I do have some low power (2280) m.2 nvme gen3 ssds that came from older laptops!

**(Steam Deck cant do these speed cuz pci-e gen4 isnt even supported(not implemented in the apus I/O :( Not even in any laptop APU (except new Ryzen 6000 series with RDNA2 RX 680m igp with (12CU's) (& up to 8c/16t zen3)& does have Pci-e gen4 i think) I wish valve would have used this APU / SoC instead ( this steam deck would have been a much more capable Unit) & i would have paid up to $1000($ or 999) with a 2280 m2

adamnfs2 -

GPD WinMax 2

Ryan Couch -

edit last above ( zen2 4c/8t with 8cu rdna2 igp steam deck (aka Van Goah)

adamnfs2 -

I've been googling for 15 minutes what size SSD I actually need to purchase for this swap, I've watched two 10 minute YouTube videos. All I can find are videos and articles telling me why I shouldn't use the wrong size- not what the correct size is, even this article leaves that information out!

Mark Gibbons -

It's a 2230 size, single sided.

To be honest, this is a pretty easy answers to get. Just type: "steam deck ssd size" into goole and it is literally the 1st answer it will pull up, highlighted mind you.

Are you using bing or something for your research?

Alex Couture - 26/09/22

Would anyone recommend a thinner Thermal Pad under the ESD shielding on the SSD itself?

(I have started doing this religiously in my PCs/Laptops with great results - Even with no Heat Sync.. Just Pad... So I was wondering if anyone would adamantly recommend against it)

DanielF823 -

Great guide, but looks like I messed up somewhere when it comes to opening the Steam Deck itself. I was able to put in the replacement SSD and reboot the system, but the top portion of the back plate forms a gap on the top instead of being fully closed. Any help for this? I'm willing to buy an entirely back plate/front plate if I need to.

Ralph - 10/10/22

Did you ever figure this out? Take out the skews again. Remember that the longer screws in the holes furthest out to the sides and the shorter screws go in the 4 holes closest to the center(look at the first picture in Step one). If it's not that, take out all the screws and pry it open again and see if something is there up top that could be causing it not to be able to close. You should be able to completely close it if nothing is in the way. Don't put the screws in until you are able to actually close it.

TalonJH -

Here's a screenshot as a reference. (Sorry for the low quality)

https://i.imgur.com/GemSdmC.jpg

Ralph -

what about putting it back together without messing any thing up

ellis roberts -

No purpose in tearing up the ESD shield. All you need to do is slide it off.

Rolo256 -

hello can someone help me i got a new ssd for my steam deck everything was installed according to the instructions via usb recovery mode the error always occurs I eventually get into a desktop mode, however when i try to Re-image I get the error:- !! /dev/nvme0n1 does not exist -- no nvme drive detected? Can anyone help me the hard drives on the PC go bad, so they can't be

Andreas Ulrich -

Exactement the same case here ! Not found on USB recovery but found in the BIOS !

Someone can help us please ?

Valentin Crevecoeur -

same thing, dont't know what to do with this problem

Forcen - 02/12/22

https://bigtechquestion.com/2022/05/31/h... - See most recent comment as well - It's okay to get the error, you just have to re-flash the deck. The SSD is okay most likely.

Chris Gerling -

I was really disappointed with the ifixit screwdriver.. but having the kit was invaluable for this guide :)

Michael Godel -

Will the device utilize more than 512Gb? Like a 1Tb? M.2 2230?

Warren Blake -

Will the device utilize more than 512Gb? Like a 1Tb? M.2 2230?

Thinking of purchasing the 64Gb model then replacing the storage. (40 years Electronics Tech.)

Warren Blake -

Help! I followed these instructions to a T and now I'm presented with this message:

"Default Boot Device Missing or Boot Failed. Insert Recovery Media and Hit any key

Then Select 'Boot Manager' to choose a new Boot Device of to Boot Recovery Media."

I don't know what any of this means and I can't find a single straight answer anywhere.

Dane H -

https://bigtechquestion.com/2022/05/31/h... - It's okay to get the error, you just have to re-flash the deck. The SSD is okay most likely.

Chris Gerling -

https://bigtechquestion.com/2022/05/31/h... - See most recent comment as well - It's okay to get the error, you just have to re-flash the deck. The SSD is okay most likely.

Chris Gerling -

What brand of ssd 1Tb will work I keep seen samsung, sabrent, or wd I want to use the right one that won't over heat or damage my steam deck any advice

Brenda Cabral -

after installing the ssd and putting the back case back on, the bottom part isn't flush. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that the sabrent ssd is a little thicker. When i was putting the shielding on it, it was very difficult to do so without ripping it (unlike the original ssd where it slides on and off without any issue)

Sam Lam -

I’m pretty certain I’ve broken the SSD shield beyond repair. Is it possible to get a replacement anywhere?

Luis Ortiz -

We plan to carry replacements shortly — hang tight!

Carsten Frauenheim -

Bonjour,

Aprés avoir remplacé mon SSD par un KingSpec 2230 de 1 TB, tout fonctionnait correctement. Au bout de 2jours d'utilisation impossible d'acceder à SteamOS, et lorsque j'essaie de réimager le SSD n'est plus reconnu par le Steamdeck... quelqu'un saurait quoi faire?

Hello,

After 2 dayx of use with the SSD KingSpec 2230 - 1TBn it has stopped working and is no longer recognised by my steamdeck (use become impossible), could you help me solve this issu ?

Merci par avance / thank you in advance.

Junks -

Hey, I'd just like to point out, that maybe add a notice to take care for the cable running on the bottom side of the battery. It can quite easily slide out out of the little "tunnel", and when you screw in the cover, you can damage the cable. It's the bottom right of the inner/center four screws. My screw was just turning in place and not settling in, so I took the cover off again after replacing the SSD and noticed I took some rubber protection off. Luckily it was just just that and I patched it up with space tape, but if the cable was in a different position it could have been more seriously damaged. Sorry I don't have pictures because I closed everything up before remembering I can tell someone about this, but hopefully it helps. @carsten

Blaž Berdnik -

After attempting to do this with a screwdriver set that is close to 15 years old. I stripped almost 3 screws and gave up after a screw on the metal shielding didn't come lose. I went to the store and bought an iFixit repair kit. Came home and all of the screws came out like it was nothing. Lesson learned. Don't be like me. Buy the proper tools for the job! 10/10 for the iFixit toolkit. Keep up the amazing work you do there!

Kevin Walter (Namanix) -

I just got my 64gb model and I bought a 512gb replacement. Who ever assembled my steam deck put thread locker on all of the back plate screws and cut off the battery cable pull tab. This was 10x harder than it should have been because of this. It's so f*&$+* up.

Jordan Hamilton -

i recommend putting the steam deck in the top part of the case so it does not rest on the thumbsticks

alex vermaning -

Alex,

Great recommendation! This is a good tip to both protect the thumbsticks and make the Steam Deck easier to work on. I've added a photo and a bullet to the first step. Thanks!

Carsten Frauenheim -

Just a heads up that your face buttons, analog sticks, and/or touchpads might not work out of the box after reinstalling/reimaging the Steam Deck in step 11. Use the touch screen to go through the initial network setup and allow the device to download updates and functionality should return once the Deck restarts.

Coda -

Si può fare sulla versione da 64gb?

Davide Dell'atti -