Hi Lemmings!
I have my Deck since March 2022. I was one of the fortunate ones to receive it quite soon.
Lately I noticed two things: The right joysticks movement is not as smooth as it was before and sometimes it makes a creaking noise.
The “A” button lost some of its resistance and become super sensitive in some games registering twice per button push. For example in a text heavy game I often skip dialogues because of this.
The device is in a perfect working order, no abuse, no damage, screen protector since day 1, protective skin applied, etc.
My question: Should I contact Valve and ask for a repair…
…or maybe try to get some nice replacement parts and upgrade the buttons and joysticks?
How does the available replacements compare to original parts? Are they an improvement? Or should I go the safe route and let Valve repair it for me?
Why not try the warranty route first, as it does not preclude you from then attempting upgrades at a later time.
I’ve heard the gulikit sticks are an upgrade from the originals, and they’re not supposed to be hard to install.
For the a button, a sticking button can frequently be fixed by spraying an appropriate cleaner in around the button. Usually it’s just debris or residue making it stick causing duplicate presses. My power button was sticking recently causing the deck to wake up and immediately go back to sleep, and I fixed it by turning the deck off, spraying a plastic safe electric cleaner in around the power button, waiting for it to evaporated, and then restarting the deck. It’s been fixed ever since.
For the plastic safe electronic cleaner, I would recommend CRC brand QD cleaner, it’s available at Walmart and most auto parts stores so it’s usually easy to find locally.
