The all-new Valve Steam Deck OLED and Lenovo Legion GO recently got high scores for their repairability, with iFixit's latest teardown video inspecting what is inside these powerful handheld gaming consoles. The inside look at two of the world's latest handheld portable consoles shows the detailed process of taking them apart, highlighting and identifying the key components.
Steam Deck OLED, Legion GO Gets High Repairability Score
Back in the day, companies discouraged repairs, but now, it is no longer a problem thanks to the Right to Repair Act and more advocates pushing for improved accessibility. With that, a recent teardown video by iFixit looked into what users may expect when peeking inside the components of the Steam Deck OLED and the Lenovo Legion Go.
Valve's Steam Deck OLED got a repairability score of 9 out of 10. On the other hand, Lenovo's Legion Go received an 8 out of 10 score from the repair company.
The Verge said that part of Valve's promise for the new Steam Deck OLED was to make it easier to repair, with iFixit affirming what the company claimed. Lenovo went as far as to add pull tabs for its batteries for easier removal.
iFixit's Steam Deck OLED, Legion GO Teardown
The recent iFixit teardown saw the Steam Deck OLED using potentiometers for its control sticks, citing that these are more vulnerable to stick drift issues, unlike the Legion Go. Lenovo's sticks use hall effect sensors, and these are famously known for the answer to stick drift issues among third-party controllers.
iFixit said that the Steam Deck OLED is easier to repair, unlike the Legion Go, with both handheld consoles being iconic releases of their right.
Handheld, Portable Gaming Consoles
The two latest portable gaming consoles in the market came from Valve and Lenovo, with the Steam Deck OLED already a refresh to the company's take on handhelds, following last year's OG Steam Deck. Valve's surprise announcement gave the world many improvements for the Steam Deck experience, centering on its wider and brighter OLED screen and improved performance and battery life.
Also released earlier this November, Legion Go presents Lenovo's take on handheld gaming but steered away from the usual features of these consoles with a fixed controller. Like the Nintendo Switch, Lenovo offers two removable controllers on either side, held together by its magnets, offering the Windows-powered device with impressive specs and components.
Amidst these new releases, there is a massive rally towards making repairs more available and accessible for DIYers, centering on parts availability and tutorials whenever needed. Steam Deck OLED and the Lenovo Legion GO aced their respective repairability tests, meaning new owners need not worry about fixing their consoles, courtesy of their manufacturer's design.
