[joezydeco]

So if you crack open your unit and break something while messing around, you expect Valve should fix it for you for free under the standard warranty?

Allowing you to make the choice between hacking or not seems like perfectly good will to me. You can't have your cake and eat it too, as they say.

[Dylan16807]

> So if you crack open your unit and break something while messing around

I don't expect a warranty from that, but I very much do expect a warranty if I crack it open and don't break something while messing around.

Thankfully the actual warranty doesn't say it's voided by opening.

Some of the exclusions on there are worrying, though. Improper cleaning? Refurbs have no warranty? "Commercial use" is much too vague.

[genocidicbunny]

Valve can't invalidate your warranty if your opening up the deck wasn't responsible for the damage, at least in the US.[0]

So yes, opening it up and improperly cleaning it (for example, you take a q-tip with rubbing alcohol to clean off some gunk and accidentally dislodge a capacitor) could void your warranty.

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[0] https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-s...

[Dylan16807]

> So yes, opening it up and improperly cleaning it (for example, you take a q-tip with rubbing alcohol to clean off some gunk and accidentally dislodge a capacitor) could void your warranty.

My complaint is that the warranty page only talks about whether you caused the damage for the clause about opening it up or making modifications. The clause about warranty loss for cleaning "in any manner other than as specified in the Hardware manual" is unconditional.

[londons_explore]

A lot of people don't think they damaged something by opening it up...

But when the put a screw back too tight, which then a year later cracks the plastic support its screwed into, falls out, and shorts some terminals on the voltage regulator, and the whole thing goes up in smoke...

[hnra]

Then it sounds like the person voided the warranty by assembling incorrectly, not by opening it.

I’m sure that if people opening their devices, breaking them, and expecting warranty to cover it is such a big problem, then there is enough financial incentive to find an actual solution.

[vhab]

I don't expect to keep warranty, it just diminishes any praise you could give for other statements they make like quoted in the OP

> you have every right to open up your Steam Deck and do what you want with it.

We already have this right for things we own, on exactly the same terms, which is it voids warranty.

[db48x]

Except that merely opening something _does not_ void the warranty in the US. It is in fact illegal for a manufacturer to claim that it does! It has been illegal since 1975 and people still believe this crap. Even repairing something does not void the warranty.

https://www.ifixit.com/News/11748/warranty-stickers-are-ille...