iFixit: Valve's Steam Frame VR Headset Is Repairable, but Its Fan Is Hard to Reach
A teardown of Valve's Steam Frame VR headset by repair site iFixit finds the device fairly repairable overall, but its cooling fan is buried deep inside. Replacement batteries and displays will not be available when the parts store opens.
Repair site iFixit has taken apart Valve's Steam Frame virtual reality (VR) headset and concluded that, by VR standards, the device is fairly approachable to repair. The main weak point is the cooling fan, which sits deep inside the housing. The finding matters for owners planning to fix the headset themselves, since some repairs will be simple and others demanding.
The fan problem
Reaching the fan means working past the optical assemblies and through a dense mix of thermal hardware, cables and other parts. The fan and heat pipe are separate components, which iFixit counts as a plus. Still, fans collect dust and eventually wear out, so needing this much disassembly is inconvenient.
What is easier to fix
The head strap detaches with quick-release latches, so the rear battery pack can be reached without disturbing the displays. Sweat-absorbing parts, including the nose bridge and the face and headrest cushions, are replaceable. The lenses attach magnetically to the IPD rail (the mechanism that adjusts for the distance between the eyes), which makes display and eye-tracking repairs relatively straightforward, although screws and cables still have to be dealt with.
There are other drawbacks. The battery has no release tabs; iFixit removed it with isopropyl alcohol and gentle prying. The controllers' thumbsticks are soldered to their boards, so replacing a broken one is more involved.
Parts and price
Replacement parts are due to be sold through iFixit's store. iFixit is also Valve's repair partner, but it says Valve had no input on the teardown or the editorial process. When the store opens, replacement batteries and displays will not be on offer, though iFixit hopes to change that. Valve does provide warranty repairs and replacements for covered devices.
The Steam Frame starts at $1,059, considerably more than the Meta Quest 3. It supports many Steam games on a standalone basis, offers wireless PC streaming and allows microSD storage expansion.
