The tech space has been in a period of limbo for quite some time as the movement for the right to repair continues to gain traction but many manufacturers are unwilling to budge on modern design choices which need specialist equipment to fix issues – but Valve, the gaming giant known for two of the biggest esports titles in Counter-Strike and Dota 2 with the best esports betting sites in Canada following both options, appear to be one of the bigger names in tech looking to break the mold – and the change is targeted at two of their biggest devices.
One of the devices falling under this space is the Valve Index VR, one of the more premium VR options out there on the market coming in over $1,000 for all of the bells and whistles but definitely one of the higher quality options for those looking to secure the best VR experience – with all of the tech embedded within VR headsets including cameras and sensors, individual users repairing them has typically been something unlikely to happen, but this partnership means iFixIt will be allowed to supply replacement parts, and all of the documentation for making adjustments too being the first VR headset to do so.
The second device is for their long-anticipated Steam Deck – the handheld PC has already made waves amongst reviewers as embargos have recently lifted allowing reviews to come to market, and by most accounts the device looks impressive. With replacement parts at hand with this partnership too, it will certainly only add more value to the device – many on the market currently will void the warranty if tampered with, and if there are any issues it can lead to a length and sometimes expensive repair period too, so the change this provides can’t be understated in importance.
There are many big names in tech that are still resisting the push for the right to repair – names like Apple have become well known for their methods to prevent users from making adjustments or fixes to their own devices going so far as to bricking devices that don’t use specific tools to insert new parts, with these tools only being available to Apple employees, and have become the topic for discussion and the prime example for why change is needed and why tools should be given to the end user. With Valve being amongst the first big names to make this change, others may follow, but the path for the right to repair is still some time away and there are still other big changes that will need to be made.