Left trackpad clicky on OLED, heard multiple reports, hardware or software issue?

[Luke]

I feel a distinct difference (just like some other users on a bigger tech forum) between the left and right trackpad, especially in the Steam interface. For instance, the left trigger pull feels like a click happening inside. The right trigger is more of a smooth vibration, just like it was with my LCD version. Also, changing the intensity of the haptics does nothing to change it.

It actually feels like some screws may be overtightened on the left side of the Deck? I'd love to hear some solutions I can try at home. I can't find any dead pixels or other flaw so far, so I'd hate to not be able to improve and/or fix this myself.

Oh, right, another good test is the keyboard haptics. If you use the left trackpad, it feels more like a "rattly clicking" to move across the keyboard. The right side is more smooth, dampened.

Is this a new common variance introduced in this OLED revision, or is it just luck of the draw (again)?

[Fromnack]

I'm having a similar issue (Strange/horrible haptics on the left side, but with an issue with my right trigger sounding like it's catching on something even when powered off), have reported to support who have given standard troubleshooting instructions but have had no luck with this; will wait to see what they say! Also worth saying that I've got an issue with the X button getting stuck in a depressed state, so a few problems with mine unfortunately!

[Luke]

That sounds like an RMA. Hope you get your return label soon. How can the QA on these things still be so shoddy? I still don't have a real answer from Support myself. Just questions back.

[Raiden85OCUK]

Same issue on my 1TB OLED. The left trackpad haptic is very noisy where as the right side is silent, even with the left on the lowest haptic feedback setting of 1db and the right on a max of 12db, the left is still noisy. Never had this issue on the original deck.

It's as if the left trackpad is vibrating against the shell. Even when you pull the left trigger you get a noisy audible ping that sounds like a mouse button click each time it triggers the left trackpad haptic, the right side is just fine and has a nice sounding thud to it while still very silent. Even on the reddit steam deck page there is loads of reports of dead pixels as well which seem to be mostly on the LE version and it seems most of the LE ones are using BOE OLED panels, quality control on these OLED decks is shocking.

Short video of my deck, should be clear enough to hear how noisy the left trackpad is, the right is almost dead silent in comparison. Both are on the same haptic strength of 7db.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBc7_mQNG68

[Luke]

Wow. Do you have my Deck by chance? ;)

I have made it a bit better, I think, but I'd rather share my solution in private right now.

[Raiden85OCUK]

I ended up removing the entire left trackpad and reseating it, all the screws seemed pretty tight but after putting it all back together I'd say there is an 80% improvement to the point where it almost feels like the right pads haptic feedback in sound and feel, not perfect but vastly better than the rattling sound it was before. Pulling the left trigger still sounds like a mouse button click compared to the rights nice sounding thud but it's so much better. So something is going badly wrong when these are being assembled.

Valve definitely has some QC issues to deal with on this version, but my god this OLED panel is nice.

Even on a forum I'm on there is a few of us with issues such as,

Dodgy left track pad haptic (me)
Left thumb stick grip damaged
One speaker dead
Dead pixels

And this is an extremely tiny sample size of maybe 20 people. Not to mention software issues with the 200mhz/1040mhz bug and WiFi driver issues.

Just what the hell is going on with the quality control as it's shocking.

[Luke]

My idea is very close to yours, haha. Would you accept my friend request? Love to hear your process and how it sounds now.

[Fromnack]

Originally posted by Raiden85OCUK:

Same issue on my 1TB OLED. The left trackpad haptic is very noisy where as the right side is silent, even with the left on the lowest haptic feedback setting of 1db and the right on a max of 12db, the left is still noisy. Never had this issue on the original deck.

It's as if the left trackpad is vibrating against the shell. Even when you pull the left trigger you get a noisy audible ping that sounds like a mouse button click each time it triggers the left trackpad haptic, the right side is just fine and has a nice sounding thud to it while still very silent. Even on the reddit steam deck page there is loads of reports of dead pixels as well which seem to be mostly on the LE version and it seems most of the LE ones are using BOE OLED panels, quality control on these OLED decks is shocking.

Short video of my deck, should be clear enough to hear how noisy the left trackpad is, the right is almost dead silent in comparison. Both are on the same haptic strength of 7db.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBc7_mQNG68

That sounds EXACTLY like the video I sent to Valve on my ticket, it's such a horrible sound!

[Luke]

Support is being Support again here. After all the explanation above (mostly the same story there), including movies, I get explained how the haptic settings work and that different games have different haptics. Oh, really?! ;)

[Fromnack]

An update from me, support have approved an RMA over the weekend; but are having issues sending the email from with RMA details and label so I can actually get it sent off. Quite frustrating as it's taking ~24 hours between responses from them, and they usually arrive in the middle of the night UK time...

[Luke]

Also requested an RMA here. Just gonna return it for now: don't want an RMA hassle again. I'll order it again if I want to. It just feels not okay to have to doubt between keeping it and/or improving it yourself (with all the risks involved), for an 569 euro device.

[DoKo_O]

just a random question... have you guys both actually configured the functions of the trackpads differently? the video posted above seems to work as intended, where the left trackpad has a mouse function, scrollwheel (by default ) on it, which is why it rattles like that and sounds like a mouse scroll wheel too....

ive seen some people not even knowing about the haptics between different functions that are set to the trackpads

my trackpads were also feeling different from side to side, both on my lcd and OLED, but that was intended and not a flaw, if i configure both of them to the same function, they both feel and sound the same to me atleast

[Luke]

Originally posted by DoKo_O:

just a random question... have you guys both actually configured the functions of the trackpads differently? the video posted above seems to work as intended, where the left trackpad has a mouse function, scrollwheel (by default ) on it, which is why it rattles like that and sounds like a mouse scroll wheel too....

ive seen some people not even knowing about the haptics between different functions that are set to the trackpads

my trackpads were also feeling different from side to side, both on my lcd and OLED, but that was intended and not a flaw, if i configure both of them to the same function, they both feel and sound the same to me atleast

My best test is the keyboard haptics, like I said, and for instance a radial menu via the joysticks in a game, set to the same settings on both sides. Distinct differences there unfortunately. That doesn't seem intended, since they've allowed my RMA now.

(And I've also set the left one to 1 and the other to 12 as a test too, of course.)

[DoKo_O]

Originally posted by Luke:

Originally posted by DoKo_O:

just a random question... have you guys both actually configured the functions of the trackpads differently? the video posted above seems to work as intended, where the left trackpad has a mouse function, scrollwheel (by default ) on it, which is why it rattles like that and sounds like a mouse scroll wheel too....

ive seen some people not even knowing about the haptics between different functions that are set to the trackpads

my trackpads were also feeling different from side to side, both on my lcd and OLED, but that was intended and not a flaw, if i configure both of them to the same function, they both feel and sound the same to me atleast

My best test is the keyboard haptics, like I said, and for instance a radial menu via the joysticks in a game, set to the same settings on both sides. Distinct differences there unfortunately. That doesn't seem intended, since they've allowed my RMA now.

(And I've also set the left one to 1 and the other to 12 as a test too, of course.)

okay, fair enough. just wanted to double check :P

[Luke]

Originally posted by DoKo_O:

Originally posted by Luke:

My best test is the keyboard haptics, like I said, and for instance a radial menu via the joysticks in a game, set to the same settings on both sides. Distinct differences there unfortunately. That doesn't seem intended, since they've allowed my RMA now.

(And I've also set the left one to 1 and the other to 12 as a test too, of course.)

okay, fair enough. just wanted to double check :P

Haha, no worries. Turnaround with you is faster than Steam Support, pointing me towards those settings twice. ;)

[Fromnack]

Originally posted by Luke:

Originally posted by DoKo_O:

just a random question... have you guys both actually configured the functions of the trackpads differently? the video posted above seems to work as intended, where the left trackpad has a mouse function, scrollwheel (by default ) on it, which is why it rattles like that and sounds like a mouse scroll wheel too....

ive seen some people not even knowing about the haptics between different functions that are set to the trackpads

my trackpads were also feeling different from side to side, both on my lcd and OLED, but that was intended and not a flaw, if i configure both of them to the same function, they both feel and sound the same to me atleast

My best test is the keyboard haptics, like I said, and for instance a radial menu via the joysticks in a game, set to the same settings on both sides. Distinct differences there unfortunately. That doesn't seem intended, since they've allowed my RMA now.

(And I've also set the left one to 1 and the other to 12 as a test too, of course.)

Similar to Luke, I changed the settings so that they mirrored each other, and the haptics felt terrible on the left hand side compared to the right. I do also have other issues with my unit, an x button which gets stuck in the casing and a right trigger which feels like it is getting caught on something at the bottom of the press (unlike the left which is smooth all the way through the press.)