It's not hard at all, if you've done any kind of tech disassembly before you should be good. Just make sure you don't strip the screws (don't use a screwdriver that's too small, make sure it's all the way in the screws before turning it).

You will have to either clone the drive or install SteamOS fresh on the new SSD from a USB drive. They may have fixed it, but originally the SteamOS installation/recovery USB had a software bug that would crash the wifi driver if you connect to a 5GHz wifi 6 network. So if you have a WiFi 6 network, I would suggest only connecting to the 2.4Ghz version of it until you've completed setup and downloaded updates.

If you clone the drive you don't have to worry about that, but sometimes after cloning you have to realize the cloned partitions to actually take advantage of the larger drive.

If you run into any of those issues and need help, feel free to reply to me here and I'll do my best to help out.

Yes, well worth it.

I see all the important tips in the comments apart from doing it with a discharged battery.

I had no issues when I did mine.

1. Yes, it's totally worth it.

2. -->

Get good small screwdrivers !!!

That's very important ! The general consensus is that the ifixit ones are fit for the task.

Mandatory reminder to remove the microsd before opening the Deck…

As others have said the microsd card is fine.

But if you plan to use the steamdeck in desktop mode, the internal drive can fill up kind of quickly with random stuff.

I thought it was easy enough to replace, but I used to be a computer tech in my old life.

Yes. You just have to copy your existing system to your new drive. I used dd for this. Afterwards resize your storage partition (the largest one) on the new drive. I used gparted for this for it's simplicity.

It's mostly unscrewing covers and peeling stickers, if you can get a good savings that way I believe it's worth it.

MicroSD also is really not bad if you pick a fast, deck tested one. Lots of my non-primary games are stored there and still load acceptably for me

It's pretty easy. Just remember to remove the microsd card before removing the back panel or it will snap the card in half

Looks easy : https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989

Edit: Is it worth 30-60minutes of your time, the screwdrivers, maybe the spatchula, and reinstalling steamOS onto the drive?

Yes. 100%. It was very easy.

I did mine after watching a YouTube video. I thought it looked easy and when I tried it, it was.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Steam+Deck+SSD+Replacement/148989

I work on computer hardware a lot, so I might not be the best judge, but this seems simple (If a bit tedious) enough for a normal person to accomplish.

I paid for the 1 TB model but it should be simple enough to upgrade the SSD. Think of it as a learning experience.

Absolutely, the best upgrade you can make.

Have you installed a Linux operating system before?

The hardware swap is not difficult, but you do have to reinstall the OS on the new drive, so if you're not already familiar with that process it may be a hurdle. The good news is there shouldn't be any important data on it, so if you do have a problem you can just wipe it and start over.

I bought the original largest model, and in less than 6 months decided I wanted more than the 512GB. I wish I had saved the $200 and bought the cheapest model. There's no other appreciable difference.