HTC Vive Controller Grip Buttons Replacement

Written By: Christopher Amaro

Comments: 37

HTC Vive Controller Grip Buttons Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

45 minutes

Introduction

The HTC Vive controller grip buttons may be weak or faulty from extended use or from being dropped on its side. Use caution when removing the rubber tabs to avoid damage. This guide will show you how to replace the grip buttons.

Tools

Step 1

Turn over the Vive controller so that the bottom saucer is facing up.
Use the T5 Torx screwdriver to remove three black 21mm screws from the bottom saucer.

Where can I buy new t5 21 mm screws? Mine are getting stripped out!

jeremyvanwoerden - 24/02/19

Where can you get replacement batteries?

Mike Justice -

The middle bottom screw may have some form of warranty sticker on it if you have a Vive Pro wand (which is purple). Mine had this. Easy enough to remove and get on with it.

sodiboo -

Step 2

Use the nylon spudger to separate the top and bottom saucer covers all around the edges.
Remove only the top saucer cover by pulling up with your hand.

My top saucer was REALLY stubborn. Don’t force it with your hand, use the spudger to separate it at the seam. Try not to poke your spudger in too deep, there are internals just inside the seam.

trevorsklar - 19/12/17

The second time around, I learned why it was so stubborn. The picture suggests that you should start at the base of the saucer and work your way around, but that’s backwards.

Start separating with your spudger at the distal side of the saucer and work your way toward the handle. Then for the last part, pull the piece up and away, like peeling a banana. See the second picture for the bottom half of the saucer, below. Do the same on the top.

trevorsklar - 19/12/17

Step 3

Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove the three silver 12.8mm screws from the exposed upper sensor panel.

It’s Phillips 0, not 00.

trevorsklar - 19/12/17

You do not need to remove these screws to remove the bottom saucer. They provide stability to the two halves of the donut.

pacoavocado - 10/08/18

I had the same experience. Putting the screws back in made the bottom shell easier to remove.

Nate Plamondon - 02/02/20

I concur, you don’t need to remove these screws to take the bottom shell off.

I found mine had ph#000 screws size, not ph#00.

Rocko the fixit cat - 28/11/20

please do not remove the Phillips-head screws it is not necessary to remove them.

Darkwolf Darkside -

Step 4

Carefully pull away the bottom saucer cover with your hand.
To aid in removing the saucer cover, squeeze the base of the controller with your other hand, as shown in the second image of this step. Squeezing will make the clips easier to release and help prevent them from breaking.

I found the re-assembly of this difficult until I concentrated on two areas - the lugs which go into the handle first, then the central ring. My earlier concern was for the optical sensors on the wings but these snapped into place easily as the central ring was manoeuvred.

Doug - 03/12/18

From what I can tell, there are two clicks on each side? one is quite easy, then the other one seems to require considerable force pushing down and on the side, I had to do it one side at a time and found two YouTube videos performing this step to use as reference. I have the vive pro wands and not the originals, so this may explain the difference. This felt very wrong to me.

sodiboo -

Step 5

Use the T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the two black 5.2mm screws on the back gray panel.

Step 6

Turn over the Vive controller so that the exposed bottom saucer panel is facing up.
Use the T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the three black 5.2mm screws.

Leave the middle screw where it is (the one being unscrewed in the picture). That screw holds the two halves of the photodiode assembly together, not the case.

trevorsklar - 19/12/17

five screws… two at bottom

andrew sauter - 29/03/19

I concur with trevosklar, don’t need to remove center screw to remove front panel (pad cover).

Rocko the fixit cat - 28/11/20

Step 7

Use the nylon spudger to separate the front panel gently by running the spudger around the edges of the handle.
Only separate the front panel around the edges. Do not try to completely remove the panel yet.
Gently lift the right side of the panel to the left.

Step 8

Disconnect the upper ribbon cable gently by pulling the ribbon up and away from the motherboard with two fingers.
Do not try to disconnect the ribbon cables from the front panel.

You do not have to remove the ribbon cables from the plugs…you can carefully work the battery holder around them and remove it…being very gentle. And the black part of the handle will stay attached to the cables and be in the way. But removing the cables does make it easier to access the area for the battery, just not completely necessary.

controll - 06/12/19

Step 9

Disconnect the middle ribbon cable gently by pulling the ribbon cable up and away from the motherboard with two fingers.
Do not try to disconnect the ribbon cables from the front panel.

where can one buy the ribbon cable.

Luigi Munoz - 16/09/18

Step 10

Use the nylon spudger to lift the white tab by 90 degrees.
Disconnect the bottom ribbon cable gently by pulling the ribbon cable down with two fingers.

Hallo what is the name of this conector because i Broker it

Happy Forscher -

Yeah I did as instructed only to realize after that my gen 1 vive controller does not do that, and i desoldered the power button ribbon. That cable, does NOT detach on my model. destroyed.

Algol Gaming - 14/06/22

On my controllers, there was yellow tape over these? and in some other places as well? Why?

sodiboo -

Step 11

Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove two black 2.8mm screws from the silver plate.
Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove the black 5.8mm screw from the bottom right corner of the silver plate.

I don't have this metal piece in my first gen vive wand for some reason. Instead, there is just a piece of kapton tape covering the connector. It does not seem there are even screw holes for it.

TheRedStormer - 15/06/24

Step 12

Remove the silver plate by pinching it with two fingers and lifting up.

There is no plate on mine, only tape covering it.

tamgoddess - 17/02/19

I found this to be true of mine as well (purchased 2018).

Renjamin - 24/03/20

Same with mine, also purchased 2018. It seems the silver plate part can be skipped for later models.

Slendy Nerd -

Step 13

Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove the black 5.8mm screw from the top left of the battery frame.

Step 14

Use the T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the two silver 4.2mm screws from the bottom of the battery frame.

On my controller these were Philips 000 5.8mm screws, the same as in the previous step.

Daan Steenmeijer - 14/08/18

Second the above with a slight correction. Phillips 00.

tamgoddess - 17/02/19

I also needed the Philips 000 for steps 11 - 14. Controller purchased in 2018.

Renjamin - 24/03/20

Step 15

Disconnect the three-pin cable gently by pinching the cable with two fingers and pulling up.

Don't pull the battery cable! You risk pulling the pins out of the socket. Happened to me. I don't know how to do it properly but I had to use a fine flat screwdriver to try to get the socket out. It got a bit mangled unfortunately.

Rob -

Step 16

Lift the battery frame to remove the battery from the Vive controller

Suddenly, here the electronics of the saucer are gone, but there’s no previous step mentioning its removal. This is kind of important because loosening the ribbon cables attaching it to the mainboard is a bit finicky.

Olav Reinert - 15/06/20

Step 17

Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove the two black 5.8mm screws from the top of the motherboard.

These should be the silver screws not the black screws

Thomas Edwards - 20/02/18

Yeah, I think he switched the bottom battery screws with these in a previous disassembly. (see my comment at step 14) I’m opening mine for the first time since new purchase and the motherboard has 4 T5 screws.

Daan Steenmeijer - 14/08/18

Step 18

Use the T5 Torx screwdriver to remove the two silver 4.2mm screws from the bottom of the motherboard.

Step 19

Use the nylon spudger to rotate the black tab up by 90 degrees.
Disconnect the ribbon cable carefully with your finger.

Step 20

Lift the motherboard up and out of the Vive controller using your hands.

what is the benefit of the rectangular silver steel or ironic metal ,that iside the htc vive hand controller.?????

is it to solve some issus with the Mpu6500 sensor ??

or related to get rid of interferrences ??

the rectanguler metal piece is near to the mother board and the battery in the following image :-

https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/ig...

Thanks in advance!

Moatazzu993 - 26/03/18

I believe it’s just a weight to help balance the controller by shifting the center of gravity closer to the rear/bottom end. It doesn’t connect to anything, and the board has its own shield. So, just a slab of metal.

Jeff Suovanen - 27/03/18

Awesome THANKS. … uh … where do I get another motherboard? DoH!

John Crocco - 21/07/20

Anyone know of a good replacement button for the trackpad press button? (The one on the top side, tan or pinkish colored.)

Sean Bowers -

Step 21

Use the Phillips 00 screwdriver to remove the two black 5.8mm screws from the silver rectangular plate.

Step 22

Lift the silver rectangular plate up and out of the controller using your hand.

Step 23

Use the nylon spudger to lift the bottom rubber tab on the inside of the right grip button.
Use the nylon spudger to lift the top rubber tab on the inside of the right grip button.