Anbernic is selling replacement parts for its handheld gaming systems - screens, joysticks, batteries, motherboards, and buttons available for direct purchase.
The Chinese manufacturer, known for its budget retro emulation handhelds, has launched a spare parts catalog covering its device lineup. Customers can now order individual components rather than replacing a whole unit when something breaks. The catalog covers the most failure-prone parts: displays, analog sticks, batteries, buttons, and full motherboards. The company made this move without much fanfare.
This matters because Anbernic sells to buyers who expect to use a handheld for years - people who would rather fix than toss. Offering parts extends product life, reduces e-waste, and builds the kind of brand loyalty that "just buy another one" never earns. Valve made a similar call with the Steam Deck, partnering with iFixit to supply components and repair guides, and that decision became a genuine selling point in a crowded market.
The less idealistic read: parts sales mean Anbernic collects revenue from the same device twice. That's not cynicism - it's just how repair economics work, and it's still better than the landfill.