California, the biggest state in the US when it comes to both population and the sheer volume of tech companies squeezed into its borders, has just passed the country’s most extreme right to repair bill in the US (via Ars Technica). It’s the third state to pass such a bill, but goes further than either Minnesota or New York in that it forces companies to support their products for longer. But while it will cover gaming PCs and laptops, games console manufacturers get a free pass.
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There are exceptions, however, and it seems like games consoles are somehow exempt from this right to repair requirement. Guess someone’s been lobbying against the inclusion of consoles, eh? The bill itself talks specifically about an “electronic or appliance product” or just a “product”, but stipulates that doesn’t include a video game console.
“‘Video game console’ means a computing device, including its components and peripherals, that is primarily used by consumers for playing video games, such as a console machine, a handheld console device, or another device or system. ‘Video game console’ does not include a general or an all-purpose computer, which includes, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone.”
So, that means your Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles are all seemingly exempt from having to offer long term support, but at least in the computing space your PC and laptop will be covered.
Did Apple figure out a way to classify iPhones and Macs as game consoles then?
they did show the iPhone 15 playing resident evil village
Unless it switches to primarily being used for playing games that is a no.
That said that presentation (and some othe previous stuff)… make some suspect that an apple console that is only digital and pulls from their store isn’t that far fetched nowadays. Or s new apple tv more gaming oriented I guess.
Apple Pippin II
Breakout. And… Super Breakout.
Wait holy shit. I was in a thread talking about the 15 and it was mentioned that Apple seems to be heading this way with the hardware they’ve been adding. This would explain why they didn’t fight this bill
Why yes! My product the Google iPixel ZFold 15 is a gaming console! You would think it’s a phone because of the calling and phone-like features however it is exempt from right-to-repair because it plays Genshin with more fraps than any other gizmo and doohicky in anyone’s pocket in this hemisphere!
And you would be remiss to assume my Grapple ThinkPad 2025 is a mere laptop! Nay! A gaming console it is! It can’t even run the Chrome Dinosaur for 35 seconds without running out of RAM and is really built for content creation and the school setting in mind, but it is absolutely built for gaming and also omitted from right-to-repair!!
So if you can play doom on it then it’s a gaming console. Everything is a gaming console now.
You jest, however Asus makes ROG gaming phones.
It should be the primary use so no.
Console vendors, particularly Nintendo absolutely hate it when someone tries to thinker with their products. There was a Darknet Diaries podcast from August 1 named ‘Team Xecuter’ that gives some insight into this. Funnily enough, not every country is encouraging this behavior from Nintendo like the U.S. is. France is pretty lenient on console modders, for example.
Umm… important context: Team Xecuters work was based on enabling piracy on the device. It had fuck all to do with repairs or non-security-compromising mods
Nintendo of America must have paid $$$ to the politicians
Because fuck you peasants… What you are gonna about it, bitches?
Japan would rather die. Microsoft, I don’t know what their shit deal is.
I think they are somewhat ok with it? They did just start selling controller parts for self repair. Not sure if they will ever sell parts for the series consoles but who knows.
What about steam deck ? Is it a video game system or a handled pc ?
Doesn’t really matter, Valve are happy for you to do what you like with it already.
How about if Microsoft made a similar product?
Assuming there’s no general computing/desktop mode, I’d expect it to be qualified as a console.
I don’t get the context of this question at all? Like, would it come under console definition, or just what would I think in general?
You said it doesn’t matter if it’s a video game system or a handheld pc because Valve doesn’t care what you do with it. Another company might care what you do with their similar device, so perhaps it would matter to you then.
And the point is that we should consider whether details of a legal decision matter regardless of the specific companies involved.
Someone specifically asked what it would count as and I pointed out that valve are already repair friendly. I was only talking in the context of that specific machine.
My guess is it would be considered a general purpose computer, assuming it runs standard Win/Linux and can run any software even if it’s specs and shape are geared towards games.
Not a lawyer though, just guessing
PC. It’s running PC hardware and PC software.
So how many of you are planning on contacting your state representative to tell them this exclusion in the new law is bullshit?
i’ve always just used my PC, so I’m fine :)
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It being harder to repair means it shouldn’t be repairable? That’s an… interesting stance to take. Right to Repair is all about giving people the information and resources necessary to make a repair, especially if it’s not designed to be repaired.
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The bill is not asking for things to be redesigned to be more repairable. It is more focused on being able to get the spare parts, chips, tools and docs that make more repairs of the devices to be viable. Many places can already do component level repairs of boards. It might not be worth it if the SOC dies, but a board has many other components on it that are far more likely to fail and much easier to replace than the SOC. If a power regulator fails why should you have to buy whole new board? Or if a few resisters/caps get burned out/shorted they can be replaced without needing a whole new device.
No not everyone can do these repairs - but why should those that can be blocked from doing so? Why should companies be able to deny chip manufacturers from selling a 12c chip that can fix a several hundred dollar board? Why should chips be serialised so that you cannot swap them out with working chips from donor boards? Why cannot tools be made available to calibrate sensors after they have been replaced? Why should any company be able to stop you getting the parts and tools needed to fix the stuff you own? Or be able to go to someone else to fix it?
Not every device will be fixable - but why stop any device from being fixable just because a few cannot be?
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Ever seen the inside of a SteamDeck? If the device is designed in a modular way you replace one small circuit board instead of the whole thing.
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Why can’t spare parts and schematics be available to a third-party repair center that has experience, so that we can take it to them … so they can fix it?
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I feel like they’re being disingenuous. Lots of what-aboutisms and moving goal posts and ignoring the issues that got us to needing right to repair laws in the first place, namely Apple and John Deere and all the copy cats, but also with the goal of reducing e-waste.
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The whole Steam Deck is $400 so its chip is not that expensive
This is silly thinking. Just because you can’t be bothered doesn’t mean someone else can’t and do a good job. You should probably YouTube component level repairs before wildly stating that 3rd party techs can’t do it. They already do it but it’s a bit of a learning process for each device due to the lack of documentation etc. Provide docs and access to parts and it’s then alot easier for the people who already can do these types of repairs and then we can all create less ewaste.
So… You think reoairabikity makes sense for PCs because they’re pretty repairable. But repairabikity doesn’t make sense for consoles because gee, they aren’t very repairable.
The reason even repair shops can’t do much for consoles is because THEY ARE NOT MADE TO BE REPAIRABLE! Legislation would change that!
Wow! I can’t understand how you can miss the basic point here so badly.
I just fixed the fan on my steam deck, it was pretty simple. Not every failure is a problem on the motherboard
