Let’s find out if adding a little silicone grease can improve the feel of squeaky buttons on retro handhelds.
Timestamps:
00:00 introduction
02:10 applying the grease
04:02 testing
04:30 other handhelds
05:33 conclusion
Note: since making this video, I’ve gotten excellent feedback from the community:
- Silicone can degrade other silicone, so there is a risk that if you add too much and it contacts the rubber membranes within the case, it could negatively affect those membranes over time.
- Silicone grease can get dirty from dust and dead skin, so this may not be an ideal long-term solution.
- Other suggestions have included using non-silicone grease, PTFE spray (WD-40), or dry lock lubricant applied in a small amount.
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, if you have more please leave them here and I will get them added. This silicone grease solution came from community members and so it’s nice to see even more info coming from the rest of the community. In the end, the best way to fix rubbing buttons would be to do a teardown of the device, remove the buttons, and gently sand the button holes so they are slightly enlarged. This video was meant to be a quick fix to those who aren’t comfortable with tearing their device down.
Retro Game Corps 