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Game Boy Advance SP Side Buttons (Shifts) Not Working

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One of the most problematic areas in the Game Boy Advance SP console is the side buttons (shifts). This is a significant issue with the Game Boy Advance SP, and up to 80% of consoles purchased on Avito have this problem. Even though these buttons are not needed in many games, it would still be nice if they worked.

If your other buttons are broken, such as A, B, ←, ↑, →, ↓, Start, Select, or the Brightness button, they need to be replaced entirely. You can buy replacement buttons on AliExpress.

The side buttons are located here:

Game Boy Advance SP side button (shift)

The interesting thing is that, despite the side buttons (shifts) on the Game Boy Advance SP not working, they are not actually broken. They are designed in such a way that the plate responsible for both the click and the contact oxidizes.

Let's look at the button and its components:

Game Boy Advance SP side button (shift)

1. The button itself.

2. The top part of the button (holds the internals in place).

3. The rubber button (presses on plate №5).

4. The back part of the button with contacts.

5. The plate I mentioned earlier.

This plate performs two functions simultaneously. It creates the clicking sound, as it is curved, and if you press its center, it will produce that click. It also closes the contact.

Friends, before you start repairing anything, think about this. If your Game Boy Advance SP side buttons (shifts) are broken, and sooner or later they will break, you can try to repair them using methods 1 and 2. But my advice is, if you don't know how to solder and don't want to learn, just buy these buttons and go to any electronics repair shop. Soldering two buttons shouldn't cost much and will definitely be cheaper than buying a soldering iron and everything else. This is a slightly longer method, but much more correct and durable.

FROM NOW ON, YOU PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK

There are three ways to repair the side buttons (shifts):


Cleaning the Side Buttons (Shifts) of the Game Boy Advance SP

To clean the button, we will need a syringe and isopropyl alcohol (not regular alcohol).

You can buy a syringe at a pharmacy.

Isopropyl alcohol can be purchased at a store, such as CHIP and DIP, or at a radio market.

Fill the syringe with isopropyl alcohol, disassemble the Game Boy Advance SP, pierce the rubber part of the button (№3), and fill it with alcohol. Then start pressing the button for about 5 minutes (you can do it longer), wait another 10 minutes for the alcohol to evaporate, and reassemble everything. It should work.

Pros:
1. No need to disassemble the button.
2. No need to solder anything.
Cons:
1. It doesn't always help and may break again soon.

Disassembling the Side Buttons (Shifts) of the Game Boy Advance SP and Cleaning the Plate (№5) Manually

As the name suggests, the side buttons (shifts) can simply be disassembled and cleaned manually.

To disassemble the button, first push the side parts away from element №2 (see the picture above) upwards.

Like this:

Game Boy Advance SP side button (shift) not working

Next, continue to open the button (use thin tweezers or a small screwdriver, don't be afraid to break the plastic tabs in front, they don't affect anything. A piece from the back of the button №4 may fall off):

Game Boy Advance SP side button (shift) not working

After you have bent everything back, you need to remove the rubber part of the button (№3) and plate №5 from inside. You don't need to do anything with the rubber, but the plate (№5) needs to be carefully cleaned.

Attention, clean the plate very carefully, it is curved in a specific way to create a click when pressed, this curvature is very easy to break, and then the button will most likely not work. I carefully removed the oxidation layer (soot) with a needle, only in the central part. And everything worked wonderfully.
Pros:
1. If you clean the plate (№5) this way, it will work much longer than if you just pour isopropyl alcohol on it.
2. No need to solder anything.
3. You can use this option while waiting for new buttons from China.
Cons:
1. You can break either the plate or something else.
2. The button still loses its integrity (I haven't seen this affect anything, but in theory, if you drop the console, the rubber might pop out).

Desoldering the Side Buttons (Shifts) of the Game Boy Advance SP and Replacing Them with New Ones

This is the best and most reliable method. However, it requires certain skills (soldering) and tools (you need a soldering iron).

The main question is, where to get the buttons?

There are two options:

The hard way. Find a donor and take them from it.

The easy way.

Pros:
1. The most reliable method, as you are installing new buttons.
2. No need to disassemble the buttons.
3. The job takes 10 minutes: desolder two buttons and solder two new ones in their place.
Cons:
1. If you don't have a soldering iron at home, you need to buy one, along with flux and other tools (it will cost more than buying another Game Boy Advance SP).
2. If there is no donor and you buy side buttons (shifts) for the Game Boy Advance SP on AliExpress, you will have to wait 2 months for them to arrive.

Epilogue

For those who don't know how to solder. Friends, there is nothing complicated about it, and I picked up a soldering iron for the first time not long ago, specifically to replace the buttons on the Game Boy Advance SP. The only thing is, the soldering iron with accessories may cost more than buying another Game Boy Advance SP with working buttons.