PS5 saying “no signal”? Here is what is actually wrong

This is the single most common console fault that comes through our door, and the good news is that the console is almost always fine. The fault is nearly always the HDMI port — the physical socket the cable plugs into.

Why the port fails

The port is soldered directly to the console's mainboard, and it takes the strain every single time the cable is pulled, nudged, tripped over, or the console is moved with the cable still in. Eventually one of two things happens: a pin inside the port bends or pushes in, or a solder joint underneath cracks. Either way the signal stops getting through.

It is much more common on consoles that sit on the floor, or anywhere a cable can get caught by a foot, a hoover or a dog.

Rule out the easy things first

Before you assume it is the port, spend two minutes on these — it costs nothing and occasionally saves you a repair:

• Try a different HDMI cable. Cables do fail, and it is the cheapest thing to rule out.
• Try a different input on the telly, and make sure you have actually switched to it.
• Try a different telly altogether if you can. If it works on another screen, your problem is the telly or the cable, not the console.
• Look into the port with a torch. If you can see bent, flattened or missing pins, that is your answer.

How to tell it is definitely the port

These are the giveaways:

• Picture appears if you hold the cable at a certain angle, and disappears when you let go.
• The picture flickers, drops out or shows snow intermittently.
• Nothing at all on any telly, with any cable, but the console is clearly running.

What it costs

Replacing the port is board-level work — the old port has to be desoldered, the pads cleaned up, and a new port soldered on under magnification. It is not a parts swap, which is why a lot of shops will not do it and will tell you the console is scrap.

We charge £85 for a PlayStation 5 and £55 for a PlayStation 4, and that includes a full deep clean of the console inside and out while it is open. Xbox Series X is £85, Series S is £75 and Xbox One is £55.

You keep your console, your drive, your saves and your games — and it costs a fraction of replacing the machine.

Will I lose anything?

No. We are replacing a socket on the board. We do not go near the storage, so your games, saves and account are untouched.

More detail, including all the console prices, is on our HDMI port repair page, or have a look at everything we do for PlayStation repairs.