Games Consoles help

PS5 white light on but no signal on TV — what's actually wrong

A PS5 with a solid white light but no HDMI signal isn't dead. Nine times out of ten it's a cable, a TV input, a damaged HDMI port, or a software glitch fixable from safe mode — in that order of likelihood.

PS5 HDMI port vs HDMI IC — how to tell which has failed

The HDMI port is the physical socket; the HDMI IC is the chip that drives the signal. Port failures are mechanical (tripped-over cable); IC failures are electrical (usually a surge). Port repair is roughly half the cost of IC repair — knowing which is which saves money.

How to pack a games console safely for mail-in repair (PS5, Xbox, Switch)

A badly-packed console arrives damaged — you ship a broken HDMI port and receive a cracked motherboard. Ten minutes packing properly saves weeks of extra repair. Here's exactly how we recommend customers do it.

Is PS5 HDMI repair worth it? Independent workshop vs Sony

You've got a PS5 with a dead HDMI port. Sony wants £229 flat. An independent repair shop quotes £90. Is the cheap one actually a good deal? Here's the honest breakdown.

Xbox Series X error codes explained — E100, E102, E105, E200 and more

Microsoft publishes only partial information about Xbox error codes. Here's a plain-English workshop guide to what the most common 'E' codes actually mean, which you can fix from the sofa, and which need bench-level repair.

Xbox Series X won't boot — repair or replace? A cost guide

An Xbox Series X costs £450-£500 new. A repair can be £60 (dust clean), £120 (HDMI port) or £300 (SSD/mainboard). Here's where the sensible line is between fixing and replacing.

Hall Effect vs TMR vs standard Joy-Con sticks — which should you fit?

There are three kinds of replacement Joy-Con stick on the market: the same carbon-pad design that came with the controller, Hall Effect modules, and the newer TMR sticks. They cost, feel, and last very differently. Here's how to choose.

PS5 disc drive grinding, rattling, or won't read discs — fix guide

A PS5 disc drive that grinds, rattles or won't read is usually one of three things: a loose metal bracket vibrating against the case, a misaligned laser carriage, or a disc drive at end of life. Here's how to tell which.

Xbox controller stick drift — fix it or replace it?

Xbox controller stick drift is annoying but usually fixable without buying a new controller. The 3-minute calibration fix handles 30% of cases; cleaning gets another 40%; the rest need a stick swap or Hall Effect upgrade.

Nintendo Switch won't charge — cable, port, battery or mainboard?

A Nintendo Switch that won't charge has a short list of causes — and one of them (a dusty USB-C port) is the answer more often than you'd think. Work through these before assuming the battery or charger is dead.

PS4 overheating, jet-engine fan, or shutting down — the cure

The PS4, especially the original launch model, runs hot by nature. A console that's suddenly jet-engine loud or crashing mid-game is usually a simple dust clean and repaste away from running like new.

PS5 no HDMI signal — is the port damaged?

A PS5 that powers on but shows no signal is usually one of three things: a loose or damaged HDMI port, a faulty cable, or the TV on the wrong input. The port is by far the most common failure and it's always repairable.

PS4 blue light of death or PS5 won't power on — what to try

The infamous blue light of death on PS4 and the equivalent 'won't power on' fault on PS5 have a short list of causes. Work through the diagnostic order here — two of the fixes take five minutes at home.

Xbox Series X green screen of death / stuck on boot — fix guide

The Xbox 'green screen of death' — stuck on the green boot logo — is almost always a software corruption rather than dead hardware. Microsoft has a specific recovery procedure that fixes it most of the time.

Xbox Series X overheating and loud fan — what to do

An Xbox that suddenly sounds like a hairdryer, or shuts itself off mid-game, is telling you it's overheating. Most of the time the fix is a can of compressed air and thirty minutes.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con drift — temporary fix or permanent cure?

Joy-Con drift is one of the most common console faults in history. You've got three levels of fix: quick clean (buys you weeks), stick module swap (buys you months), or Hall Effect / TMR upgrade — the only permanent cure.