PS5 or Xbox has no picture on the TV? Try this first
If your PS5 or Xbox turns on but the TV says "no signal," work through these steps in order. Many of them are free and take only a few minutes, and they'll tell you whether you've got a setting, a cable or a broken HDMI port.
It's usually Friday night when this happens. Everyone's settled on the couch, the console's light is on, and the TV just says no signal. Before you start pricing a new console, try the steps below. You don't need any tools.
Step 1: Check the simple things
Look at the TV's input first. It's surprisingly common for someone to bump the remote, or for the TV to switch sources by itself. Use the input button and step through every HDMI option.
Then unplug the HDMI cable at both ends and plug it back in firmly. While you're there, take a look at the port on the back of the console. Is it straight, and is the metal shell inside it round and even? Does the plug feel snug? Hold on to that information, because it matters later.
Step 2: Try another cable, input and TV
Swap in a different HDMI cable, ideally one you know works, and try another HDMI input on your TV. If you have a second TV or a computer monitor, try that too. If you get a picture on the other screen, then your console is fine, and your first TV's input or settings are the trouble.
Some 4K TVs only support high frame rates on certain inputs, and some older TVs don't get along with the newest consoles. If the picture appears on one input but not on another, a resolution setting may be the cause, and the next step can help.
Step 3: Power it all the way off
Don't just use rest mode. Hold the console's power button down until it shuts off completely, which takes several seconds. Unplug the power cord for a minute or two, plug it back in and start the console. It's an old trick, and it works more often than you might think.
Step 4: Reset the video settings
Both consoles can restart in a basic video mode, which fixes a lot of problems caused by a resolution that your TV doesn't like.
On a PS5:
- Turn the console completely off. If the light is orange, it's in rest mode and needs to be fully off.
- Press and hold the power button on the console. Let go after the second beep, which comes about seven seconds later.
- Connect your controller to the console with a USB cable and press the PS button.
- In the Safe Mode menu, choose Change Video Output, then Change Resolution, and pick a lower setting.
Sony has its own guide to Safe Mode if you'd like to see the options.
On an Xbox:
- Turn the console off fully by holding the power button for about ten seconds.
- On a Series X or a model with a disc drive, hold the power and eject buttons together. On a Series S, hold power and the pair button instead.
- Keep holding until you've heard a second startup tone, about ten seconds later.
- The console will start in a very low resolution. Go to Settings, then General, then TV and display options, and choose a setting your TV supports.
Step 5: Listen and look
If nothing worked, here's how to read what you've got. If the console makes its normal startup sounds, the menu responds to your controller, and there's still no picture on any TV, then the console itself is probably fine, except for its video output. That's what a damaged HDMI port looks like.
The picture flickering when you touch the cable is an even stronger clue. So is a port that looks bent or a plug that feels loose. Stop wiggling the cable if you see that, since it can tear the port off the board.
If the console shows no signs of life at all, such as no light, no fan and no sound, that points to a power problem. Try another outlet and another power cord before you do anything else.
When to bring it in
If you've tried all this and you still don't have a picture, bring it to our shop in downtown Anoka. We can open the console and look at the port. PS5 HDMI port repair and Xbox HDMI port repair are jobs we do at our bench, so you don't have to box anything up. Replacing the port doesn't touch your games or your saves.
One thing we always mention up front: HDMI repairs aren't covered by our warranty, because a second break is nearly always from another bump or pull on the cable. So when you get your console back, give the cable a little slack and unplug it before moving anything. The port is small, and it isn't built to hold up a console.