iFixit - Answers With Device "Game Console"

PlayStation 3 Slim: A green light comes on and then a red and red light

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:02:21 -0700

A greenlight comes on and then a red light

Nintendo 3DS XL 2015: New 3DS XL constant error screen

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 05:39:44 -0700

I tried to boot up my 3DS after 1-2 years since I last touched it, when plugged into a charger the charging light only shows up after 10-20 minutes of charging, once I turn it on it works for a few minutes and then starts stuttering and finally freezes at the "An error has occurred" screen, holding the power button doesn't turn it off unless I take the battery out. The blue light goes off briefly before coming back on just before the error screen shows up.

So I've swapped the battery, disabled the wifi, removed the SD card but the error screen still shows up after working for 1-2 minutes

⟐ Answer accepted August 28, 2026 at 5:39 MST

Nintendo Switch 2: Using Switch 2 without any Bluetooth when docked?

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:33:01 -0700

With the first generation of Switch (which I’ll call “Switch 1”), it is possible to use the console in dock mode (plugged to a TV) while preventing the console to emit Bluetooth. As documented there in the last two comments, all you need to do is use only a wired controller and enable the setting that forces it to communicate with the console via its cable.

I’m wondering if the same thing could be done on Switch 2.

The user manual says that, when docked, the console always activates its Bluetooth antenna. This behaviour is identical to Switch 1. However, I suspect it does not emit any signal as long as no wireless controller tries to communicate with it. This is how Switch 1 works, thus enabling to play in docked mode without any Bluetooth.

I contacted customer support at Nintendo. Twice. But the persons I got in touch with did not understand my question, and replied that I “just need to turn off Bluetooth”, which is impossible when the console is plugged to a TV (as Nintendo’s own user manual says).

A friend of mine confirmed that the setting to force wired controllers to communicate via their cable is still present on Switch 2. So the only remaining question really is to know whether the Bluetooth antenna stays silent as long as not wireless devices tries to communicate with it, exactly as Switch 1 did.

Thanks for any help!

⟐ Commented August 28, 2026 at 2:33 MST

PlayStation 3 Slim: My PS3 cover isn’t securing to the base on the right

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:21:21 -0700

So, I just did my first real teardown to get rid of the dust on my console and to figure out why it wasn’t turning on. Unfortunately, the case won’t clip back on, specifically the right side. Has anyone else had and/or fixed this issue? Thanks!

⟐ Commented August 28, 2026 at 1:21 MST

DualShock 4: Won't Turn on?

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:19:13 -0700

I have a controller that won't turn on or charge. I put a new battery in it that I know works so I didn't have to buy a new one and it still doesn't work what do I do?

⟐ Answered August 28, 2026 at 1:19 MST

DualShock 4 CHU-ZCT2U Generation 4: L3 behaving wild after TMR stick update

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:15:19 -0700

Hi, I've been in the journey of changing the old sticks from my DS4 to Gulikit TMR ones, because of drift.

All went smooth, my controller works, but L3 is behaving very weird:

It clicks itself when I move the left stick on the left, also when I click it, the click input stays on for more than half a second. This half second is also the same time - more or less - the input lasts when I rotate the stick on the left, here's a video of what happens:

Right stick is flawless.

Calibration went well and all, but I really can't find the cause of this, my soldering was not the best but I've checked multiple times the pins and I don't see any bridge:

I'd really like to avoid desolder and resolder everything, are there some specific pins I should check?

⟐ Answered August 28, 2026 at 1:15 MST

Xbox 360: Where can I find a replacement spring, for usb port cover?

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:10:47 -0700

I left my MP3 player plugged into the usb port for too long. This resulted in my door loosing it's "spring" and would not return to the closed position. I have finally taking the time to look at what happened and I don't have the original spring anymore.

I need to know if i can simply go to any hardwear store and request a spring of that sizing, or is it something I need to find online(unfortunatly I did not see it on ifixit.com). If it is possible, I would be willing to make my own, but just don't know which material(s) would work best.

Thanks for your time :)

⟐ Commented August 28, 2026 at 1:10 MST

Xbox Series X: Series X no controller. Not wireless, Not wired.

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 01:00:23 -0700

One day I woke up and my controller would not connect. I spent hours trying to get it to connect. At one point, after I slapped it, the pairing button on the console did work, but then it stopped again.

Now the pairing button does nothing. Using the Xbox app to go into settings and try pairing it doesn't work either. When I use a USB-C cable that works fine with my PC and controller, nothing happens. I took the Xbox apart and reseated the accessory board. When I pressed the pairing button, it flashed for a second and then stopped.

Between when it first broke and now, the Xbox sat unplugged for a few weeks. I tried updating both the Xbox and the controller, but that didn't help. The controller, as well as two others I tried, work perfectly fine with my PC over the same cable.

I also tried unplugging everything external just to test it: no fan, no disc drive, no front-panel USB, and no accessory module. Still nothing. There is no change in behavior. It won't sync over a cable or wirelessly.

When I plug the controller in, it vibrates once. If I press the Xbox button, it turns on but just keeps flashing as if it's searching for something to connect to.

Does anybody have any idea what could be causing this? $800 for a new one is a rip-off, and I really don't want to buy a used one filled with weed smoke for $400 on eBay when I bought this one new for $500 a few years ago.

⟐ Commented August 28, 2026 at 1:00 MST

Xbox One S: How do I fix my broken xbox one S sync button?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 19:07:02 -0700

Okay so i figured out around two days ago i tried syncing my controller to me xbox one S but it wouldnt work i pressed the sync button on my xbox and i couldnt hear a click sound it makes normally when you sync a controller is a peice missing or is my sync button broken?

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 19:07 MST

Nintendo 3DS XL: 3ds hinge keeps popping back

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:22:31 -0700

Dear people from the internet,

My brother dropped his 3ds XL and hereby he broke the case of his 3ds XL. My other brother and I bought him a new case and I'm trying to put the motherboard from the old case in the new one. Since the hinge got lost, I bought a new one for him, but I can't seem to put it in the case. I tried to follow the steps from this movie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVn_m_OI... see 10:24 ) . I did al the other steps via ifixit pictures, but I couldn't find a good picture for the hinge.

Whenever I try to open the 3ds XL, the hinge keeps popping back (see https://vimeo.com/200072013).

Does someone know if I'm doing something wrong or if I bought the hinge for another 3ds or something?

Thanks in advance by a sister who lost all hope...

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 15:22 MST

Xbox 360: Xbox always says open disc tray

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:40:43 -0700

When a game is inserted, the Xbox still says "open tray." I have googled this and found it to be called "open tray error." Is there a way to fix this?

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 12:40 MST

Sega Dreamcast: Can this be fixed?

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 10:02:12 -0700

So long I was trying to do the Dreamcast clock battery mod and I'm sure I torn off the pads and probably broke traces due to my inexperience. Is it possible to fix this?

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 10:02 MST

Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller Series 2: Xbox Series X Gulikit TMR Joystick compatibility with Elite controller

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 07:49:08 -0700

This question is regarding the warning about compatibility of the Gulikit TMR Joystick with the Xbox Elite series controllers. There is a warning stating "Not recommended for Xbox Elite or Xbox One controllers due to unavailable software for joystick calibration." This doesn't make any sense because the Elite controllers actually use the Xbox Accessories app that has built in joystick calibration software. The very same software I see being used to calibrate the joysticks for the regular Xbox non-Elite version controllers.

I'm assuming the actual issue of compatibility is the different style of stem that has a thread to screw the Elite series thumbstick cover on. If that is the case, then my second question is if it is possible to replace the stem of the Gulikit thumbstick with the stems from Elite thumbsticks or not? I would really like to be able to replace the thumbsticks with TMR type if possible. The product page states that lack of calibration software is the issue, but I believe that is incorrect and the real problem is the stem difference. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone that has attempted this or knows enough about the TMR joysticks to know if they can be modified to fit the Elite 2. Thanks.

⟐ Answered August 27, 2026 at 7:49 MST

DualSense Controller V3: Controller turns off by itself after repair

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 02:41:44 -0700

I installed hall sensors in my controller because of stick drift,
it worked fine for the first gaming session for about 2-3 hours with no issues.

next day I wanted to use the controller, it turned off after 1-2 sec, and there could be up to 5 min´s before I could "try" to use it again with the same result. a few times it worked for about 20 sec and I could confirm that the ps5 says the battery on the controller is full, and no charge light comes up when connected to the ps5.

my ps5 at some point got fed up with me trying to reconnect the faulty controller that it wanted to restart and do some kind of repair which took under a sek, and I was not able to read it.

same story with hardware tester usbwired to a pc, it would show up for about a sec. and then disappear. and then randomly show up at different intervals for the same 1 sek.

what would make it do this ?

⟐ Commented August 27, 2026 at 2:41 MST

Xbox One Wireless Controller Model 1708: Why wont my controller turn on neither with batteries or plugged in?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:25:28 -0700

I recently found this controller from when i used to play on the xbox 1, but when i tried using it, it did not turn on. I have not modified it at all.

⟐ Answered August 26, 2026 at 23:25 MST

PlayStation 5: Ps5 won't turn on. No lights, no beeps. Just dead.

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:36:18 -0700

Last night in the middle of a round of Overwatch 2, the ps5 randomly cut off. New outlet, new cable tried, totally unresponsive. No lights, no beeps as long as I hold it.

⟐ Commented August 26, 2026 at 20:36 MST

Steam Machine (2nd Generation): Where can I find a replacement power cord?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:21:46 -0700

There doesn't seem to be any replacement parts listed on ifixit yet for the new steam machine. Is the power cord a standard shape I can find somewhere else?

⟐ Answered August 26, 2026 at 15:21 MST

PowerA Spectra Infinity Enhanced: Why is my controller joystick lose

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:04:43 -0700

My controller has a lose joystick that sometimes move the game on its own

⟐ Commented August 26, 2026 at 15:04 MST

Nintendo Wii U GamePad: iFixit WiiU Gamepad Battery Replacement has lines sticking out of wire

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:57:24 -0700

I got this iFixit Wii U gamepad battery last week, and it has some brown stuff sticking out of the wires. Does anyone know what they are and if the battery is still good to use?

⟐ Answer accepted August 26, 2026 at 7:57 MST

PlayStation 4 Slim: Why is my PS4 turning off in sleep mode?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:24:12 -0700

Somewhat recently, my PS4 Slim has started turning off while in sleep mode. When entering sleep mode, the console will make a chirping/squeaking noise (not a beeping noise, like it does when it powers on) for a few moments before turning off. When I leave it for a while, the entire system will turn off. When I power it back on (have to use the console instead of the controller) it prompts saying that the system wasn’t shut off properly. If I power the system off and on, instead of using sleep mode, everything is otherwise fine.

I have tried a few things, without much luck.

I’ve tried unplugging the system and letting it sit before plugging it back in.
I’ve tried rebuilding the database.
I’ve double-checked the power settings.

I held my ear close to the system during startup/shutdown near where the hard drive is, and the noise doesn’t seem to be originating from there.

The fact that it’s shutting down in sleep mode suggests that perhaps it’s a power supply issue. Has anybody else experienced this?

If it is in fact a power supply issue, how easily can I perform this repair myself?

⟐ Commented August 26, 2026 at 7:24 MST