When a PS5 powers on but shows "no signal", the fault is almost always in the path the video signal takes from the processor to your TV. Two parts in that path commonly fail. One is the HDMI port on the back of the console. The other is a small chip on the board that processes the HDMI signal, usually called the HDMI chip or the retimer.
From the outside, the two faults look identical. Both give you a working console and a blank TV. But they're very different repairs, and knowing which one you're likely to have helps you set expectations before you book anything.
What each part does
The HDMI port is the socket on the back of the console that your cable plugs into. It's soldered to the mainboard by a row of fine pins and some heavier anchor points. It's also the most exposed part of the console: every knock, every yanked cable and every console moved while plugged in puts force straight through it.
The HDMI chip sits on the board between the processor and the port. The processor produces the video signal, and the chip conditions and strengthens it so it arrives cleanly at your TV at the full resolution and bandwidth the PS5 supports. If the chip fails, the processor can be producing a perfect signal that never reaches the port.
How the faults usually differ
There's no reliable way to know for certain from the outside, but there are strong clues.
It's more likely to be the port if:
The fault started after the cable was knocked, pulled or tripped over
The console was moved or dropped while the cable was plugged in
The port looks damaged, with bent pins or a crooked socket
The picture flickers or only appears with the cable held at an angle
The HDMI plug feels loose, or won't go in fully
It's more likely to be the chip if:
The port looks perfect and the cable seats firmly
The fault appeared suddenly, with no knock, drop or cable accident
It happened after a power cut, a surge or a thunderstorm
There was no warning period of flickering first
In practice, a "no signal" console usually has a damaged port. The chip is the less common of the two. The two can also be linked: a port that has been badly damaged can short and take the chip with it.
The only way to be sure is to test the console on the bench, which is part of every HDMI repair I do.
Rule out the free causes first
Before either of these, make sure it isn't the cable, the TV or a video setting. A faulty cable and a TV that can't accept the console's output both give exactly the same symptom, and neither costs anything to fix. I've set out the checks in order in PS5 no signal: what to check first, including how to use Safe Mode to reset the video output. If you get a picture in Safe Mode, neither the port nor the chip has failed.
To check the port itself, how to tell if your PS5 HDMI port is damaged shows exactly what to look for.
Why I repair the port but not the chip
A port repair is precise work, but it's well understood: the old port comes off, the pads are prepared, and a new port goes on. Done properly, it's reliable, which is why I offer it at a fixed price with a 12-month warranty.
Replacing the HDMI chip is a different kind of job. The chip is soldered underneath by a grid of tiny connections you can't see or reach directly. Replacing it means removing and refitting a component that sits close to the processor, and the results are less predictable than a port repair. Rather than offer a repair I can't stand behind with the same confidence, I've chosen not to do it.
So if your console turns out to have a failed HDMI chip, the repair is no fix, no fee. I tell you what I've found, refund what you paid, less return postage, and send the console back. You're then free to take it to a specialist who does chip work, knowing exactly what the fault is.
What the repair involves when it's the port
A PS5 HDMI port repair with me is £75 all-in for the original PS5, PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro, including parts and tracked return postage. I remove the damaged port with hot air, clean and prepare the pads, and solder in a new port under magnification. The repair doesn't disturb the liquid metal cooling on the processor, and your games and saves aren't touched. Every repair is covered by a 12-month warranty.
If the port has been torn off hard enough to damage the board underneath, I'll quote for the extra work before doing anything more. PS5 HDMI port repair cost in the UK explains what affects the price.
My recommendation
Rule out the cable, TV and settings first. Then look at what happened when the fault started. If there was a knock, a pulled cable or a fall, or the port looks damaged, it's very likely the port, which is a routine, fixed-price repair. If the fault appeared out of nowhere and the port looks perfect, the chip is a real possibility. It's still worth sending in, because the bench test tells you for certain, and with no fix, no fee, there's no repair fee if I can't fix it.
The Repair Works is an independent UK repair service, run by me, Paul — 25 years of hands-on repair experience, working by post for customers across the whole country. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony.
