Thanks to the PlayStation 4 you have spent a lot of time playing your favorite video games, having fun with your friends and completing tons of challenges. However, electronic devices also need maintenance over the years. This can result from an accumulation of dust, or from a defective component that needs to be replaced. If you heard strange noises while playing on the PS4, or saw that there is a lot of dust in the air vents, don’t be scared!
This type of situation is completely normal, especially if a device, such as a console, is used for a long time. In case you need to take a look inside the PS4, know that you’ve come to the right place! Thanks to my advice, you will quickly understand how to open the PS4 and check its condition without compromising its integrity.
How do you say? Can’t wait to get started? Then all you have to do is get comfortable and carefully read everything I’m about to tell you. You will see that opening the PS4 is a simpler operation than it seems. So I just have to wish you good reading and wish you a big good luck!
Index
- Preliminary information
- How to open PS4 Fat
- How to open PS4 Slim
- How to open PS4 Pro
Preliminary information
Before proceeding and showing you how you can open a PS4 , I would like to give you some preliminary information in this regard.
As I mentioned earlier, with the passage of time even a PS4 needs maintenance, which can be useful in solving problems with dirt or technical failures. If, therefore, you feel that the console is overheating or that it produces suspicious noises, know that it is necessary to intervene.
What you need to know, however, is that carrying out these operations, or physically opening the console, unfortunately will invalidate the warranty . This means that, in the event of a breakdown, the console can no longer be taken over by Sony support, or by the retailer from whom you purchased it. The only thing you can do about the console’s internal hardware without voiding the warranty is to change the hard drive .
If, despite this, you are still convinced to continue, be sure to put in place all the preliminary steps necessary to do a good job. Before opening the PS4 first make sure that the console is turned off and therefore not simply in rest mode: if you have any doubts, or do not know how to perform this check, read my article where I explain how to turn off the PS4 . Then make sure to unplug the power cord and HDMI cable connected to the TV.
Also, to open the PS4 you need to know that you will need the right equipment: a T8 or T9 screwdriver and a Phillips screwdriver with a 3mm tip .
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The last thing left to do before opening the console is to place the PS4 on a flat , dry and clean , so as to work in the best conditions. I advise you to use a microfibre cloth on the support surface . Without these necessary premises, I would say that the time has come to continue and understand how to open the PS4 .
How to open PS4 Fat
If you have a PS4 Fat , that is a PlayStation 4 first model, here’s how you need to proceed.
The first thing to do, after having taken care to disconnect the PS4 from each cable as I told you a little while ago, is to remove the body that covers the hard disk, pushing it and sliding it, then, outwards. If you want to remove the hard disk from its slot, remove the screw located at the bottom left. Next, turn the PS4 over and locate the four rectangular shaped stickers on the back of the console.
Remove, then, the stickers with the help, if necessary, with a cutter (I remind you that removing the four stickers will definitively invalidate the guarantee ). Once this is done, remove the screws you just discovered using the T8 / T9 screwdriver , then remove the body by applying a little force and sliding it gently.
At this point, turn the PS4 over again to remove the last remaining shell . Then remove the two screws with a T8 / T9 screwdriver and, applying a little force, lift the body and then slide it. Now, by flipping the console over, you will have access to the fan (of which you can check the integrity and cleanliness) and to the power supply . To remove the latter, you have to extract a total of five screws : two classic cross-shaped screws placed at the corners, and three more to be removed with the T8 / T9 screwdriver placed at the edges.
Proceed, therefore, with the removal of the screws (taking care not to lose them) and extract, applying a little force, the power supply . In this regard, I invite you to pay attention to the connector , on your right, which you can disconnect (with the help of pliers) as soon as you have removed the power supply.
Once the power supply is removed, you’ll need to take care of the console’s Blu-Ray player . I warn you that this is a very delicate operation , as a damage to the optical reader could compromise the correct functioning of the PS4. If you need a visual reference, I recommend watching a video on YouTube made by TronicsFix (in English, but very easy to follow for everyone) regarding the procedure for disassembling the player .
So, what you need to do is disconnect the two Molex cables , first the black one (the largest to be clear) and then the blue one . The extraction of the two cables must be done in an extremely delicate way , disconnecting them with small movements and avoiding sudden maneuvers. Then, with the help of pliers , disconnect the cable located under the first Molex type you have disconnected (the black one ). Now all you have to do is remove the four screws located in the corners of the reader, using the T8 / T9 screwdriver .
I advise you to pay attention to the screw located in the lower right corner of the player , as it helps to hold the Wi-Fi module firmly , connected with the thin black cable passing above the Blu-Ray player. Once the screw has been removed, in fact, you will have to move the cable with the module, removing it from above the reader.
Then proceed with removing the other screws placed at the corners and, finally, the last screw positioned on the bottom edge . After these operations, you can finally remove the reader from its housing.
Now, if your intention, in addition to checking the health of the console components, is to clean the PS4 , follow the instructions I gave you in my tutorial on the subject.
To reassemble each single component, later, you simply have to carry out the same steps backwards, always taking care not to damage any component and to insert all the screws in the correct way. Once all the operations are finished, when you have to connect the appropriate cables again, I suggest you also read my guide where I explain how to connect the PS4 to the TV , in case you have any doubts about it.
How to open PS4 Slim
If you have a PS4 Slim at home , I would like to inform you that the procedure to be implemented to open this version of the Sony home console has some variations compared to that of the PS4 Fat. To have a visual reference and follow each step in detail, I recommend watching a video tutorial on YouTube, such as that of TronicsFix (in English but very understandable even for those who do not “chew” the language in question).
In this case, the first thing you need to do is turn the console over and remove the adhesive covering the screw, to be extracted later with a T8 / T9 screwdriver . Then remove the plastic placed next to the adhesive covering the hard disk screw, pushing it outwards. Once this is done, you will need to remove the rear shell , applying a little force on the edges (one at a time) and sliding it gently.
Once you have removed the case, you will notice the presence of a metal plate covering the motherboard, and the optical reader of the console. To gain access to the motherboard, you will need to disconnect the Wi-Fi cable using pliers, and then disconnect each cable connected to the motherboard, always taking care not to make sudden maneuvers.
Next, flip the console over to remove the front cover by prying the edges again to lift it. As you have surely noticed, unlike the PS4 Fat , in this case you will not have to extract any screws as regards the shells, which must be removed completely by hand. Therefore, once the front body is removed, you will find the power supply , the fan and the optical reader below .
In this case, I would like to point out that the connection for the Wi-Fi module is located above the power supply. You will have to take care, therefore, to be careful to remove the screws on the power supply and then the one placed on the small metal plate . Removing the power supply, in fact, you will immediately find the Wi-Fi antenna on the motherboard and, if you want to remove it, you will have to use pliers very carefully .
To have access to the fan and the optical reader , you will have to remove the metal plate placed on top, removing the necessary screws and lifting it always with great care. If you have any doubts or want some visual help, watch carefully the video I recommended and you will see that the operation will be even easier!
How to open PS4 Pro
If your interest is to open a PS4 Pro , then I announce that the operation is quite similar to that of the PS4 Slim . To remove the front cover, all you have to do is lift it in each of the two front corners (one at a time) applying a little force. In this way, I assure you that removing the front cover will be a breeze and you will immediately have access to the power supply , the fan and the optical reader .
To remove the back case , flip the console over and remove the plastic covering the hard drive. Next, remove the two stickers covering the screws on the back of the console, to extract them later with a T8 / T9 screwdriver . Don’t forget to remove the screw on the top back as well. Once this is done, with a little force, remove the rear body by lifting it and sliding it.
Also in this case, to get a clearer idea of what to do, I recommend watching a video tutorial on YouTube, like that of TronicsFix (also in English) in which it is perfectly explained how to open a PS4 Pro.
