Have you ever repaired or opened up a gaming related device?

[Vaggplus]

Hey everyone it's Evan,
Today I got some replacement parts for my controller and did some general cleaning around the casing.
In the past I have messed around and opened quite a few devices like the PSP, the PS3 and several Sony controllers (PSX-PS4) and even some Arcade Sticks for good measure.

Which got me thinking, have any of you repaired, cleaned or just got curious and opened any of your gaming devices? Do you have any stories when you tried to fix or figure out what was even wrong with your devices? Is it too much of a hassle to dedicate time for these things?

I sure have a few stories of my own, like when I was fixing a broken PS2 Slim with the power supply still plugged to the wall. Pro tip: Don't forget to unplug the power from devices, that power supply hurt like hell when I accidentally placed my palm all over it (lol).
I also gained some experience with soldering in the past, so I can also replace surface mount components or fix connectors and cables but I haven't done any of that with my devices yet only for work purposes!

 

[Stookymalarkey]

I had to open up some of my gaming related devices. I opened up a couple of my Dualshock 4 controllers to replace the battery and clean it, and thankfully it wasn't too hard. I tried the same with my Dualshock 3, but sadly since the screws were so small I accidentally stripped one of the screws and couldn't get it open.

 

[bjork]

I tried taking apart a couple of launch PS3 controllers for my dad once, had a really hard time putting them back together properly. I think I wound up just buying him new ones, heh.

I think the "is it too much of a hassle" question relies heavily on your level of prowess versus your level of spending money. I once blew the controller ports on a Dreamcast and debated fixing it for about an hour before I just said forget it and drove around until I found a replacement Dreamcast to buy.

 

[Vaggplus]

I had to open up some of my gaming related devices. I opened up a couple of my Dualshock 4 controllers to replace the battery and clean it, and thankfully it wasn't too hard. I tried the same with my Dualshock 3, but sadly since the screws were so small I accidentally stripped one of the screws and couldn't get it open.

I remember opening my Sixasis controller (PS3 og controller) and several parts from the L2/R2 popped off all over the place. I hate opening PS3 controllers lol. Yeah you need to be careful about stripping the screws otherwise you need to measure the length, the type and size for new ones and that is a hassle!

I tried taking apart a couple of launch PS3 controllers for my dad once, had a really hard time putting them back together properly. I think I wound up just buying him new ones, heh.

I think the "is it too much of a hassle" question relies heavily on your level of prowess versus your level of spending money. I once blew the controller ports on a Dreamcast and debated fixing it for about an hour before I just said forget it and drove around until I found a replacement Dreamcast to buy.

Those things are a mess to put back together, I feel like the PS4 controllers were more friendly to put back together in that regard. Honestly I was actually thinking the same about my controller I posted. I wanted to get replacement parts for it but the delivery costs and fees to even get to my country added over 10 euros for parts that barely costed 2 euros and decided to put it off for a while until I took a gamble and ordered some PS5 parts off Temu. Thankfully these parts fit in place.

 

[Xdqwerty]

I tried to fix my O3DSXL but found out I don't have the neccesary stuff to do so

 

[Vaggplus]

I tried to fix my O3DSXL but found out I don't have the neccesary stuff to do so

I never opened up a Nintendo 3DS the closest I got was the Wii U gamepad to clean the screen. Were you missing those special screwdriver bits Nintendo uses?

 

[jon2]

The entire NES with controllers and some cartridges, SNES controller and Super UFO, the entire PSX with controllers of the original and Dual Shock kind and also PSX Memory cards, a PS2 (not slim)

Don't worry, aside from some NES cartridges all of those I tinkered with all came out fine (before some vital parts finally gave up the ghost)

 

[Elwiwi]

No , I'm too stupid to do it

 

[Xdqwerty]

Were you missing those special screwdriver bits Nintendo uses?

Both that and a replacement screen

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 5:30 PM

No , I'm too stupid to do it

Don't downplay yourself

 

[Antilocal123]

Family member runs a business where they repair techy shit and one time some shmuck brought a switch and I tinkered with it’s insides like a condom but other than that nah.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

I once slammed my screen and that fixed it XD

The PC would sometimes become stupid so i tinker with few cables and its back to work.

2 or 3 times i got the fans of the PC out and cleaned them along with removing many PC parts that didn't work like one hard disk that didn't function.

I had to do these small cable things that light up certain places in the PC

My tools are a screwdriver a vaccum and my phone flash.

 

[DunkeyKong]

I've tried repairing stuff a few times before, my X3 controller a few months ago for example. I've tried wiping isopropyl on the button that got stuck but that didn't work, so I open the parts to fix that

It did work after I screwed it all back, even though it wasn't as clicky as before, at least it's not stuck anymore

 

[Blamhammer]

I just repaired my PS4 pad today, a launch model JDS-001 one. Lost count how many batteries, contact pads, charging ports and cable, and flex board i've replaced on this one pad. Also I bought it broken and apart in the first place.

I tend to buy faulty or discarded game stuff for cheap. I grabbed a DSi XL with a broken hinge which was an easy fix with epoxy.

Mind you I can't do stuff like de-lidding a PS3 CELL or fine soldering jobs.

 

[Vaggplus]

I once slammed my screen and that fixed it XD

The PC would sometimes become stupid so i tinker with few cables and its back to work.

2 or 3 times i got the fans of the PC out and cleaned them along with removing many PC parts that didn't work like one hard disk that didn't function.

I had to do these small cable things that light up certain places in the PC

My tools are a screwdriver a vaccum and my phone flash.

I am sure we all had our "smack it and it works" phase in the past.

I need to dust out my PC as well sometime this year, the fans are getting dusty.Ah you must be talking about LED strips they are neat.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

I am sure we all had our "smack it and it works" phase in the past.

Yeah wont be a PC user with smacking the monitor once.

I need to dust out my PC as well sometime this year, the fans are getting dusty.Ah you must be talking about LED strips they are neat.

Yup better be before it causes any unwanted problems

 

[Vaggplus]

I just repaired my PS4 pad today, a launch model JDS-001 one. Lost count how many batteries, contact pads, charging ports and cable, and flex board i've replaced on this one pad. Also I bought it broken and apart in the first place.

I tend to buy faulty or discarded game stuff for cheap. I grabbed a DSi XL with a broken hinge which was an easy fix with epoxy.

Mind you I can't do stuff like de-lidding a PS3 CELL or fine soldering jobs.

If I had a dedicated area to fix and tinker with faulty electronics I definitely would pick it up as a hobby to get some repairs done on them.

I don't think I would be able to de-lid a PS3 CELL without screwing something up in the process but I can assemble prototype PCBs with some patience and a portable electric stove.

 

[Matricks]

Always have, been a modder,pirate,hacker lifelong ever.
My very 1st opening inside was the Megadrive pal 50/ ntsc 60hz and jap/eng lang region mod: play imports.

Amiga 500: ext Ram card 512kB to 1.5MB mod, cpu mod 68010 upgrade.
Snes region mod. chip.
PSX, Xbox, ps2, NSwitch modchips inside.
Ps3,ps4pro,x360,psp,psvita,nds,3ds softmods.

 

[Onionstarz]

I modded my Megadrive with a hacksaw when i was 16 to play cheap JP imports from the local import shop.
I used to buy broken screen/case psp's for cheap from ebay then buy cheap screens/cases from china and double my money for 10 mins of work.
Ive also modded my PSP 1001 to run off usb power.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

Last soldering job went well but sadly I don't think the stick I was replacing was compatible with the model, because now it's the other stick and the buttons that are not working.

Good news is, WD40 and cleaning got rid of the drift on the other gamepad.

I think my cheap iron is not heating enough for soldering on PCBs tho. Might invest in some proper soldering equipment at some point but for all the usual cable and jack and headphone repairs, it's still doing the job. It resurrected my beautiful BeyerDynamics DT770...

Special shootout to my trusty polycaprolactone beads. The cheapest thermomoldable isolating shit you could get out there.

 

[Raud]

I can open and repair my PSP with no problem, I once open up a PS2 to fix the light of power and some clean up, the 3DS also when I had to repair the stick.

 

[Varyag]

I've had to open up and clean or fix multiple controllers in the past, especially with more recent XBox controllers since they're so expensive here. I've also replaced the drifting joycon sticks on my Switch Lite with chinese Hall Effect ones with great success. And well, I've been messing with computer parts since I was a kid, so I guess that counts too. I regularly open my PC case to at least clean it of accumulated dust, and I used to do that with my laptops too.

I opened up my old broken PS2 at my friend's house (I was giving him the console) and I forogt not everyone has the same level of care and know-how than I do, and he uh, broke a flat cable clamp. No big deal, but the repair guy he sent it to will have one more thing to fix now lol.

 

[Graw]

I've opened up my 8bitdo controller a few times for cleaning. It was pretty straightforward. I've opened up other controllers in the past as well. I've opened computers up lots, laptops less often. I haven't opened many consoles. I opened my dad's ps3 and cleaned it for him because it sounded like shit when I was visiting him one day and I opened up my TurboGrafx to try and see why it stopped working after sitting in a closet for a few years but that's about it as far as consoles go. I've opened lots of other electronics and appliances before just not many consoles or gaming related stuff.

 

[Advil Lavs]

I mostly have experience with trying to fix DS devices (but just the bottom part).
First time was when I bough a very cheap DSi with Sonic Chronicles. It worked suspiciously well when I bough a replacement battery and a charger but then it stopped charging. I've asked a lot of people and at the end I found out it pulls more watts than it's supposed to. I had even less knowledge on how electronics work so I just left it in my drawer until had the tools and skill to fix it.
Two or so years after that I bought a 3DS which was advertised to be working correctly, then I found out the charger's insides were missing. Luckily the small plates for the dock were still there so I bought a cradle to charge it. A few months after that that stopped working too (I bought the wrong cradle and had to a lot of dumb shit to make it work, and the I broke it) so I just bought a replacement charging port. That was the second time I held a soldering iron iny hand and luckily the first successful soldering I've done. Hopefully I'll get better at this because I've wanted to buy and fix broken consoles as a hobby (and hopefully I'll be able to fix the consoles I've broken myself because I feel ashamed for one of them).

 

[sijaab]

a lot

mainly to clean/repaste

 

[Vaggplus]

I think my cheap iron is not heating enough for soldering on PCBs tho. Might invest in some proper soldering equipment at some point but for all the usual cable and jack and headphone repairs, it's still doing the job. It resurrected my beautiful BeyerDynamics DT770...

It really depends on the component but I remember using somewhere between 280°C-310°C to fix in place or replace components. The tip of the iron also plays a big role at how much heat it can transfer, flux is always your friend and it works like magic!
Saving those BeyerDynamics DT770 must have felt amazing, a relative of mine is an audiophile and will do anything to keep his audio gear in top condition.