Game console repair in Schaumburg and Des Plaines

Common console problems and what usually causes them

Match what your console is doing to the likely fault. We confirm the real cause when you bring it in, before we quote.

This page covers consoles and their controllers. A gaming PC is a different job: see gaming PC repair. For a gaming laptop, see laptop repair.

• The console turns on, but the TV says "No signal": often the HDMI port
• The picture flickers or cuts out when the cable is touched: a loose HDMI port
• Discs aren't recognized, get pushed back out, or the drive grinds or clicks: the disc drive
• The fan is loud, the console runs hot, or it shuts off mid-game: dust and overheating
• Nothing happens when you press power, or it turns on and straight back off: a power fault
• The character walks or the camera turns with nobody touching the stick: controller drift

PS5 and PS4 repair

We repair the PlayStation 5, disc and Digital Edition, and the PlayStation 4. The faults below all apply to them: the HDMI port, the disc drive, overheating, no power, and stick drift on DualSense and DualShock 4 controllers.

The PS5 cools its processor with liquid metal and the PS4 with thermal paste, so a cleaning is a different job on each. The cleaning section below covers both.

A PS4 stuck on a pulsing blue light with no picture can have a fault in the HDMI port or another part inside the console. We find the real fault first and tell you what it costs before any work starts.

Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One repair

We repair the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S and the Xbox One, for the same faults as a PlayStation: the HDMI port, the disc drive, overheating, no power and controller stick drift.

The Series S and the all-digital Xbox models have no disc drive. The Series X and Series S have their power supply inside the console, while the original Xbox One runs from an external power brick, which matters when one won't turn on (see below).

Nintendo Switch, Switch OLED and Switch Lite repair

We repair the Nintendo Switch, the Switch OLED and the Switch Lite. A Switch has no HDMI port and no disc drive, so the usual jobs are different: Joy-Con stick drift, a console that won't turn on, and heat and fan noise.

A docked Switch sends its picture to the TV through the dock. When the TV stays blank, the dock, the cable or the Switch's own USB-C port is the likely cause, and we check which one before we quote.

HDMI port repair for PS5, PS4 and Xbox

A loose or broken HDMI port is one of the most common console repairs we do. It often happens when a console is moved or knocked over with the cable still plugged in, or when the cable gets yanked sideways. The pins inside the port bend, or the port cracks away from the board it is soldered to.

Before you bring it in, try a different HDMI cable and a different input on the TV. If the screen still says no signal while the console's light is on, the port, or the parts on the board right behind it, is the likely cause.

Once it is fixed, leave some slack in the cable and unplug it before you move the console.

A Switch has no HDMI port of its own: the port is on the dock. For a Switch that shows nothing on the TV, see the Switch section above.

Disc drive repair

Signs: discs aren't recognized, the console won't take a disc or keeps pushing it back out, a disc is stuck inside, or the drive grinds or clicks.

Try a different disc first, and wipe the one that won't play with a soft cloth. If every disc fails, the problem is the drive. A drop can knock the laser out of line or break the loading mechanism.

Bring the console in and you get a quote before any work starts.

Console cleaning, overheating and thermal paste

Signs: the fan is louder than it used to be, the console is hot to the touch, or it shuts itself off with an overheating warning.

A common cause is dust and pet hair packed into the fan and the heatsink fins, so air can't get through. A console in a closed cabinet or standing on carpet also runs hotter.

A cleaning means opening the console and clearing the dust out of the fan and heatsink. The thermal paste between the processor and its heatsink also dries out over the years, and replacing it is one of our console repairs. The PS5 uses liquid metal there instead of paste.

Between cleanings, keep the vents clear and leave space around the console. The original PS5 has two dust catchers under its side covers that you can vacuum yourself.

Console won't turn on

Signs: no light and no sound when you press power, the light comes on and goes straight off, or the console shuts itself off after a few minutes.

Check the simple things first: a different outlet, and the power cable pushed all the way into the console. An original Xbox One has an external power brick with a light on it; if that light is off, the brick may be the problem rather than the console. A Switch with a fully drained battery may show nothing at first, so leave it on its charger for a while before you decide it is dead.

If none of that helps, bring it in. Consoles that won't power on are one of the repairs we do, and you get a quote before any work starts.

Controller and Joy-Con drift repair

Signs: the character walks or the camera turns on its own, or a stick doesn't return to the center.

Drift usually comes from wear inside the thumbstick. It happens on PlayStation DualSense and DualShock 4 controllers, Xbox controllers and Nintendo Joy-Con. On a Switch, try Calibrate Control Sticks first (System Settings, then Controllers and Sensors). If the stick still drifts after that, it is worn.

Is it worth fixing? You get the quote before any work starts, and you decide whether to go ahead.

How console repair works at our two stores

Consoles are repaired at both Zombie Techs stores: the Schaumburg store in Algonquin Plaza, 831 E Algonquin Rd, and the Des Plaines store at 1635 E Oakton St. Each has on-site parking, and both are open Monday to Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM, closed on weekends.

Rather ask first? Request a repair online and get a free quote by reply, by text or email.

1. Bring the console to either store. No appointment needed.
2. We find the real fault first and tell you what it costs before any work starts. You get a diagnosis and a quote back the same business day.
3. There is a diagnostic fee, and it goes toward the repair. We don't post prices, because the cost depends on the console and the fault.
4. You decide whether to go ahead.

Common questions

Do I need an appointment?

No. Walk into our Schaumburg or Des Plaines store, Monday to Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM. Call Schaumburg at 847-348-0264 or Des Plaines at 847-585-2355 with any questions.

Is there a charge to look at my console?

There is a diagnostic fee, and it goes toward the repair. We tell you what the repair costs before any work starts.

Can you fix a PS5 HDMI port?

Yes. A loose or broken HDMI port is one of the most common console repairs we do, on the PS5 and on PS4 and Xbox consoles too.

Do you fix controller drift?

Yes, on PlayStation and Xbox controllers and on Nintendo Joy-Con. You get a quote before any work starts.

Do you come to my house to fix it?

No, we don't make house calls. Bring the console to our Schaumburg or Des Plaines store.

Do your repairs come with a warranty?

Yes, repairs come with a 90-day warranty. If something goes wrong with the repair within 90 days, bring it back to the store that did the repair.