PS5 no picture on the TV: white light, black screen

PS5 no picture: the console turns on, the light is white and you can hear it running, but your TV or monitor says there is no signal. In our Amsterdam workshop this is by far the most common PlayStation complaint. Often it is a cable or a setting, but very often it is a damaged HDMI port. This article goes through what you can test yourself, in the right order, and how to tell a setting from a broken port.

Blue Apple repairs PlayStation consoles in Amsterdam. Of all the PS5 repairs booked with us, the biggest group is about exactly this problem.

First look: what does the light do?

• White and stays white: the PS5 is on. The problem is between the console and the screen: the cable, the TV, a setting or the HDMI port.
• Blue pulsing, then off: the PS5 does not start properly. That is a different problem; read PS5 will not turn on.
• Orange: the PS5 is in rest mode. Press the PS button on your controller.

Step 1: cable and TV

1. Use the HDMI cable that came with the PS5. An old or very long cable cannot always handle the signal.
2. Try another HDMI input on your TV and select that input with the remote.
3. Try another TV or monitor. If it works there, the settings of your first TV are the problem.
4. Is there a soundbar, receiver or splitter in between? Connect the PS5 straight to the TV.

Step 2: safe mode

Sometimes the PS5 sends a picture format your TV cannot handle. You fix that in safe mode.

1. Switch the PS5 off completely: hold the power button until it beeps once and turns off.
2. Hold the power button again and only let go after the second beep, after about seven seconds.
3. Connect the controller with a USB cable and press the PS button.
4. Choose the option to change the video output and set a lower resolution, or change the HDCP mode.

If you do get a picture in safe mode, the port usually works and a setting was the problem. More in PS5 safe mode.

Step 3: look at the port

Look at the HDMI port at the back with a torch. If you see bent or missing pins, a loose port or a crooked plastic tab inside, the port is damaged. Do not keep plugging a cable in; that can break more.

Signs of a broken HDMI port

• No picture on any TV with any cable, not even in safe mode.
• The picture comes and goes when you move the cable.
• Sparkles, noise or flashes in the picture.
• It started after someone tripped over the cable, moved the console or yanked the cable out.

More about the causes in PS5 HDMI port broken.

Sound but no picture

Do you hear the menu sounds but see nothing? Then the console works and only the picture does not get through. That also usually points to the cable, the settings or the HDMI port. Sometimes the chip behind the port is damaged too; it makes sure the picture signal reaches the port properly.

What not to do

• Do not poke around in the port with a needle or paperclip.
• Do not push a cheap adapter into a loose port.
• Do not open the PS5 yourself without experience; inside there is liquid metal on the chip and the port is soldered to the motherboard.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

We test your PS5 with our own cables and screens. If the port is broken, we replace it by desoldering it from the motherboard and fitting a new port. Then we test the picture at several resolutions. If the chip behind the port is damaged as well, you hear that beforehand. We repair nothing without your approval. See PS5 HDMI port repair, PlayStation HDMI port repair or PlayStation repair in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

My PS5 beeps once and the light is white. Does it work?

Yes, the console starts. The problem is the picture: cable, TV, setting or HDMI port.

Can I lose my games with an HDMI repair?

No, the port has nothing to do with your storage. Your games and settings stay.

Does this apply to the PS5 Slim too?

Yes, the PS5 Slim and the PS5 Digital Edition have the same kind of HDMI port and the same complaints.