A PlayStation Portal teardown video has found that the handheld is repair-friendly, for the most part. Folks over at iFixit noted that the analog stick modules, for example, are screwed in rather than being soldered on, which means they can be replaced relatively easily in case of issues like stick drift.
PlayStation Portal repair shouldn’t be too hard, but still requires technical knowhow
In its teardown video, iFixit found that PlayStation Portal’s front buttons and D-pad components pop off quite easily, following which users can access the analog sticks. The sticks do come apart in a few pieces, but nothing cumbersome. iFixit noted that this is a step up from the DualSense, which has a “major repairability problem” because the analog stick modules are soldered on.
iFixit also noted that PlayStation Portal’s analog sticks use potentiometers like the DualSense, so stick drift will eventually become an issue with use. Additionally, the handheld’s display and battery removal aren’t exactly a piece of cake, so some owners may struggle in that department. Accessing the Portal’s battery requires quite a bit of disassembly, as demonstrated in the video below.
As a general reminder, tearing down the PlayStation Portal will void Sony‘s warranty.
