iFixIt Tears Open Sony's PlayStation 4, Discover's It's Easy to Repair
After seven long years, Sony today finally launched to retail another flagship game console. We're of course talking about the PlayStation 4, a $399 system with a x86 foundation that further blurs the lines between what constitutes a console for a PC (we're not saying they're one-in-the-same, just more similar than ever before). To underscore the point, we now have two detailed teardowns of the PS4 that show how easy it is to service at home.
The first teardown came courtesy of Sony. In a surprise move, Sony posted a video showing the PS4 disassembled from top to bottom, in part because the hardware maker wanted to showcase the system's efficient design. Now we have another teardown analysis, this one from the folks at iFixIt who are never afraid to give you the straight scoop.
Source: iFixIt
The PlayStation 4 earned a rather impressive 8/10 "Repairability Score" from iFixIt, which had very little to complain about. Two of iFixIt's gripes are that you have to disassemble quite a bit of the console to access the fan for cleaning (and even more for replacement), and that the sharp mid-plane could poke or scratch your fingers. The PS4 also got dinged for using security screws and tamper-evident seals that discourage users from cracking open the chassis.
Source: iFixIt
On the plus side, there was no adhesive to be found, making disassembly and reassembly both incredibly easy. Furthermore, Sony opted for a non-proprietary hard drive that's both easy to access and replace without voiding your warranty.
The first teardown came courtesy of Sony. In a surprise move, Sony posted a video showing the PS4 disassembled from top to bottom, in part because the hardware maker wanted to showcase the system's efficient design. Now we have another teardown analysis, this one from the folks at iFixIt who are never afraid to give you the straight scoop.
Source: iFixIt
The PlayStation 4 earned a rather impressive 8/10 "Repairability Score" from iFixIt, which had very little to complain about. Two of iFixIt's gripes are that you have to disassemble quite a bit of the console to access the fan for cleaning (and even more for replacement), and that the sharp mid-plane could poke or scratch your fingers. The PS4 also got dinged for using security screws and tamper-evident seals that discourage users from cracking open the chassis.
Source: iFixIt
On the plus side, there was no adhesive to be found, making disassembly and reassembly both incredibly easy. Furthermore, Sony opted for a non-proprietary hard drive that's both easy to access and replace without voiding your warranty.
So, is anyone planning to pick up a PS4 today or soon?
