Sony PlayStation 4 Pro Gains Weight To Tackle 4K Gaming But Is Easily Gutted For DIY Repairs

A teardown analysis of the original PlayStation 4 console released in 2013 showed that Sony wasn't afraid to bare all its consoles naked bits. The company even posted its own teardown video, which owners of the console could use as a guide when attempting repairs or upgrading the storage drive. Well, good news for anyone who purchased a PlayStation 4 Pro (or plan to), Sony made it equally easy to tear into.

As it did with the original PS4 console, Sony again posted its own official teardown video of the PS4 Pro featuring Keiichi Aoki, director of mechanical design, disassembling the new system screw by screw. Here's a look at the nearly 13-minute long video:


Sony wasn't the only one to gut the PS4 Pro. So did the folks at iFixIt, which provided analysis along the way. Most of it was positive as it appears Sony isn't trying all that hard to keep users out, save for a couple of ominous "Warranty void if removed" stickers and the use of security screws. Otherwise, it's just a matter of being patient and methodical.

One of the easiest repairs or upgrades to perform on the PS4 Pro is the hard drive. A single standard Phillips #0 screw is all that stands in the way of the user and accessing the storage device. Two more screws hold the HDD in its drive caddy. It's a 2.5-inch HGST hard drive that spins at 5,400 RPM. Since the PS4 Pro has been upgraded with a SATA 6Gbps interface, it might be worthwhile to swap the drive out for a 7,200 RPM alternative or, even better, a solid state drive that can help utilize that additional throughput.


Performing any deeper repairs means removing the aforementioned security (Torx) screws and braving past the warranty labels. Presumably users would only dive into the PS4 Pro's innards beyond the warranty period anyway, so these are hardly roadblocks.

There's a bigger power supply inside the PS4 Pro versus the original PS4—289W versus 165W. That makes sense considering the PS4 Pro is rocking faster hardware in order to support gaming at 4K and in High Dynamic Range (HDR).


After the operation was complete, the PS4 Pro emerged with a Repairability Score of 8 out of 10, same as the original PS4. Other than the Torx screws and voided warranty stickers, it was smooth sailing. There's no adhesive (a rare exclusion in electronics these days) and the non-proprietary storage drive is easy to remove.