Retro console repair in Longmont. Modern consoles, case by case.
The console lane here is retro first: restores, recaps, cartridge readers, and mods, quoted per job with parts at cost. Modern consoles (PS5, Xbox Series, Switch) are case by case: tell us what is going on and the bench says honestly whether it is ours. You approve the quote before any work starts, and the diagnosis is free when you do.
Console repair prices
Labor rates on the page, parts at cost on the quote. You approve before anything starts.
Diagnosis
Free when you approveBench test and a straight answer. The $49 fee applies only if you decline a fixable repair. And if it's not worth fixing, you pay nothing either way.
HDMI port replacement
$149–$199PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and only when the bench takes the job (case by case). The classic no-signal-or-glitches failure: the port's solder joints crack under the weight of a cable. We replace the port and reinforce the joint.
Console recapping
Quoted after we lookThe leaky-cap eras: Dreamcast, GameCube, original Xbox, PS2, and the Sega boards. When those capacitors age out they leak onto the board and take the console with them. A recap replaces them before they leak, prevention, not rescue. Kit cost + labor, one quote. Console recaps are one lane of the shop's recap service, which covers any board from any era; if the call itself is the question, the is a recap worth it guide asks it cap by cap.
Disc drive repair
$79–$129 + partsNot reading discs, grinding noises, stuck trays. Lasers, motors, and mechanism work on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and older consoles.
Overheating deep clean + repaste
$79–$99Loud fans and mid-game shutdowns. Full teardown, dust out, fresh thermal paste, fan health check. The fix for a console that sounds like a jet taking off.
Power supply repair
$69–$129 + partsDead console, no light, no life. Internal power-supply and power-circuit repairs; we quote the board work before we start it.
Controller & stick drift
$29–$59Joy-Con drift, DualSense sticks, Xbox controllers. Worn stick modules replaced, not recalibrated on their way out.
Retro consoles
Quoted per consoleNES, SNES, Sega Genesis, N64, GameCube, Game Boy, and PlayStation 2: no-power fixes, cartridge reader service, full restorations, and retromods. The retro bench, in detail. The sibling game machines have their own bench too: pinball & arcade repair.
iPods & classic electronics
Quoted + partsBattery replacements and restoration to stock on classic iPods and beloved older gear. The classic bench, in detail. E-readers and tablets are a different lane in the same repair family: the e-reader & tablet bench.
Modding, every generation
Modding consoles has been the heart of this shop since forever, all generations, from the 8-bit era to current. Repairs bring a console back to stock; mods take it past stock. Every mod is quoted after we look: kit cost plus labor, and you approve before anything starts.
HDMI mod installs
Quoted after we lookN64, GameCube, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, Saturn. Digital video out of machines born for composite: a sharp, steady picture on a modern TV instead of a blurry analog one. Kit cost + labor.
RGB & SCART mods
Quoted after we lookFor the CRT-and-scaler crowd: clean RGB out of consoles that only shipped composite or RF, into the displays that can actually show it. Kit cost + labor.
ODE installs
Quoted after we lookOptical drive emulators, GDEMU/MODE-class kits. Games load from SD or CF card, there is no laser left to wear out, and your disc shelf stops being a wear item. Kit cost + labor.
Region-free mods
Quoted after we lookImport consoles that play everything: the region lock switched off so a Japanese machine runs U.S. carts and discs like it was born to it. Kit cost + labor.
Switch modchips
Quoted after we lookBootloader-class installs on current hardware: homebrew and backup play, soldered at the bench with the right chip for your board revision. Kit cost + labor.
Flash carts & Everdrives
Quoted after we lookSetup and compatibility config, not just the sale: the cart matched to your console, the SD card laid out, and the games verified loading. Your retro machine stays original on the outside.
LED & shell mods
Quoted after we lookLight and looks: LED kits and shell swaps on any generation. The deep resto-mod builds, full case work, one-off commissions, live on the custom bench.
Per-console deep dives, same quoted-after-look terms: Game Boy mods · N64 mods · GameCube mods · PlayStation mods · Dreamcast mods · Sega mods · Original Xbox mods · Wii mods · Handheld mods · Save battery replacement · Console restoration
And the weird tier, same terms: MiSTer & RetroPie builds · Fight stick builds & mods · Circuit bending
The four failures we see every week
Consoles fail in patterns. These are the four that walk in the door most.
Loud fan, shutdowns mid-game
A decade of dust packed on the heatsink and thermal paste that dried out years ago. A deep clean and repaste brings the noise and the shutdowns down.
No signal on the TV (or glitches)
The HDMI port's solder joints crack under cable weight. If wiggling the cable changes the picture, it is the port, not your TV. Replacement is a flat $99–$149 on the big four.
Stick drift
The stick's internal sensor wears out with use. It is wear, not something you did. We replace the stick module instead of recalibrating a dying one.
Disc read errors
Lasers dim, motors wear, trays jam. Most drives are repairable or the mechanism replaceable for far less than a new console.
Had a console repair fail somewhere else?
It happens more than it should: the port was swapped and the joint was not, or the fix worked until it did not. Bring us the repair that failed and we will show you what actually happened inside.
We open it and photograph what we find
Before any work: what the last repair did, what the board looks like now, and what it actually needs. You see the photos and a plain-language report.
The number does not move
If we find extra damage, you get a call before anything changes. The quote you approved does not creep because someone else's work did.
Board-level, not a swap
Cold joints, lifted pads and cracked port anchors are repaired at the board. That is the step a hurry-up swap skips, and it is why the same failure comes back.
Bring the old receipt or quote if you have it; it helps us see what was promised and what was done. Diagnosis is $49 and free when you approve the repair, and HDMI port work runs $99–$149.
Three ways in
However the console reaches the bench, the quote comes before the work.
Book a drop-off, ship it in, or start online
- 01Book a drop-off. 1253 Brookfield Dr, Longmont · Mon–Fri 9–6, Sat–Sun 10–3, plus pickup and drop-off by appointment outside bench hours (6–8am early, 6–9pm evening). Bring the console; leave the cables, unless it's an HDMI issue.
- 02Ship it in. Anywhere in the U.S.: get an RMA number online, pack it well, and we diagnose within 3–5 business days of arrival and email a flat quote.
- 03Start online. The repair wizard gives a first-pass assessment any hour, and the AI receptionist answers the phone around the clock. A human follows up.
What we don't do
Scope stated plainly, so you know before you bring anything in.
Repairs are stock; mods are their own lane
- Repairs stay stock; mods are their own lane. A repair brings the console back to factory specification. Modding, recaps as prevention, video mods, ODE installs, Switch modchips and the rest, is quoted from the modding menu above and never mixed into a repair quote.
- No data-recovery promises on console drives. If a drive is failing, we flag saves and profile data before any repair that could touch them, and we tell you straight if the data isn't recoverable.
- No CRT televisions or monitors. High voltage inside the tube is a genuine safety hazard. We repair the consoles, not the glass.
- No repair-avoiding part swaps. If a $6 part fixes it, we don't quote a $120 board.
Console repair questions
The things people ask before they hand over a console.
Straight answers
Diagnosis is $49 and free when you approve the repair. HDMI port replacement runs $99–$149 on PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, and Xbox One. Disc drive repair runs $79–$129 plus parts. An overheating deep clean and repaste is $79–$99. Power supply repair runs $69–$129 plus parts. Controller and stick-drift fixes run $29–$59. Retro consoles are quoted per console after bench diagnosis. You approve the quote before any work starts.
Yes, when you approve the repair. The $49 fee applies only if you decline a fixable repair, and if the console isn't worth fixing you pay nothing either way. We'd rather tell you the truth than invoice you for it.
Yes. NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, N64, GameCube, the Game Boy line, and PlayStation 2 are regulars on the bench, quoted per console after diagnosis. Stock-specification restoration stays available, and retromods (screen, battery, and comfort upgrades) are welcome. Details on the retro console repair page.
Yes. Battery replacement and restoration to stock on classic iPods and similar gear, quoted per model with parts ordered to fit. Details on the iPod & classic electronics page.
Yes, in their own lanes. E-bike and e-scooter electronics (controllers, displays, throttles, wiring, chargers) start with a $49 diagnosis and are quoted from there; battery packs with dead cells are referred out. Power tool pack rebuilds are quoted after cell inspection. Details on the e-bike & e-scooter and power tool battery pages.
Yes, it's its own lane on this bench. Recapping, HDMI and RGB video mods, ODE installs, region-free mods, Switch modchips, flash carts, LED and shell work: the full menu is in the modding section above. Every mod is quoted after we look, kit cost plus labor. Full resto-mod builds live on the custom bench.
Quoted after we look. A mod is kit cost plus labor: we check the console, source the right kit, and hand you one flat quote before anything starts. The $49 diagnosis applies like any job, free when you approve the work.
Yes. Get an RMA number online, pack the console well (original box if you have it, bubble wrap if you don't), and ship it. We diagnose within 3–5 business days of arrival and email a flat quote. You approve before any work starts.
Repairs carry a 90-day labor warranty. Parts are covered by their manufacturer's warranty, and the quote states which is which.
Console down? Get a straight answer.
Call the shop any time: our AI receptionist answers around the clock and a human follows up. Or run the repair wizard for a first-pass assessment before you commit to anything. Drop-offs at the Longmont bench are by appointment.