Youri op 't Roodt

I’m a software engineer from Amsterdam. I like to fiddle with hardware and make obsolete technology useful and fun again!

1 minute read

Recently I was given a PlayStation 3 by a friend. Not a slim one, but the old school PS3 phat. He bought a new one because the one I was given wouldn’t read any discs anymore. It wouldn’t even to spin the disc. This actually makes sense: if the lens is not able to focus, why bother to spin the disc at all?

I figured it should be possible to repair and it’s very likely it has something to do with the lens.

Apparently you can’t just replace the entire Blu-ray drive of a PS3 because drive and mainboard are linked to each other. Also, there are many revisions of PlayStation 3’s, so you have to be very careful to get the lens that fits your machine version. You can find the version on the back, mine is: CECHH04.

I found my module on dx.com and they have lots of lens modules! I needed a KEM-410ACA. It’s stated in the metal on the top, but you can also find more info on which lens unit you need on the Internets.

It’s really easy to pop open the PS3, but it’s best to follow a guide. My Blu-ray drive is actually a bit different and even easier to disassemble.

Just replace the lens unit, put everything back together et voilà!

Happy gaming.

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