If the PS5's power indicator is solid white but the TV shows nothing, the console is running and the picture path is the problem, and Sony gives a specific tool for it: Safe Mode's Change Video Output. It lets you change the resolution or the HDCP mode without seeing a menu, which is why it exists for blank screens. Before that, check the cheap things in order: the TV input, the HDMI cable seated at both ends, and the video settings that a new TV or an 8K, 120 Hz or VRR option may have pushed beyond what the display accepts.
Differential
Likely causes of “PlayStation 5 turns on but has no picture”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The TV is on the wrong input or the HDMI cable is loose
What separates it The power indicator is solid white, the console beeps or the controller lights up, and the TV says no signal
How to confirm Choose the HDMI input the console is plugged into, then unplug the HDMI cable from both ends and push it back in fully
- 2
The resolution or HDR setting is beyond what the TV can show
What separates it The picture went blank after changing TVs, after a system update or after switching to 4K or 120 Hz output
How to confirm Start Safe Mode and choose Change Video Output, then set a lower resolution; Sony designed the option for blank screens
- 3
An HDMI copy-protection (HDCP) handshake failed
What separates it The picture flashes or drops out when a game or video starts, or blanks after a receiver or switch sits between the console and the TV
How to confirm In Safe Mode choose Change Video Output and then Change HDCP Mode, and connect straight to the TV to rule out the receiver
- 4
A 120 Hz, VRR or 8K option the display cannot accept
What separates it The screen goes black only in certain games, or after turning on 120 Hz Output, VRR or 8K on a Pro
How to confirm Turn off 120 Hz Output and VRR in Video Output settings; Sony says to switch 120 Hz off if a monitor or display has trouble
- 5
A damaged cable or HDMI port
What separates it The picture returns only when you press on the cable, or a second cable and TV input make no difference
How to confirm Swap the cable for one you know works and try a second HDMI input on the TV, then a second TV if you have one
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The power indicator color and whether the console beeps at startup
- The TV brand and model and which HDMI input it is on, plus any receiver or soundbar in the path
- Whether the picture failed after a setting change, a new TV, a system update or a move
- Whether the console is a launch model, a Slim or a Pro, since only the Pro offers 8K output
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedConfirm the console is actually on
ReversibleLook at the power indicator. Sony says solid white means the console is on, so a solid white light with a blank screen is a picture problem. Blinking white or blue that never settles is a frozen console, which is the no-power page's territory.
Check the TV input and the cable ends
ReversibleUse the TV remote to select the HDMI input the console is connected to. Then unplug the HDMI cable at the TV and at the console and push both ends in until they seat. Remove any receiver, splitter or switch and test with the console connected directly to the TV.
Power everything off for twenty minutes
ReversibleSony's no-picture steps say to turn the screen and the console completely off, disconnect both power cables, wait 20 minutes, reconnect them and turn everything on. It is longer than the three minutes for a frozen console because the aim is to reset the HDMI handshake on both devices.
Start Safe Mode with the controller on a USB cable
ReversibleTurn the console off, hold the power button until you hear the second beep about seven seconds after the first, connect the controller with its USB cable and press the PS button. You do not need a picture to do this; the beeps confirm the console is responding.
Choose Change Video Output
ReversibleIn Safe Mode pick Change Video Output, then Change Resolution to drop the output to a level the TV accepts. If the picture drops out when games start, try Change HDCP Mode as well. These are the options Sony provides for blank screens.
Switch off the advanced options once you have a picture
ReversibleGo to Settings, Screen and Video, Video Output. Turn off 120 Hz Output and VRR, and if you have a Pro turn off Allow 8K Output, then step them back on one at a time. If the picture flickers at 4K, Sony suggests Video Transfer Rate -1 or -2.
Fix a cut-off picture with Adjust Display Area
ReversibleIf the image is cropped or has black borders once it returns, go to Settings, Screen and Video, Screen and choose Adjust Display Area. This is a settings fix, not a cable fault.
Try a different cable, input or TV
ReversibleUse a high-quality HDMI cable rated for the resolution you want, the one that came with the console if you still have it. Test a second input on the TV, and if you can, a different TV. A picture on the second TV points at the first TV's port or settings.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- 8K output on Pro only
- Sony says Allow 8K Output, Enhance Image Quality for PS4 Games and Enhance PSSR Image Quality are available only on consoles from the CFI-7000 model group, the PS5 Pro. The launch and Slim models top out at 4K.
- Model differences that do not matter here
- The launch model, Slim and Digital editions send picture the same way, and the drive or SSD size has no effect on a blank screen. The steps above apply to every PS5.
- Tools and supplies
- A second known-good HDMI cable, a USB cable for the controller, the TV remote, and a flashlight to check the HDMI port for bent contacts.
- What to tell Sony repair
- Give the console's model number (for example CFI-2000) and serial number, not a part number, and say which of the video options you already tried in Safe Mode.
- Repair cost
- For this fault an HDMI port replacement is about $189, and $249 or more if the HDMI chip is damaged. These are BadgerLayer's 2026 PS5 independent-shop prices; Sony's own out-of-warranty service is a higher flat fee with a longer wait.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition slim, PlayStation 5 launch disc model, PlayStation 5 launch Digital Edition, PlayStation 5 Pro.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the console starts, the indicator is solid white and Safe Mode shows no picture on any TV, request a repair from Sony
- !If the HDMI port on the console looks bent, burnt or loose, stop using it and unplug the console
- !If a second cable, a second input and a second TV give the same blank screen, contact Sony repair with the model number
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. Sony writes these for the PS5 family, so the model-by-model statements above (8K on the CFI-7000 group only) are the ones Sony itself makes.
Every Video Output setting and what it limits.
The Change Video Output option and how to reach it.
Sony's note on a solid white light with no picture.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does a solid white PS5 light with no picture mean?+
Sony's power indicator article says solid white means the console is on. With a blank screen the console is running and the picture path is the problem, so work through the TV input, cable and Safe Mode video options.
How do I get a PS5 picture back without seeing the screen?+
Start Safe Mode by holding the power button until the second beep with the controller connected by USB, then choose Change Video Output. You can lower the resolution or change the HDCP mode without a picture, because the beeps and the menu order are fixed.
Will Change Video Output delete my games?+
No. Change Video Output only changes the resolution or the HDCP mode. Sony warns that other Safe Mode options, such as Reset PS5, delete user data, so choose the video option deliberately.
Why did my PS5 go black after I turned on 120 Hz?+
Sony says to turn 120 Hz Output off if a game or display has trouble with it. Not every TV or monitor accepts 120 Hz at 4K, so switch it off in Video Output settings and test again.
Does the PS5 Pro need different video steps?+
The steps are the same, but only Pro-class consoles (the CFI-7000 model group) offer Allow 8K Output, which needs an 8K display that supports 60 Hz with Display Stream Compression. Turn 8K off if the picture is lost after enabling it.
Why does the picture flicker at 4K?+
Sony suggests lowering Video Transfer Rate to -1 or -2. That limits 4K 120 Hz and some 4K 60 Hz color formats, which can stop flicker on a cable or TV that cannot carry the full signal.
Can an AV receiver cause a blank screen?+
Yes. A receiver or HDMI switch can fail the HDCP handshake or limit the resolution. Connect the console directly to the TV to test, then bring the receiver back in.
The picture looks cut off at the edges. Is the console faulty?+
No. Use Settings, Screen and Video, Screen, Adjust Display Area to fit the picture to your TV.