How to Swap a PS1 Shell Without Cracking the Disc Lid
The hinge is the part everyone breaks. Here's how to not be everyone.
The disc lid hinge on a fat PlayStation is the single most common casualty of a shell swap. It's brittle after 25+ years, and forcing it at the wrong angle during reassembly is the usual culprit.
Go slow, support the hinge pins directly rather than levering the lid itself, and test the fit before final seating. We link a shell we've personally tested for hinge tolerance in the Gear section.