Polycade Won't Power OnUpdated 2 months ago

If your Polycade won't turn on, follow this guide to fix it.

Before we begin, let's confirm your issue is power related and not a "black screen" issue. What's the difference? If your Polycade logo turns on, but the screen remains black (or the screen turns on for a moment followed by black), then you have a different issue. Refer to this other guide for the black screen issue. 

If your Polycade logo does not turn on, follow these steps (listed in order of best troubleshooting procedure) to identify & fix the issue.

1. Did you try pressing the power button? It's a bit hidden, so we get this a lot. Once you plug in your Polycade, you need to press the power button that is on the underside of the machine, in the middle. Can't find it? If you lay down on the floor and look up, you'll see the power button on the bottom of the Polycade. Press it once and the machine should power on.
2. Have you verified the wall outlet works? Try plugging a lamp into it and make sure the outlet is functional.
3. It's possible the power button cable got unplugged on the inside of the machine. Follow this great guide from community member RallyGunz to fix this issue. Need help getting inside your Polycade? If you have a model where the front opens (or the back door if it's a Squadcade or Retro), the inside should be easy to access (on the Lux model, the cables that keep the front from opening completely can be detached at the top by moving them through the little maze channels). If not, follow these instructions to get inside your machine. If you have a v1 Polycade (wooden cabinet), you'll need to take it off the wall and pull the back off.
4. If your Polycade still does not turn on, on the inside of the machine find the computer's PSU (power supply unit), which looks like a black cube and has a standard power cable plugged into it. There is a power switch nearby where the power cable plugs in. Make sure the "I" is down and the "O" is up, then try pressing the power button on the bottom of the machine again.
5. Make sure the power cable that plugs into the PSU is fully inserted into the PSU.
6. Inside the Polycade you will find a power strip (usually located near the bottom on one side). Make sure the power button on the power strip is set to ON. There will be a green light nearby the power button to indicate it is on.
7. It's possible the power strip has died. Get another power strip and test it by plugging it in and plugging a lamp or similar device into it to make sure it works. Then, unplug everything in the power strip inside the Polycade, and plug it into the working power strip (make sure the working power strip is plugged into an outlet). Now, try pressing the Polycade power button on the bottom of the machine again.