An expert claims that almost all PS5 consoles have a cooling issue. A problem that could affect almost all players. But how true is this and how likely is it really?
The PS5 relies on a unique cooling solution made of liquid metal. However, this very cooling solution is said to cause problems. At least, that’s what an expert claims who regularly repairs PS5 consoles.
What does the expert claim? In a detailed post, the technician, known as modyfikatorcasper on X.com and who describes himself as a console and controller technician with 20 years of experience, stated that the PS5 he received for repair has an issue with the liquid metal cooling: the metal has dried out and therefore no longer cools. His accusation: Sony would have opted for a new cooling design for the PS5 Pro and recently quietly installed a new cooling version in the newer Slim models to solve the problem.
Additionally, he notes: It doesn’t matter how you position your PS5, the console is always affected by the problem, even models that are only a year old. All models are equally affected by the degradation of the metal. We have embedded and translated his post on X.com here for you.
A PS5 SLIM (CFI-2016) console that is less than 1.5 years old and has been standing vertically since purchase has come in for repair and has the same problem!
On the APU core, dried and oxidized residues of liquid metal (LM) can be seen! The LM has caused “spotting/clumping” and has completely lost its thermal properties.
For this reason, Sony has equipped the PS5 Pro with a fundamental change in the cooling system (deeper grooves/fins to prevent leaks and dry spots) and later upgraded the Slim models CFI-2100/2200 and CFI-2116 quietly! The company is actively working to resolve this persistent issue.Conclusion: The position of the console (vertical/horizontal) does NOT prevent the degradation of LM. The problem even affects the latest, one-year-old revisions. The main cause is application quality and degradation over time/temperature. All PS5 consoles – regardless of the model – need to be professionally maintained eventually.
This “stealth” upgrade is now confirmed by several reports (including TomsHardware.com), which state that the newer PS5 models utilize the improved cooling system from the Pro version.
The cooling issue is known, but it’s uncertain how many are truly affected
How certain is this? Previous reports of liquid cooling issues with the PS5 primarily come from repair services, developers with many customer feedback, and isolated media articles. And these are groups that naturally see an above-average number of problem cases. Therefore, one cannot reliably deduce from these sources alone how widespread the problem is.
What can be stated for sure is that the problem is demonstrably present, especially in certain usage profiles: prolonged stress, poor ventilation, and often when positioned vertically. Reports about this have existed since 2023 (such as Xboxdynasty.de or Gaminggadgets.io).
To speak of a certain, widespread total failure of all PS5 in the sense of the drastic phrasing “it affects everyone sooner or later” is more to be seen as a cautionary exaggeration than as a statistically proven forecast. Because there are simply no verifiable numbers to support that.
Can you somehow protect against the problems? Basically, the same recommendations still apply as at the release of the PS5: Ideally position your PS5 horizontally, as many problems are primarily related to vertical positioning.
Also, ensure good ventilation of the PS5 to avoid strong heat development, as high temperatures can worsen the issues. According to Sony, it actually makes no difference for the cooling whether you place the PS5 horizontally or vertically.
