Liquid Metal in PS5 Pro May Increase Defects

Key Takeaways

1. Initial complaints about faulty PlayStation 5 consoles are linked to liquid metal thermal paste issues.
2. The vertical positioning of the console can compromise the seal, causing liquid metal to leak onto the motherboard.
3. Overheating and potential short circuits result from liquid metal flow, affecting console performance.
4. The issue is mainly reported in the launch model but also affects PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro versions.
5. A recent survey shows an increase in overheating complaints among players, with 3% currently affected.


A few years back, initial users started to voice their frustrations regarding faulty PlayStation 5 consoles, which were linked to issues with the liquid metal thermal paste used in the processor. iFixit’s teardown reveals that Sony employs liquid metal for better heat transfer from the APU to the heatsink. This thermal paste is secured by a unique type of seal.

Issues with Vertical Positioning

Nonetheless, when the console is set up vertically, this seal might not be secure enough, potentially allowing the liquid metal to flow from the processor onto the motherboard. This results in two main issues. Firstly, the APU cannot effectively dissipate heat due to the diminished thermal conductor, which can lead to overheating of the chipset and cause the console to crash. Secondly, the liquid metal, which conducts electricity, can cause short circuits on the motherboard.

Increasing Complaints

In a recent video by Moore’s Law is Dead, the founder of Alderon Games discusses how more gamers have been reporting this issue over time. This problem mainly impacts the launch model but has also been seen in the PS5 Slim and PlayStation 5 Pro (starting at $699 on Amazon). While Sony has made improvements in these newer versions, the risk remains since liquid metal is still used in all these consoles.

User Experience

For many users, the issue appears as the console crashing during extended gaming sessions, leading to overheating. The more resource-intensive the game is, the quicker the chipset overheats and shuts down due to the faulty cooling system. A survey conducted by the developer indicates that this problem currently affects around 3% of Path of Titans players, an increase from 2% just a few months ago. It is currently not feasible to predict how many consoles might experience this defect in the future.

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