In many ways, the PlayStation 5 is a vastly different console from its predecessors. It’s white, for one thing—and colossally large and powerful for another. But one feature has remained consistent: users can choose whether they want to orient the PS5 horizontally or vertically.
A couple of weeks ago, third-party repair technician TheCod3r published a YouTube video documenting an alarming problem with the console: liquid metal that covers the processor had spilled out from under the heat sink. The liquid is essential for cooling the processor because it transfers heat more efficiently than conventional thermal paste, allowing the console to stay cool during long gaming sessions.
But the liquid isn’t merely useful for its thermal properties—it’s also a structural component of the processor, helping it achieve peak performance by filling the gaps between the processor and heat sink. Sony engineers have carefully formulated this alloy, called Galinstan, with gallium, indium, and tin to create an interface that can transfer heat at an even rate across all sides of the chip, allowing for maximum processing efficiency.
The Cod3r’s follow-up video makes clear that this is a problem that has occurred in some PS5s, but not all of them: at most, one out of every 10 or 20 units that come into his repair shop have experienced the issue. That doesn’t make it an inherent design flaw, but it does mean that owners should be careful to keep their consoles horizontal, to avoid breaking the seal and potentially exposing the motherboard to damaging liquid. Ps5 Thermal Paste