Is your PS5 overheating? Try these 8 ways to cool it down

Is your PS5 overheating? Or do you get the accompanying “Your PS5 is too hot. Turn off your PS5, and wait until the temperature goes down.” temperature alert during gameplay?

We get that this can be a frustrating experience. It can ruin your streak, disrupt your game, or damage the device’s internal components. Thus, we’ve compiled eight solutions to help you fix this problem.

Isn’t the PS5 supposed to keep itself cool?

The PS5 is very efficient at managing its temperature. It has a 120 mm fan, which draws cool air into the console and pushes out hot air.

It also contains a heatsink that helps the fan do its job, thermal sensors which link with the system to increase and decrease fan speed as needed, and a liquid metal interface (which moves heat produced by the CPU into the heatsink).

Still, in certain situations, the PS5 overheats.

How to know your PS5 is overheating?

The PS5 sends out signals when it starts overheating. This happens long before it gets too hot to work. Here are some of the overheating signs:

• Console fans get loud: The console fan is designed to work silently. If it’s making too much noise, your device struggles to stay at optimal temperatures.
• Graphical glitches on your PS5: When the PS5 overheats, your games glitch. You’ll see black or white shapes or green or pink streaks on the screen of your console.
• Decrease in speed and performance: Overheating causes an increase in lags, slow loading periods, and drops in frame rates.
• Frequent game crashes: Overheating causes abrupt game shutdown, particularly when playing resource-intensive games.

How to cool down an overheating PS5?

If you notice your PS5 overheating, follow these steps to cool it down immediately.

Step 1: Save your game progress, and put it off

Once you notice it’s overheating, save the progress from your current gameplay. Make sure your device is sitting upright, then put it off and leave it to cool.

Step 2: Check if the fan is working properly

The cause of the problem might be that the fan is not pushing out hot air as it’s supposed to. To solve this, check whether the fan is spinning as it’s supposed to, and if it is, whether it’s pushing out hot air or not. If you notice that it’s not spinning or pushing out hot air, take it to be serviced.

Step 3: Check for updates going on in the background

The PS5 is designed to update itself whenever Sony releases an update. The good thing about this is it keeps your device running smoothly. Unfortunately, because the process is automatic, you might not know that an update is running. Playing games during an update will cause your console to overheat.

To check, pause your game and check if there is any update going on in the background. Go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings. If there is, you may pause it and finish playing your game or allow the console to finish updating.

Step 4: Rebuild the PS5 database

Rebuilding your console database involves reorganizing its files and data. This usually boosts performance by allowing your hard drive to access your files more easily. It is also a good fix for overheating issues. To do this, make sure your device is in safe mode.

• Then, switch off your PS5 completely. You’ll hear a beep when it’s off.
• Press and hold down the power button till you hear a second beep. This will put the PS5 into Safe Mode.
• Once it’s in Safe Mode, connect your controller to your console with a USB cable.
• Then select the Rebuild Database option, which should appear on a pop-up screen.

How to prevent your PS5 from overheating?

To keep your console in top shape, you need to prevent it from overheating. Here are a few tips to do so:

Store appropriately

Make sure your PS5 is stored in a well-ventilated environment. Put it on a level surface, and don’t keep it in a cabinet with little or no air. Many of the PS5’S cooling components work well when there is a free flow of air around the device.

Do not place the PS5 on the carpet

Carpets are insulators and will cut off airflow to the console. This will keep the device from pushing out hot air, and it will eventually overheat.

Clean your console regularly

Like carpets, dust is an insulator, and it can trap hot air inside your console. To prevent this, put the PS5 off. Clean the chassis, ventilation openings, and ports. Start by wiping the outside of the device. Then gently open the vents and vacuum the ports and fan area since they can accumulate dust. Afterward, power it back on and see how it works. You can contact Sony’s support for thorough cleaning if you think your device has dust afterward.

Use SSD storage with a heatsink

This applies only to gamers who have expanded their device’s storage or intend to expand it by installing an SSD. Usually, adding an SSD to your PS5 causes it to produce more heat. To enhance heat dissipation, we strongly recommend ensuring that the SSD you intend to install is equipped with a heatsink. This will facilitate easier dispersal of hot air and contribute to optimal performance.

Summary

To recap, make sure your PS5 is kept in a well-ventilated room and does not sit on a carpet. Clean it regularly, and only install an SSD that comes with a heatsink. If it overheats, put it off and leave it to cool, or check if the fan is spinning properly.

Also, check for updates happening in the background, or rebuild your PS5 database. If your problem persists, take it to Sony for servicing. Do not open up your whole console for any reason, as this could damage it beyond repair.