Nobody likes to see a technological device break. It is no longer just the simple fact that it does not work, but also that we have spent a high price on such hardware. In consoles, unfortunately, we are used to this problem, so with PlayStation 5 it was not going to be less.
Sony’s console is on the lips of thousands of people right now because of something that may be very striking at first glance: that by placing the PS5 vertically we run the risk of it breaking. But is this myth or reality?
Going into details, within all the PlayStation 5 on the market there is the so-called “Liquid metal“. This material is used in PCs and other devices as a cooling measure. Basically, it allows the machine to acquire better temperature conditions for proper operation. For example, in PCs it is usually located between the processor and the heatsink to improve thermal conductivity.
At this point you may think that we are talking about something that has nothing to do with PlayStation 5, but we return to the beginning of the previous paragraph: all consoles have their own “liquid metal” inside. For this reason, some users are commenting that when placing the PS5 vertically they are suffering the spillage of this compound, which ends up damaging other parts of the console. And yes, this is indeed happening, although there are some “buts”.
TheCod3r, famed creator of hardware-related content, posted a video where he opened a non-functioning PS5 to show its interior. It showed how liquid metal had spilled out of the console and affected the entire circuitry.
From here, some users and technicians began to open their consoles, and the responses were very mixed: some had not seen any changes in their PS5, while others had moved this liquid metal, but the console was not affected at all (and was fine, therefore).
Vertical or horizontal?
With all this said, the million-dollar question can be answered: how do I place the console? And the answer is that either way is safe, as Yasuhiro Ootori, vice president of hardware, pointed out during the console’s presentation: “From a designer’s point of view, there is no difference in thermal performance between vertical and horizontal installation. I know some people will think that heat dissipation will be more efficient vertically, given the chimney effect. However, in a cooling system with an active fan, the stack effect enters the realm of measurement error […] it performs to specification both horizontally and vertically.”
Now, that some consoles are suffering from these problems when placed vertically is a reality, no one can deny what has been seen by opening the systems. However, this is more typical of some units that may be defective from the factory, because even if the liquid metal moves, it does not affect the rest of the console.
We would recommend you to put it the way you like it. Here I have it in vertical since it was launched in November 2020. Of course, this is like everything else: if you can avoid that very small percentage by placing it horizontally because you have space in the furniture, then doing so is a perfect option.
