It’s perfectly fine to keep your PS5 upright, the Wololo news agency has clarified. A report from a few weeks ago suggested that placing the current-gen console in a vertical position tends to cause internal damage, with liquid metal running down the sides of the APU and eventually spreading onto the motherboard. The outlet has now retracted its statement, claiming that while the issue can still occur, there is “no evidence” it will happen on consoles that are fresh out of the box and haven’t been tampered with. This would mainly affect those whose PS5 was recently repaired, so you might need to be careful how you position them. Fresh PS5 are not at risk when placed vertically.
Wololo explained that the initial report had to do with a misunderstanding on their part where they “thought” the liquid metal issue happened in an unmanaged inbox PS5 Unit. “What he [The Cod3r — hardware Youtuber who first brought the design flaw to attention] said (and meant) PS5s not opened by other repair shops before him (the actual console!),” Wololo tweeted. If the problem was indeed severe, it would paint Sony a bad image as the company continues to advertise the product upright. Sony has previously clarified that you can orient a PS5 both vertically and horizontally thanks to a plastic base that attaches to the console’s outer white shell.
Nothing works here:
There was a critical misunderstanding on our end when we thought TheCod3r said the Liquid Metal issue was occurring on unopened PS5s in the box. What he was saying (and meaning) were PS5s that hadn’t been opened up by other repair shops before him (the actual console!).
(1/2)— Wololo (@frwololo) January 9, 2023
That is, both TheCod3r and Wololo stick to their claim that it is indeed risky to place a PS5 vertically, eventually leading to an uneven distribution of liquid metal meant to help cool the APU. However, there is no widespread evidence to support this claim. For what it’s worth PlayStation chairman Jim Ryan while announced CES 2023 that the PS5 has sold over 30 million units worldwide. He also claimed that December – the holiday season – was the biggest sales month yet for the console and that it should now be much “easier” for gamers to find a device at local retailers. It’s still unclear if that applies to India, where PS5s are made available in batches that sell out in minutes.
Back in September, Sony quietly the interior revised of newly revamped PS5 models that first launched in Australia. The new units carried a CFI 1200 number and proved to be 200 grams lighter than the original CFI 1100 variant, as confirmed by tech YouTuber Austin Evans. The new PS5 also used less power and saw changes to the heatsink and included an updated motherboard.
