The PS5's 'fatal' design flaw has one easy fix

If you’re a PlayStation 5 owner, you’ll have been faced with a very important choice when you first removed that big lad from the box - whether to store your new baby horizontally or vertically. Personally, I’m team vertical - mainly because in its current position, I just don’t have the room to lie the PS5 down. This does mean though that last week, I was horrified to discover that storing your console vertically could be severely damaging it.

According to tech experts, the PS5 seemingly has a design fault where, if stored vertically, the console’s liquid metal cooling solution can drip and freeze on top of other components, causing major damage. The liquid metal should be sealed in, but this seal can be “moved or damaged” according to insiders. It turns out though, there is an easy fix if you want to prolong the life of your console.

Controversially, the upcoming Horizon Forbidden West DLC Burning Shores is a PS5 exclusive. Take a look at the trailer below.

You may have guessed what the fix is already. That’s right - simply store your console horizontally instead. As reported by FortressOfSolitude, tech experts Console Service Centre recently told customers, “Don’t stand your PS5 upright on its stand. Let it lay flat. When it’s upright and gets hot, the liquid metal runs down to the bottom of the main processor. And the PS5 eventually starts overheating, a big design flaw for the PS5 consoles.” They claimed to have seen this happen in 50 consoles during 2022.

I say it’s a simple fix, it really depends on what space you have. As the Console Service Centre pointed out, the liquid coolant seemingly only tends to leak as a result of overheating. If your vertically-stored console is well ventilated, that will stand you in better stead. It’s also important to note that many consoles will still have the coolant sealed in place, as it should be.

Unsurprisingly, PS5 owners aren’t thrilled. Twitter user Manu962k tweeted, “Had to switch the orientation of this big boy due to recent rumours. I don’t have the headspace to deal with a busted console. Also, my vertical dust cover is useless now so thanks Sony.” Then again, many others are confirming that they’ve experienced no issues with their consoles which have been stored vertically since launch. Sony is yet to respond to the allegation of a design fault.