PS5 Liquid Metal Issue Could Lead to Shutdowns, Devs Warn

Some troubling news is surfacing for PlayStation 5 owners, especially those who bought early units and keep their consoles standing upright. A hardware issue involving the liquid metal cooling system may slowly be turning into a widespread problem, one that could lead to system failure over time.

In a recent episode of the Broken Silicon podcast hosted by Moore’s Law Is Dead, Alderon Games founder Matthew Cassells shared concerns that the PS5’s liquid metal, used for heat transfer between the APU and heatsink, can slowly leak and pool at the bottom of the system when it’s left standing vertically for long periods. This causes dry spots on the chip, which affects cooling and can lead to unexpected shutdowns when the system heats up during intense gameplay.

Alderon Games stumbled onto the issue after users of their dino MMO Path of Titans started reporting sudden PS5 shutdowns after a new update. At first, the team assumed these were isolated problems, maybe dust, maybe overheating. But after posting a call for feedback on their Discord, even more users came forward with similar experiences. Eventually, even some of the dev team’s own PS5s started acting up.

So what’s the actual problem? It looks like as the console heats up, the lack of cooling from those dry spots causes the chip to overheat, forcing the system to shut down as a safety measure. This happens more often during graphically intense moments, like when Path of Titans pushes the hardware harder. Alderon noted that up to 2 to 3 percent of players have experienced this. That might sound like a small number, but for a console that has sold millions worldwide, that’s a huge pool of affected units.

Complicating the issue further is the lack of internal software tools on the PS5 to monitor component temperatures directly. That means developers can’t easily confirm what part of the chip is failing or how bad the thermal imbalance is. One possible workaround, limiting frame rates or downgrading performance, would unfairly impact players whose systems are working just fine.

Not all PS5 models are equally at risk, though. Sony has tried to address this flaw in newer versions. The PS5 Slim and upcoming PS5 Pro reportedly have design tweaks, like ridged heatsinks, to stop the liquid metal from sliding down. Whether these improvements will work long-term is still unclear. But for those with launch or early-gen PS5s, especially those out of warranty, the risk remains.

Matthew Cassells says he’s asked Sony to consider a repair program for impacted consoles. But given how many units may be vulnerable, it might be a tough sell internally. This isn’t quite on the scale of the Xbox 360’s notorious Red Ring of Death, but it’s serious enough that many consoles could quietly stop working within the next couple of years.

So what should you do if you own a PS5? If your system’s been randomly shutting down during gameplay, especially graphically demanding ones, you may want to stop using it in a vertical position. If you’re a heavy gamer, keeping an eye on performance drops or unusual heat might also help you spot issues early.