Standing a PS5 upright could cause catastrophic failure due to liquid metal leaks

PS5 owners have been warned that their consoles could break if they keep the console standing up straight for too long.

Sony’s console has caused some concern this week, as some tech repair staff have warned users that they shouldn’t be positioning their consoles upright.

The PS5 has liquid metal on the APU to keep it cool. However, due to improper insulation of the historically difficult-to-apply liquid metal, the cooling compound could contend with the forces of gravity and leak out onto the console. This could cause catastrophic damage to your PS5, as liquid metal is a conductive compound, and could short your entire system.

Wololo, has reported that multiple instances of these leaks have caused the entire console to break. Once the metal leaves its enclosed area, it will eventually cool on the motherboard. This will, in turn, short the console and render it dead.

It appears to be an issue with the seal between the liquid metal and the rest of the console. Using liquid metal to cool isn’t a new concept, and using them vertically isn’t either. However, factory mishaps and extended use could leave the seal in less than good condition as gravity takes hold.

A French repair shop owner has highlighted this issue on both Facebook and Twitter, showing the damage that it could do.

With the PS5 coming up to three years of release, it was bound to happen that consoles would start to break down. Overheating, hard drive failure, and fan noise are all issues that the PS4 had to handle, as well as the infamous Red Ring of Death from Microsoft’s Xbox.

However, nothing can prevent gravity and liquid from doing what it’s naturally going to do. With a large number of consoles now in homes and in regular use, it could start to become more of an issue as time wears on.