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With the PS5, Sony Has Seemingly Solved a Major PS4 Flaw

Published October 5, 2020 11:21 AM
Thomas Bardwell
Published October 5, 2020 11:21 AM
  • Early hands-on previews of the PS5 were published yesterday.
  • Outlets heaped praise on the next-gen console’s cooling system.
  • The PS5 is described as ‘exceptionally quiet.’

According to PS5 hands-on previews released yesterday, Sony’s next-gen console solves one of the PS4’s most jarring flaws: it’s an extraordinarily quiet machine.

As any PS4 owner will recount with more than a sliver of annoyance, Sony’s current-gen console can, on occasion, produce obnoxiously loud noise level.

The issue flares up most pointedly when running recent releases such as The Last of Us Part II and other games that squeeze every possible ounce of performance out of the seven-year-old console.

When churning away at max speed to keep the temperature down, the fans produce a cacophonous din more at home at a busy airport than a living room.

PS5
The PS5 cooling system impresses. | Source: 4Gamer

PS5 Is ‘Exceptionally Quiet’

Back in March, the PS5’s lead architect Mark Cerny briefly alluded to a new cooling solution, and early impressions heap no small amount of praise on Sony’s effort to keep the console cooling system quiet.

Japanese outlet Dengeki described the PS5 as ‘exceptionally quiet,’  noting that while the load times were impressive, it was more taken aback by the fans’ quietness.

“While playing Astro’s Playroom and Godfall, I didn’t notice the sound of the fan. When I was about to finish playing, I quickly confirmed, ‘is this a fan?’ Finally, when I touched the main unit, it didn’t feel hot.”

4Gamer echoed the sentiment  about the PS5’s surprisingly low noise levels, explaining;

“I started playing one of the launch titles, Godfall, and after some time passed, I checked. The breeze coming from the exhaust port was gentle and didn’t feel exceedingly hot…the breeze from the exhaust port was light, and I could barely hear what I believe to have been the fan rotation.”

It’s particularly encouraging that the console remained so quiet while running a legitimate next-gen title, Godfall.

Both outlets also stressed that their hands-on took place in a studio environment and under heat-producing lighting with temperatures likely higher than most living room settings. They do warn that owners should allow for sufficient space around the console to ensure optimum ventilation, though. That’s no small ask given the bulkiness of the PS5.

While not a stress test as such, these first impressions will be music to the ears of PS4 owners wary of another seven-years of wearing noise-canceling headphones just to hear in-game audio.