Picture this: you’re deep in a boss fight, heart pounding when your PS5 suddenly goes dark. No warning, no graceful shutdown—just silence. Sound familiar? It should, because Sony’s flagship console has developed its own version of the Xbox 360‘s infamous red ring of death, and the culprit is the very technology that was supposed to make it superior.
Sony’s mid-gen refresh promises serious visual firepower, but hidden issues might complicate the PS5 Pro upgrade dream. Its advanced liquid metal cooling system—designed to handle the power boost—can shift when the console is stored vertically, leading to overheating and performance drops. For players eyeing the next leap in gaming, the risk isn’t just about specs—it’s about whether the upgrade might quietly sabotage itself over time.
Your console might be ticking toward failure right now if you’ve kept it vertical since launch day. Early production units are particularly vulnerable, with users reporting sudden shutdowns, red warning lights, and that familiar dread of dead hardware. The symptoms escalate from occasional crashes to complete system failure—a progression that would make Xbox 360 owners break into cold sweats.
Matthew Cassells, the founder of Alderon Games, discussed a critical flaw in a gaming console during his appearance on the Moore’s Law Is Dead Broken Silicon podcast, as reported by wccftech. He stated, “The system’s critical flaw is causing the liquid metal used for cooling to drip down the bottom of the console when placed vertically, causing dry spots on the APU that compromise its functionality and forces a shutdown under certain conditions.”
The PS5 Pro cooling fix couldn’t come soon enough. Sony’s new grooved design aims to contain the very issue that’s been quietly plaguing early models: unstable liquid metal. For owners of launch-day consoles, the best move is simple—lay your PS5 flat and start treating it like a fragile heirloom. It’s a strange place to be: relying on a premium machine that needs more maintenance than your average gaming rig. The Pro’s redesign may finally put this behind us, but it’s a hard-earned lesson in over-engineered ambition.
The PS5’s liquid metal innovation promised desktop-level cooling in a console form factor. Instead, it delivered a masterclass on why cutting-edge technology needs extensive real-world testing before hitting millions of living rooms.
