Never do these 5 things on your PlayStation 5

Typically, a PlayStation console can last over half a decade, give or take a year or three. No one really knows how long Sony’s average PlayStation 5 will last (it’s not that old yet), but the PlayStation 4 lasted between 5 and 7 years. Of course, as anyone investing money into a system, you want to aim to be at the top tier for the lifespan of your system, and this is usually influenced by how you care for your console.

The same principle applies to your DualSense controller: you can extend its life by cleaning it properly and regularly, practicing good charging habits, and turning off settings that might wear out its internal components. Beyond these tips, there are a few other unspoken rules about what not to do when handling your PlayStation 5 and its controller that you’ll want to follow if you plan to keep it long term.

Your PlayStation 5 console gets very hot and needs good air circulation to operate. Placing it in an enclosed space, such as on a shelf in a cabinet, may impede air circulation. Generally, you should treat your PS5 like a computer: you wouldn’t want to place your desktop and all of its components in a tightly sealed box like an open shelf, otherwise the heat won’t dissipate properly. If you are limited on space, make sure the console has at least 10 cm (3.9 inches) of free space in the back to allow air circulation. If you must use a shelf to store the appliance, remove the back of the cabinet if possible so that the space can be adequately ventilated.

You’ll also need to watch out for dust, making sure there isn’t any nearby and that the system isn’t resting on cloth or covered. It’s also not recommended to park your PlayStation 5 in a hard-to-reach location, as you’ll always want to monitor the air vents for any dust buildup. And of course, to be safe, you should try to clean your console every 3 to 6 months. If you have pets or are in an area that accumulates more dust, such as the floor, you will want to perform routine monthly cleaning to prevent unnecessary overheating.

It may sound silly, but leaving a DualSense controller on the corner of a table with vibration enabled could result in an unfortunate crash to the floor. Of course, there’s always the chance that you’ll accidentally knock the controller over with your hands and cause it to slide off the surface. Although these devices are supposed to be durable, they are far from invincible.

The vibration triggers on these gamepads are intense and can sometimes drift slightly across your table – and if your table happens to be a little slippery, they might fall off it. This is why you should take a break when you need to not intervene, or, more importantly, reduce the intensity of the haptic feedback to avoid these accidents. If you own an even more expensive PlayStation 5 controller, the DualSense Edge Wireless, you’ll want to take good care of it. It’s true that not all repairs are too expensive (stick modules can be easily replaced), but you’d rather avoid it if you can.

The general rule is to only use the base that came with your PlayStation 5 console. After all, these are designed to fit your PlayStation console perfectly. Another thing is that you might be tempted to buy a different cooling solution than what comes internally with your console to help overcome its overheating issues, but that might not always be the best idea.

Even with some inherent heat issues, third-party coolers remain a bit of a trap. The first is that the installation and compatibility of some coolers does not align properly with the console, or may even overload its fans to accommodate them, which could damage the gaming system in the long run. Additionally, some of these fans are louder than the PlayStation 5’s natural noise, which really disrupts your gameplay. Remember, Sony designed these consoles with built-in fans and a heatsink to dissipate the heat they generate. So when you modify them, you risk obstructing the natural air flow.

Even if you think it’s a false alert, don’t ignore it. It’s difficult to know exactly what your system’s actual temperature is; remember, you don’t know what’s going on internally without completely disassembling your console. This notification (the “too hot” notification) is a built-in safety measure to prevent your console, and more importantly, the CPU, from being damaged; this will trigger a system shutdown.

So when you see this notification pop up on your screen, you’d better wait at least 30 minutes to an hour (or however long it takes to cool down) before continuing to use it. Most of the time, the “too hot” notification only occurs when the heat sensors detect that the console is actually overheating internally. The main cause is usually a build-up of dust on the fans or poor ventilation. If the warning continues to return even though you have fixed these issues, something may be wrong with the internal fans and you will need to investigate the cause to see if any permanent damage has been done to the fans.

Vertical placement of older PlayStation 5 consoles has always been an issue due to the risk of spillage or displacement of the liquid metal thermal conductor. This component helps cool your PlayStation 5 effectively, and if it is not correctly placed between the APU and the heatsink, it could cause your console to overheat.

While this is a popular concern, remember that it is not necessarily a proven cause of liquid metal leaks. Still, it’s the subject of much debate: if you stand your PlayStation 5 console vertically (and you bought one closer to launch), you theoretically risk a leak due to gravity. Unfortunately, if this were to happen, you’ll have to send the console in for repair or do a more extensive DIY repair. Apparently not all PlayStation 5 consoles have this problem. Specifically, if you own the CFI-2100, CFI-2200, and 2025 Slim CFI-2116 B01Y, as well as most of the newer models released in the last few years, this shouldn’t be a problem. But if you have a launch console, you may want to be very careful about its location.