Masayasu Ito (EVP, Hardware Engineering and Operation, Sony Interactive Entertainment) has given us our first look at the inside of a PlayStation 5. The console is fully disassembled over the course of the presentation, which allows us to see everything down to the TIM that Sony chose (liquid metal).
Following some basics (e.g., USB port configuration, base assembly), Ito shows us how easily the white panels on the PS5 are removed. This provides access to the main console, which features a robust cooling configuration comprising vented edges, dust catchers (users can simply vacuum debris out of these), and a large dual-intake fan. We also get to see the M.2 storage expansion slot.
Ito goes on to show off the PS5’s core hardware, such as the Ultra HD Blu-ray drive, custom AMD SoC (8C/16T Ryzen “Zen 2” CPU, 10.3 TFLOPS RDNA 2 Radeon GPU), GDDR6 memory array (16 GB), custom SSD controller, power supply, and heat sink. As noted above, liquid metal was used under the SoC for better cooling performance (Ito points out that it took Sony two years to prepare this).
While the PS5 looks like a barren monstrosity with its white panels lifted off, Sony appears to have succeeded in producing a console that not only stays cool but runs quietly during operation. That’s really good news for PS4 owners, some of whom have been stuck with unusually loud consoles.
“We felt it was inevitable to make a generational leap in terms of performance in order to deliver a new, next-generation gaming experience,” Ito wrote in his accompanying article for the official PlayStation blog. “However, to do so, we had to balance every aspect of the system, from focusing on reducing the noise level to enhancing the cooling capacity, more than ever before.”
“We’ve also highlighted the mechanism in the video below that we’ve incorporated into the PS5 console to make the operating sounds even quieter,” he added. “After an extensive and complex trial and error process, we were pleased with the end result and I can not wait for our fans to get their hands on the PS5 console and ‘hear’ it for themselves.”
Sony has warned users not to attempt this teardown at home due to risk of laser radiation, electric shock, or other injury. Opening up a PS5 will also void its guarantee.
The PlayStation 5 ($499) and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition ($399) will be released on November 12.