PlayStation 5’s Liquid Metal Issue Is Becoming Harder to Ignore, and Vertical Consoles May Be at Risk

If you’ve been keeping your PlayStation 5 standing tall like a mini skyscraper, you might want to think twice. A debate that first sparked a couple of years ago, whether PS5 consoles should sit horizontally or vertically, has come roaring back, and this time it’s carrying a little more weight.

The concern? Liquid metal. That silvery thermal magic that cools the console’s APU could be turning from an engineering marvel into a slow-moving console killer.

The Liquid Metal Controversy

When the PS5 launched, it brought with it a sleek design, impressive performance, and a new internal approach to heat management. Instead of relying purely on standard thermal paste, Sony used liquid metal to help dissipate heat from the console’s APU.

In theory, this was a win. Liquid metal is far better at transferring heat than traditional paste. But with that performance comes a risk: liquid metal moves. It can drip, shift, or pool if things get too hot or the console sits in a way that encourages gravity to do its thing.

A couple of years ago, this led to widespread online chatter:

• Should you keep your PS5 horizontal to keep the liquid metal safely in place?
• Would vertical placement eventually lead to leaks and console failures?
• Was this just Reddit panic, or an actual hardware flaw?

Back then, the evidence was mostly anecdotal. A few reports, some worrying images, but nothing that screamed “millions of consoles in danger.” Many players shrugged and trusted Sony’s engineers.

But now, the conversation has returned with a little more bite.

Reports Are Piling Up

Recent reports suggest that this liquid metal problem isn’t just a myth or a fluke. Some developers, including Aldderon Games, the studio behind the dinosaur MMO Path of Titans, have started noticing a troubling pattern.

Players began reporting sudden PS5 shutdowns while playing graphically intensive games. At first, the advice was the usual:

• Clean your console.
• Reboot.
• Check for firmware updates.

But the shutdowns persisted. When the studio pinned a notice asking users to report these issues, more and more players came forward. Even some of the developers experienced the same problem on their own units.

The culprit? Early signs pointed to the very thing people had been whispering about: liquid metal pooling, drying, or leaving certain APU spots uncooled, causing the system to power off under heavy stress.

How Big of a Problem Is This, Really?

Before we all panic, let’s keep things in perspective. Aldderon Games estimates the failure rate for Path of Titans players is around 2–3%. On paper, that’s tiny. But when you remember that Sony has sold around 75 million PS5 consoles, even a 2% failure rate could represent well over a million units.

Some other key points to consider:

• Vertical consoles seem to be at higher risk. Gravity is not a friend to free-flowing liquid metal.
• Long gaming sessions make things worse. The hotter and longer the console runs at full power, the more likely the liquid metal could shift.
• Older launch units are the most vulnerable. Many of these are now out of warranty, raising the stakes for owners.

This isn’t a full-blown “red ring of death” scenario, at least, not yet. But it’s enough to make PS5 owners think carefully about placement and usage.

Sony’s Quiet Fixes

Here’s where things get even more telling. The PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro models reportedly have small design tweaks meant to combat this very issue. Engineers added subtle ridges to the APU area and adjusted the heatsink design to make liquid metal less likely to drip.

While Sony hasn’t loudly admitted there’s a design flaw, these changes speak volumes. Why modify the cooling system if nothing was ever wrong?

Unfortunately, that leaves early adopters in a tricky spot. If your launch PS5 is out of warranty and succumbs to this issue, you’re on your own, at least for now.

What Can You Do?

For those who want to be proactive, here are some practical steps:

• Consider laying your PS5 horizontally. This alone reduces the risk of liquid metal pooling.
• Ensure proper ventilation. Overheating accelerates the problem, so keep your console in an open, cool space.
• Limit marathon sessions if possible. Hours-long gaming binges increase internal heat and stress.
• Pay attention to sudden shutdowns. If your PS5 powers off mid-game more than once, it’s time to investigate.

It’s also reasonable to expect Sony to acknowledge this issue if it grows. A free repair program would be ideal, but whether that happens depends on how widespread the failures become and how loud the community voices its frustration.

Looking Ahead

Will this become the PS5’s defining hardware headache, or just a footnote in console history? That depends on two things:

1. How many units actually fail in the next couple of years.
2. Whether Sony decides to step in with a fix or repair offer.

For now, this is a “better safe than sorry” situation. If you’ve got a launch unit sitting proudly on its vertical stand, it might be time to gently tip it over and let it rest on its side.

Have you experienced any shutdowns or weird PS5 issues yourself? Would you trust Sony to fix this if it became widespread? Share your thoughts, I think this conversation is just getting started.