PS5 Liquid Metal: Myths, Facts, and Cooling Issues Explained

The PS5 Liquid Metal Rumors

The internet went wild with rumors suggesting that keeping your PS5 in a vertical orientation would cause the liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) to leak out, short-circuiting the motherboard. As a dedicated PlayStation repair center, we deal with thousands of consoles, so let's set the record straight.

What is Liquid Metal?

Instead of traditional thermal paste, Sony used liquid metal (an alloy containing gallium and indium) between the PS5's AMD APU and the heat sink. It conducts heat phenomenally well.

The Truth About Vertical Orientation

Sony engineered a highly secure foam and tape barrier around the APU to contain the liquid metal. Under normal conditions, sitting your PS5 vertically is 100% perfectly safe. Issues only arise if the console is repeatedly dropped or heavily impacted, which can break the seal.

Dry Spots and True Overheating Causes

What we do see are "dry spots" forming on the APU over a few years, due to oxidation or uneven application at the factory. This causes localized overheating, making your PS5 randomly shut down in the middle of intense games (often without a heat warning!).

If your PS5 turns off randomly while playing PS5 games (but plays PS4 games fine), you need a liquid metal redistribution. We safely open the containment barrier, clean the APU, replenish the liquid metal, and re-seal it.