If you're as excited as we are for the PlayStation 5 launch in a few weeks, you've probably been following all the news on the next-gen console closely. There's certainly a lot to take in, from an overhauled UI and free launch games, to the design of the console itself.
As great as all that is, one of the most important PS5 features - at least in this writer's humble opinion - is the fan. Yes, Sony has made a lot of noise about the PS5's cooling solution, which was designed as a direct response to the fact that the PlayStation 4 is by far one of the loudest things in the explored universe when it starts to get hot... which has started happening almost all the time with the more demanding late-gen games.
The good news is that the PS5's cooling solution involves a massive fan, which also explains why the console is as large as it is. While Sony seems fairly confident that this fan will keep the console much cooler than its predecessor, a recent interview confirmed that it will receive further improvements via firmware updates. These post-launch patches should, in theory, help optimise the fan and ensure that after several years of use the PS5 doesn't end up sounding like an airport runway.
Advert
Speaking with 4Gamer.net, and translated by ResetEra user orzkare, PlayStation's Yasuhiro Otori said that data will be collected on every PS5 game, and that this will inform the way the fan works.
"Various games will be released in the future, and data on the APU's (Accelerated Processing Unit) behaviour in each game will be collected," Otori explained. "We have a plan to optimise the fan control based on this data."
"PS5 has three temperature sensors on the main board to control the fan speed based on the internal temperature of the APU and the highest temperature of the three temperature sensors," 4Gamer.net added for further context. "These fan control parameters will also be updated via online updates."
In a nutshell, Sony should be able to analyse the data it receives on PS5 games and how they run on the console, turning up or lowering the intensity of the fan accordingly. If it turns out a game makes the console run a little hotter than expected, an update can make it so the fan works that much harder to make up for it. Sounds like a winning idea, especially as developers learn to squeeze more and more out of the console.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation 5