Sony’s Revised PS5 Is a Downgrade, Not an Upgrade

Cory Gunther

Review Geek


Mr.Mikla/Shutterstock.com

Less than a year after its launch, Sony is shipping a revised version of the PlayStation 5 in Australia, Japan, and the United States, with more regions to follow. At first, we quickly noticed it comes with a new stand design, but now we know it’s physically lighter than the original, and that’s not a good thing.

The upgraded PS5 is model “CFI-1102A,” and it’s 0.6 pounds lighter than the original PS5 from earlier this year. Unfortunately, the upgraded PS5 comes with a smaller heatsink, which means the newer console will run hotter, and potentially perform worse in select games where the unit begins to overheat.

Sony PS5 new heatsink

Old (Left) vs New (Right) Austin Evans – YouTube

Popular YouTuber Austin Evans ripped open the “upgraded” PS5 model CFI-1102A and shared the image posted above. As you can see, the heatsink overall is a bit smaller, redesigned, and doesn’t have the same gold plating on the underside.

For those wondering, heatsinks are metal fins designed to cool down the processor, similar to a radiator in a car. Gamers typically upgrade the heatsink in their PC to a bigger option for improved thermals, not a smaller one.

Austin goes on to confirm the new heatsink unit is 300 grams, or roughly 0.6 pounds lighter. Furthermore, he found that the new PS5 ran anywhere from 3-5 degrees Celsius warmer than the original PS5. Even worse, that’s Celsius, not Fahrenheit. And with the PS5, you want all the cooling you can get.

For what it’s worth, Sony did redesign the entire heatsink, so there is a chance it performs just as well, and the difference in temps may vary for others, not to mention change based on manufacturing inconsistencies. Additionally, Evans only checked a Digital Edition version of the PS5, and for now, we’re not sure if this change also applies to the disc drive model.

He concludes the video by suggesting the original heavier PS5 will have better performance and better cooling, which is the one he’ll continue to use. Either way, the PS5 is still an excellent console, so once you get yours, use this link to get six months of Apple TV Plus free with your PlayStation.

Source YouTube via The Verge

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