Sony Patent Hints at New PlayStation Cooling as PS5 Liquid Metal Debate Continues

A newly discovered Sony Interactive Entertainment patent describes an advanced cooling system designed to maintain reliable thermal performance when an electronic device is positioned horizontally or vertically. The technology has already been connected to PlayStation 6, but the filing does not name Sony’s next console or confirm that the company has abandoned the liquid metal cooling material used across the PlayStation 5 family.

First reported by Tech4Gamers, the patent titled Electronic Device describes a heat dissipation structure using multiple rod shaped heat pipes connected to a heat transfer plate and fin based heatsinks. Each heat pipe can include tapered lower sections and extended reservoir areas intended to control how the internal working fluid moves when the hardware changes orientation. The fluid absorbs heat, evaporates, travels through the pipe, condenses inside a cooler section, and returns through its internal wick structure. Water is identified as one possible working fluid.

“A working fluid may be sealed inside the tube and may be water, for example.
— Sony Interactive Entertainment patent”

The proposed design attempts to prevent excessive fluid accumulation when the device is standing vertically. Extension areas outside the main heat transfer plate can act as reservoirs, lowering the fluid level around the hottest section of the pipe and preserving sufficient space for vaporization. Sony states that electronic devices increasingly require stronger cooling structures that can operate across multiple positions. The complete Sony patent filing presents the design as a general electronic cooling solution rather than a confirmed PlayStation 6 specification.

Reports claiming the patent proves Sony will eliminate liquid metal overlook an important technical distinction. The PS5 uses liquid metal as a thermal interface material between its custom AMD processor and the cooling assembly. Heat pipes operate farther inside that assembly, transferring energy from the processor area toward the heatsink fins. Sony could therefore use the patented heat pipe design while retaining liquid metal, conventional thermal paste, or another interface material between the processor and heat transfer plate.

The patent never states that its heat pipes replace liquid metal, and it does not associate the design with failures involving the PS5 motherboard or accelerated processing unit. Patents frequently protect technologies that are never used in commercial hardware, making the filing evidence of Sony’s research rather than confirmation of the final PlayStation 6 cooling architecture.

Concerns surrounding the PS5 cooling system have circulated for several years. Repair technicians and individual owners have reported liquid metal pooling, oxidation, dry areas across the processor surface, overheating, and unexpected shutdowns, particularly on older consoles. However, Sony has not announced a widespread liquid metal defect, recall, or official recommendation against using the PS5 vertically. Earlier claims that normal vertical placement would inevitably cause the material to escape and destroy the console were never substantiated as a widespread issue, with part of the original controversy resulting from a repair technician’s comments being misinterpreted.

Sony has nevertheless continued refining the design. The PS5 Pro still uses liquid metal, but Sony added fine grooves to the application area to improve distribution and create more stable cooling performance. Later PS5 Slim revisions have reportedly adopted a similar grooved structure, suggesting that Sony currently views improved liquid metal containment as a viable solution rather than technology that must immediately be removed.

The new patent could still become relevant to PlayStation 6. Future console hardware will likely require a cooling system capable of controlling higher power density while remaining quiet, compact, reliable, and affordable to manufacture. A heat pipe arrangement that performs consistently in multiple orientations would support those objectives, particularly as players increasingly place consoles inside different entertainment center configurations.

Sony has not announced the final PlayStation 6 cooling system, physical design, release date, or retail price. Claims that the console will cost $1,000 or more remain speculation and should not be treated as part of the patent report.

Sony’s patent is an interesting development, but it does not prove that PlayStation 6 has scrapped liquid metal. Heat pipes and thermal interface materials perform different jobs, meaning both technologies could appear inside the same console.

The more credible conclusion is that Sony is researching methods to improve heat pipe performance regardless of console orientation. That could deliver greater thermal consistency, reduce mechanical pressure around the cooling assembly, and provide additional flexibility when designing future PlayStation hardware.

PS5 liquid metal concerns should also be reported with balance. There are documented repair cases involving pooling and dry areas, but describing the issue as a system wide failure that has fried processors and motherboards for years goes beyond the available evidence. Sony’s decision to retain and refine liquid metal in the PS5 Pro suggests the company still considers the technology valuable when properly controlled.

Should Sony continue improving liquid metal cooling for PlayStation 6, or return to conventional thermal materials for greater long term reliability?