Inside the PlayStation 5 Pro: Sony Reveals Major Cooling and Design Upgrades

Sony has offered a detailed look inside the PlayStation 5 Pro, its most advanced gaming console to date. In an official teardown, engineers at Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed key architectural changes that enhance performance, cooling, and user experience.

The PlayStation 5 Pro introduces substantial upgrades to its cooling system, including a redesigned fan, refined airflow paths, and improvements to the use of liquid metal for thermal conductivity. These changes reflect Sony’s focus on delivering stable performance under the demands of higher framerates, advanced ray tracing, and its new PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), an AI-based upscaling technology.

Improved Cooling and Airflow

One of the most noticeable changes is the addition of three horizontal slits - referred to internally as "blades" - which enhance airflow through the console. These openings are part of a larger effort to manage heat more efficiently. The internal structure now includes "louvers" between the cover and the main unit that direct airflow while minimizing fan noise projected toward the user. A larger fan has also been introduced, with redesigned blades and the addition of smaller sub-blades to maximize airflow efficiency while minimizing acoustic impact. The heat sink has been expanded, utilizing more heat pipes and a layout optimized for effective thermal transfer from the processor.

Refinements to Liquid Metal Technology

Sony continues to rely on liquid metal as the thermal interface material between the processor and the heat sink. For the PS5 Pro, engineers introduced fine grooves at the application site to ensure more consistent cooling. This change addresses long-standing discussions around the stability of liquid metal and demonstrates Sony's confidence in the material after extensive testing.

Evolved Motherboard and Memory Design

Internally, the PS5 Pro features a larger and more complex motherboard. It includes additional electrical layers that conceal circuit traces, allowing faster and more stable memory access. The memory configuration has also been updated: the PS5 Pro adds a ninth RAM chip - DDR5 - for background tasks, while the original eight GDDR6 chips are dedicated to high-speed rendering. These improvements support the console's ability to deliver smoother gameplay and faster data throughput.

Rear Layout and Connectivity

The rear layout of the PS5 Pro has also been reengineered. Input/output ports are positioned higher on the chassis to accommodate the updated circuit board. The power supply unit is larger and capable of delivering about 48W more than the current PS5 model. The PS5 Pro is also one of the first gaming consoles to feature Wi-Fi 7, providing faster and more reliable wireless connectivity.

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