It would seem that not all PlayStation 5 consoles were created equally, as a new report claims the fan in some models make Sony’s latest hardware sound louder or quieter compared to other models. This is especially notable given talk in the lead up to launch about how the new platform should be almost silent.
In the months leading up to the PS5’s release, Sony boasted of the console’s supposedly whisper-quiet nature. Such a feat had supposedly been accomplished thanks to the 120mm by 45mm double-sided fan that keeps the massive powerhouse from overheating, alongside it’s comically large liquid metal heatsink. However, not every aspect of Sony’s cooling solution seems to be working as intended, and some PS5s have parts that make them run more loudly than those of the more fortunate.
French publication Les Numériques claims to have found a couple of key differences in terms of how different models of the console sound. After spending three weeks with a review unit, a Les Numériques writer couldn’t help but be impressed by how little they heard of the PS5’s fan. Upon receiving a launch unit, however, the same writer noticed the fan’s sound right away. Apparently, further internal inspection showed that the fans inside the two aforementioned models were, in fact, very different from one another. Below are the two fan models that players are ending up with at random, with the left being the quieter of the two (and the one shown in off in Sony’s official PS5 teardown video) and the right running much less silently.
According to Les Numériques, there exist distinct variances between the shape and density of the review unit’s fan blades when compared to that of the launch version. Thus, it appears Sony used two separate models of fans to achieve the same ends, though the results do somewhat differ. Additional testing has revealed that in-game noise from PS5’s test version clocks in at approximately 39 decibels; on the other hand, the launch console emits a sound that climbs to 43 dB. While this isn’t too major of a sound difference, it certainly seems to indicate that the fan model does have a noticeable impact. Les Numériques tested five machines in total. The quieter fan resides in two of them, while the other three are equipped with the slightly louder model.
Again, this isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, but it is worth noting that some users may have received a PS5 whose fan inherently runs a tad louder than others. This combined with recent news of loud fan noise caused by a loose labels indicates the hardware will require a few refinements before it’s what Sony promised. Interestingly, Sony previously noted that firmware changes to the fan are possible via post-launch updates, and said improvements will be based on collected player data. This should give unlucky loud PS5 owners hope that the console manufacturer will bring their fans more in line with their quiet counterparts in the future.
