One PlayStation 5 that has been on display at a Best Buy branch suffered from overheating issues and customers were quick to take a photo and upload it to the internet. In the lead-up to reviews of the next-gen consoles, it was Microsoft’s Xbox Series X that faced criticisms of overheating problems, but these problems were dismissed once players got more hands-on time with the new machine.
Both consoles have much more impressive components compared to their predecessors, and they have been designed with sophisticated systems in order to keep the whole console functioning properly. Like PC towers, these next-gen consoles will need air, and it appears that even sellers will have to adapt to the new facet of next-gen gaming.
Not a lot of next-gen prospect buyers will likely be going to their local Best Buy stores in the coming weeks. Sony and other retailers have confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will only be available for purchase on release day.
Also lol pic.twitter.com/fKzw7T9JCF
— Xzyliac Electroclash Ariel 2024 (@Xzyliac) November 5, 2020
This, plus the existing coronavirus pandemic that has forced a lot of people to shop online, means that the classic tradition of displaying consoles on store windows will not achieve the advertising success it once was.
Several years ago, most gamers saw new consoles and games for the first time in local department stores’ gaming corners. Today, players can only depend on their favorite online influencers and celebrities unbox and handle the new hardware weeks ahead of any local retailer displays.
As originally posted by Xzyliac on Twitter, a PlayStation 5 that was at display at a Best Buy store was suffering from overheating problems. Xzyliac mentioned that the consoles were placed within display boxes, which most likely would have caused the problem for the PlayStation 5 considering their resemblance to PC towers.
The display unit clearly also drove home the console’s massive size, which has been a controversial point among individuals who have seen the actual console in person. As the PlayStation 5 was sealed in a display box, it was up to Best Buy stuff to power cycle the machine, or perhaps leave the door open for better airflow.
Neither Microsoft nor Sony wants gaming enthusiasts to begin thinking that their systems will burn itself up like the Xbox 360 once they arrive in people’s homes. Still, the sheer number of vents on both next-gen consoles suggests that the cooling effect behind every console’s plastic shell is a serious business.
The fact that Best Buy didn’t think of this situation speaks up to what has been a hurried console launch cycle in general, as the current year has been filled with bizarre timetables and compromises that continue to unwrap as the months go on. The fact that both next-gen consoles are releasing this year is still a miracle.
So, will Sony’s PlayStation 5 have overheating issues when it releases later this month? It is possible but highly unlikely. Unlike Best Buy’s display boxes, consoles will not be enclosed in prisons once in gamer’s homes, and a TV stand is already designed for systems that need to vent heat.
