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Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the company’s line of home video game consoles for consumers, and it represents the latest iteration of the device as of 2022. Although it is a significant upgrade from its predecessors, it still shares some of the major aesthetic similarities that gamers have come to know as hallmarks of this particular run of consoles. However, the PS5 has faster processors, larger storage capacities, and is something that the company designed to support higher resolutions with smoother graphics.
As with all consoles, however, the PlayStation 5 can build up dust and debris both inside and outside of its casing. Some PS5 owners wonder what might happen to their consoles if this problem should occur frequently, or they would like to know about what might happen if they don’t notice it for some time. These are precisely the kinds of topics that we’ll tackle in today’s article.
As we go along, we’ll talk about whether Sony gave the PS5 some native support for dust protection. Further, we’ll try to make some educated guesses about what might happen to the console if dust builds up in or around it. We’ll also try to troubleshoot how you can get rid of this dust, tips to keep the console free from debris, and how often you might want to clean the device.
Table of Contents
Does the PS5 Have Dust Protection?
Yes, the PlayStation 5 does have some internal support that can act as a dust prevention measure.
Sony designed much of the internal structure of the PS5 from the ground up, and part of this vision included the installation of special dust catchers in the casing of the console.
Each PS5 home entertainment system should include two such catchers. Part of Sony’s reasoning behind including these components was to help gamers keep the console clean and efficient without doing quite as much maintenance themselves.
In addition to catching debris that might otherwise build up inside the PlayStation 5, these special dust catchers should provide the additional bonus of helping the console run quieter than it otherwise might. Even though the dust catchers should do some of the work for the player, we would be remiss if we did not mention that Sony makes no guarantees here.
The catchers are something that the company feels should be an addition to some kind of regular maintenance or cleaning routine. Gamers should not rely on these parts of the console to catch any and all debris all the time. This is particularly true if one were to allow dust to build up in or around the console over a long period.
What Happens if Dust Builds Up in a PS5?
Before we get into just what might happen when you allow dust to build up in a PlayStation 5, we should address the reality of dust. This is a common problem for all sorts of hardware that you might use or store in your home, and it can affect more than just video game consoles.
In fact, the accumulation of dust is simply a foregone conclusion when it comes to any kind of electronic devices that you might operate. Even modern homes and businesses can’t be free from dust entirely, making regular checks or maintenance schedules for electronics and similar equipment quite important.
Dust is not as much of a problem for things that do not have delicate circuits and other components inside them. Debris like this can sit on many surfaces without harming anything, but the risks are somewhat greater for electronics.
If the dust or debris becomes heavy or intense enough, there is a possibility of the PS5 taking some damage as a result. Therefore, we will try to list some of the most common problems that might occur if you allow dust to build itself up inside a console like this.
1. Some kinds of dust can act as insulation
The more powerful the electronics are, the hotter they run when you are using them. Heat and delicate circuitry do not mix well together, so console manufacturers put special cooling devices inside the units to keep the components cool as you use them. However, dust or debris can work against these cooling methods.
By building up too much, the dust can trap heat that might otherwise escape the inside of the console. This can lead to the cooling units not being able to keep up with the demands of the increasing temperatures inside the casing. As a result, your console could overheat.
At best, you might deal with unexpected shutdowns. If things get worse, your console could take enough damage that it fails to start at all.
2. Overheating
Overheating is one of the major problems, but noise can be another one. It results from a similar issue to the one that causes overheating. Namely, the debris inside the case clogs the fans or other parts of the machine. When this happens, they have to work harder and longer in order to do their jobs.
As a result, you might hear a drastic increase in the noise your console makes. This is bad for the gaming system itself, but it can also be very distracting for players who are trying to go for more immersion in their games.
3. Performance
These problems can also contribute to a general dip in the overall performance of your PS5. While it may not shut down, it can become sluggish when you are playing a game. Framerates may drop, the device may have a hard time rendering complex textures, and video sequences may stall or skip entirely.
Making sure that dust doesn’t clog fans or overheat processors represents something that you can do in order to lower the risk of your console taking such a performance hit.
How Do I Remove Dust From a PS5?
The precise steps for cleaning a PS5 and removing dust from it might vary from one person or guide to the next. However, we can offer some basic guidelines that should work well for you here. Because all PlayStation 5 consoles have the same kind of architecture, our suggestions should work well for any PS5 owners.
However, it is possible that you might find extra steps not shown here that you would like to include in order to maintain the parts of your console more thoroughly. Our guide should serve as a basic outline for getting rid of dust, but it isn’t the only path you can take.
1. Before you do any cleaning, make sure that you unplug the PlayStation 5 from the main power. Ensure that no power is flowing to the device before you try to clean it. You should turn it off using a full shutdown procedure as well.
2. Place the console in a sideways position on a clean, flat, hard surface. Do not try to put the PS5 on a carpeted surface, particularly one with longer fibers. We don’t want any stray fibers to get into the workings of the console while you are cleaning it.
3. The PlayStation 5 should have faceplates that you can remove manually with the proper application of strength.
4. Once you have the inner workings at your fingertips, locate any deposits of dust or debris inside the casing.
5. You can use blasts of compressed air to clean out these deposits.
6. If necessary, you can also get inside some crevices with a clean cloth to remove more debris.
7. Once you are certain that you’ve cleaned everything out, you can reattach the PS5’s faceplates and return it to its usual position.
How Often Should You Clean Your PS5?
There is no one right answer for how often a person might clean their PlayStation 5. Much of this schedule would depend on the environment in which you set up and use your console. If your PS5 is in a relatively clean home that you otherwise dust frequently, it is possible that debris doesn’t build up around the device very often.
Keeping it in an open, ventilated area where dust cannot sit and accumulate can also mean that you don’t have to clean the PlayStation 5 as often as you would otherwise. You can check for noise levels, heat retention, and visible signs of dust in order to decide when it might be time to open up your PlayStation 5 for a good scrubbing.
How Do I Keep My PS5 Dust Free? 4 Tips
If you want to do your best to make sure that your PlayStation 5 encounters as little dust as possible, some of these tips may help you mitigate the issue:
- Keep it on a surface that provides good surrounding ventilation.
- Additionally, try to choose a flat surface with colors and textures that make it easy to see the dust start to accumulate.
- The PlayStation 5 has air vents. Make sure that every vent gets at least a few centimeters of space between itself and the wall to ensure that the console can blow air adequately.
- Adding at least one air purifier to the room in which you keep your console could help with the general buildup of dust in that space.
Conclusion
The PlayStation 5 is a great choice for a modern console that can handle graphics on high resolutions for gaming and other kinds of visual media. Although it is powerful, dust can still defeat it if you leave the buildup of debris unchecked. Thankfully, some of our troubleshooting tips above should help you both get rid of the dust and keep it at bay, leaving you to enjoy your console for years to come.