Should You Be Worried About Standing Your PS5 Vertically?

When we bought our PlayStation 5 consoles, we were told to display them whichever way we wanted - vertically or horizontally. But now, it turns out our lives might've been built on lies.

The design of the PlayStation 5 is bizarre, but equally, it's incredibly iconic and you can tell exactly what it is from its silhouette alone.

The same can't really be said for the Xbox Series S, so it's safe to say that PlayStation has won that battle. But it looks like we probably shouldn't be displaying it vertically anymore.

Can Standing Your PlayStation 5 Vertically Break It?

Videos and articles have been doing the rounds that are calling the way you stand you PlayStation 5 into question. A new investigation implied that you should be storing your console on its side if you want it to survive this console generation.

A video by repair technician TheCod3r reveals that despite the ability to display the console vertically, it can actually damage it in a very specific way.

When he cracks the PS5 open and investigated, it's shown that the console's liquid metal thermal paste that covers the processor has spilled out of its designated area, coating other components.

This problem has led to heating issues, leaving the console unable to manage its own temperature, and could even lead to electrical problems too. But, this might not be widespread.

Is It Safe To Display Your PlayStation 5 Vertically?

This might be one particularly frustrating example, but as of right now, there's no proof that this is a design fault that wreaks upon PlayStation 5 consoles in general.

In a follow-up from Wolo, they clarify that the original language implied that unopened PS5s in their box could be affected, which doesn't seem to be the case.

Though the assumption that this break has occurred as a result of gravity is fair, there's no proof that it was caused by the console being displayed upright - especially as this is the way the console was designed.

Also, others have pointed out that it's one of the cheaper fixes and isn't anywhere near something like the Xbox 360's red ring of death. Basically, any modern electronic could fail similarly, so standing your PS5 vertically won't make a difference. 

If you're particularly paranoid about it, go ahead and lay your console on its side - but otherwise, it might not be so bad. Phew.