Key Takeaways
Clean your PS4 console both outside where the vents are an inside to remove dust and hair that can cause heat build-up. You should also make sure the console has a good supply of fresh air and remove other sources of heat.
Does your PlayStation 4 console sound like a jet engine? Are you seeing warnings about the console being too hot, or experiencing sudden shutdowns? Here’s how to fix an overheating PS4.
Why Does My PS4 Keep Overheating?
The most likely cause of an overheating PS4 is age. The Sony PlayStation 4 console was first released in 2013, with a slim revision released in September 2016, and the PS4 Pro was released later in November of the same year. Regardless of which version you own, your console is probably getting a bit long in the tooth at this stage.
The more use your console has seen, the more dust and dirt have accumulated inside of it. This is the main reason most console owners eventually start to notice heat problems. These problems arise as warnings on the screen that your console is too hot (and needs a rest before you can carry on playing) and a “three beep” warning with a red light on the console itself. You may also notice other tell-tale signs like excessive fan noise or sudden shutdowns.
The problem can be exacerbated by especially dusty surroundings, the presence of pet hair in the home, or by placing your PS4 in an enclosed environment. Regardless of which model you are having issues with, the fixes are generally the same.
Clean Your PS4 Vents to Improve Airflow
By far the easiest fix you can perform is to thoroughly clean your PS4’s air intakes and exhaust points to improve airflow. All models of PS4 vent hot air out of the back of the unit, while the vents on the sides of the console are used to suck in cool air. You should make sure all of these vents are clear of dust, hair, and other debris.
A damp cloth should be enough to remove any stubborn, stuck-on grime. Be careful using canned air since the sudden pressure can damage fan blades or other components.
While you’re at it, make sure the PS4 is in a relatively dust-free environment too. You should routinely clean your console’s vents and the platform on which it sits. The more dust there is in the environment, the more will end up inside your PS4. It’s a lot easier to get rid of this dust before it makes its way inside than afterward.
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Fix PS4 Overheating Issues by Cleaning Inside Your Console
Assuming you’ve had your PS4 for several years, there’s a good chance that a fair amount of dust and other unwanted material has made its way inside. This can slow down airflow inside the console’s cooling system and trap warm air. If your PS4 can’t adequately cool itself it is far more likely to overheat, while components like fans will have to work overtime (making them more prone to failure).
If you purchased your PS4 recently and it’s still under warranty, we’d recommend contacting Sony or the retailer you bought it from for further instructions. Alternatively, if your console is long outside of its warranty window and you’re confident that you can open up and clean your console, you should go ahead and do so.
You’ll find guides for this all over the internet. YouTube channel TronicsFix has guides to cleaning the original PS4, the Slim revision, and the PS4 Pro. iFixit has guides for replacing thermal paste on the original PS4 and PS4 Slim models. It’s important to note that replacing thermal paste alone is unlikely to yield better thermal performance, but rather thermal paste replacement is a necessary part of reassembly.
If you’re not confident cleaning the inside of your PS4 yourself, seek a local repair service that is. You may also want to ask a tech-savvy friend or anyone who has experience cleaning their console.
Make Sure Your PS4 Has Room to Breathe
Like any other console or air-cooled PC, the PS4 depends on an exchange of hot and cool air to adequately cool itself. Keeping your console in a confined space where it cannot get an adequate supply of cool air can lead to overheating. As the console exhausts hot air into the space, the air used to cool internal components gets hotter and hotter.
You can solve this problem by making sure your PS4 console has adequate room around the sides, back, and front of the unit. Don’t place other consoles or media equipment too close, and avoid placing your console into a closed entertainment unit. Putting your console on a unit with open sides will allow it to cool itself far better.
Make sure you haven’t stacked game boxes near or on top of the console, and avoid putting your console directly on a carpeted or fabric surface. Placing your PS4 in an upright position may provide more space around the edges of the console if you have the room to do so. You can apply this logic to other gadgets you want to keep cool.
Watch Nearby Heat Sources and Ambient Temperature
Nearby gadgets like hot PC cases, other consoles, AV receivers, or even heaters can also cause your PS4 to heat up unnecessarily. Make sure none of these devices are exhausting directly onto the PS4 while in use or you could end up tainting your console’s supply of fresh air with unnecessary heat.
Even your TV could be a source of unwanted heat, especially LED models that use large backlights to illuminate the screen. Try placing your PS4 further away from your TV (underneath or to the side) if you suspect that the heat at the back of the TV is causing heat problems for your console.
Lastly, watch the ambient temperature. Your PS4 can only cool itself adequately if it has a supply of fresh air. If the room you’re in is especially warm, you may need to open a window or run an air conditioner to give your gadgets some relief. You could also try playing at cooler times of the day and avoiding placing your PS4 in direct sunlight.
Did You Already Take Your PS4 Apart?
If you’ve already tried opening up and cleaning your PS4 but haven’t noticed much of an improvement (or you’re now seeing worse thermal performance) then make sure you didn’t forget to reapply thermal paste. The process of removing the PS4 heatsink involves breaking the seal made by Sony’s factory thermal paste.
Once the thermal paste is dry and cracked you will need to reapply a new layer. Doing this is just like applying thermal paste to a PC’s CPU. First, make sure to clean the old thermal paste off then apply a healthy (but not excessive) amount to the point of contact.
Remember that simply swapping out thermal paste probably isn’t going to yield better thermals alone. You’ll need to get busy with a brush and careful use of compressed air to clean out the dust.
Solving Other PS4 Problems
Did you know you can boot your PS4 in Safe Mode to fix all manner of problems? This allows you to do things like rebuild the PS4 game database to resolve issues caused by corrupted data.
Still rocking that PS4? There are some compelling reasons to upgrade to the PS5, especially now that the supply of Sony’s next PlayStation console is plentiful.