We are mere weeks away from the official launch of the PS5 on November 12. As with any launch, there are going to be adjustments after you get your hands on it. One of those things is going to be the fan in the PS5, which will be adjusted with a post-launch firmware update.
As we have discussed with the reported heat issues on the Xbox Series X, (which was tested with thermal imaging) better technology comes with heat issues. The harder you ask something to work, the hotter it gets. Computer electronics can get so hot, in fact, that liquid nitrogen is required to keep them cool enough to run Doom at 1,000fps.
The problem with both consoles then, is that they need to be cooled in a reasonable way. In an interview with the Japanese site, 4Gamer, PS5 designer Yasuhiro Tsuji explained how Sony chose to address the problem of heat management—and it's pretty neat.
First of all, the console uses liquid metal to do the cooling, which is fairly unique for consumer electronics, because the metal that is typically used can destroy aluminum parts if it ever leaks. While Sony's solution to this is a trade secret, we do know that the PS5 is, in fact, cooled using liquid metal. The console's shape also comes in to play when we talk about cooling.
The curves of the PS5 aren't merely an aesthetic choice. Instead, they are designed to move air all the way around the console, pushing hot air away from the "bottom" layer of electronics. Because of this design choice—having two layers of electronics—there are three different temperature sensors to monitor the internal temperature of the console. In addition, the curves are also designed to force air into the optical drive to keep it nice and cool.
This is where firmware updates come into play. Sony will continually collect temperature data from the three temperature sensors attached to the APU in the PS5. Depending on what game you're playing (which will be attached to your temperature data) the fan will adjust its speed to maintain optimal operating temperatures. If Watch Dogs Legion, for example, is putting the APU under a heavy load for long periods of time, an update will let the console know ahead of time that it will need to increase the speed of the fan when you launch Watch Dogs Legion.
Of course, this means that this will happen at the expense of the low noise level of the fan. However—while your PS5 may sometimes get loud—you can rest assured that it's also making sure that you can play it for as long as possible without worrying about overheating.
Source: 4Gamer