The Sad Truth About The New PS5 Console

Fans first heard of changes coming to the PS5 back in May, when news broke that there was already a new version of the console on the way. The slightly redesigned PS5 was reported to have improved wireless capabilities, even if it didn't address some of the aspects of the machine that fans can't stand. Teardown experts and gamers began searching for clues about the new design once it hit shelves in Australia, finding that the new version featured an adjustable screw to better help owners maneuver the behemoth's base. After spending more time with the console, one YouTuber found there might be more changes than gamers initially thought.

Austin Evans, who frequently creates videos about technology and gaming for his millions of subscribers, got his hands on a new PS5. Of course, he immediately took it apart — for science — and showed gamers exactly what was different about the lighter console. As the title of the video suggested, "The New PS5 is Worse." Evans needed to know why.

Evans shared that after reading paperwork that suggested that the new PS5s were about half a pound lighter than the original model, he knew he had to get his hands on it and investigate further. So he did what any technology YouTuber would do: He paid an absurd amount of money to overnight the new console to himself from Japan. Then, he tore that puppy open — and here's what he found.

Evans noted the previously-revealed base plate screw before moving on to the more intricate aspects of the new PS5, like what's going on with its actually hardware. The bad news is: The new PS5 may run a little quieter, but it also runs hotter. The problem emerged when Evans took a look at the PS5's heat sink, which was significantly smaller on the new version of the console.

"The reason it's lighter is because they literally removed cooling," Evans said. His suspicions were confirmed after removing the heat sink from the consoles, showing that the new heat sink was about half the size of the original PS5's. The smaller heat sink accounted for the hotter temperatures of the new PS5, and Evans had a theory why Sony would choose to cut such an important component.

He speculated that Sony decided the reduce the heat sink size in order to save money on PS5 production. "There's no scenario in which this is good," he said. "Technically, if Sony's able to get usable, good performance out of this smaller, lighter heat sink, they save money, and it should be okay, but we know, even with a very brief test, that this one runs hotter." Evans concluded that he would rather have a launch PS5 than a newer model, simply because the new model is not optimized for heat output.

For the most part, fans in the video's comments seemed dismayed that they couldn't even get a PS5 at launch, and wondered if changes in a console even matter when there's no hope of buying one themselves.