PS5: New version of PlayStation is lighter because it has smaller cooling system, teardown finally reveals

(AFP via Getty Images)

The mystery over a new, lighter version of the PlayStation 5 has finally been solved.

The weight of the new console has been reduced because it has a dramatically reduced cooling system, a YouTube user has found after tearing the console to pieces.

Rumours of a new version of the console began in recent months, when a new user manual was found online that showed the console had got lighter. Then, last week, the console went on sale in a number of markets.

But it was still not clear how that console had been reduced in weight. The PlayStation 5 lost 300 grams – or about 5 per cent of its weight – with the only obvious difference being a change to the stand that allowed it to be tightened up by hand rather than with a screwdriver.

YouTuber Austin Evans has finally broken open the new console, however, after having spent a large amount of money to have the new version of the PlayStation 5 shipped from Japan to California so that it could be torn down.

Inside, he found that Sony had reduced the size of the heatsink that transfers the heat generated by the console out so that it does not overheat.

Mr Evans said in a video titled ‘The New PS5 Is Worse’ that he was shocked by the change in size. “There is no scenario that this is good,” expressing shock that he had been left with “half the heatsink” that had been present in the previous version of the console.

And the change does appear to affect the performance of the console. Mr Evans left both versions of the game Astro’s Playroom playing and measured them with a thermal camera that showed the new version runs warmer than the old one, and suggested that was likely to affect either performance or lifespan.

In response to the suggestion that hotter temperatures coming out of the console could suggest it is doing a better job getting rid of the heat, Mr Evans said that he was confident that the smaller heatsink was simply not as efficient at getting rid of heat from inside the console.

He also noted that the new console does run quieter than the old one, but said that the difference is unlikely to be noticeable once people are “a few feet away” from the console.

Customers are not likely to get a choice between the new and old versions of the PlayStation 5, or necessarily even know which they are receiving. They can be distinguished by their model number – the old one is CFI-1015B, while the new one is CFI-1100B – but are identical from the outside, and Sony appears to be gradually shipping the new one in different markets.