There’s a Kickstarter campaign making waves right now, featuring a PlayStation 5 cooling unit that’s claimed to tackle overheating issues and even prevents the unfortunate melting of the console’s rear I/O ports. When we last checked, this campaign had already raised $89,000, and they’re aiming for a stretch goal of $125,000. If you’re considering this solution, you can get started with their cooling unit, which is priced from $39.
They’ve named this innovative device the Arctic PS5 cooler, and it’s being marketed as the first AI-powered PS5 cooling system in the world. It’s essentially a clip-on vent for the PS5, connecting at the back and equipped with either four or six fans to actively fight the heat. Neatly, the cooler is run by just one USB port but includes a pass-through port to ensure you don’t lose any of your precious USB slots.
The brains behind this Kickstarter, SCRY, have developed three distinct models to cater to the different versions of the PS5. They’ve got one for the original PS5, which they amusingly refer to as the “fat” version, and ones for the Slim and the newly released Pro versions. The Pro and Slim models both boast four fans – three at the top and one at the bottom – while the “fat” model steps it up with six fans overall.
SCRY features prominently in the campaign description that all three models leverage “smart thermal AI” to adjust fan speeds based on the internal temperature of the PS5. The specifics of how this is different from traditional PC fan speed control methods remain a bit murky. However, what’s clear is that the fans kick into high gear at 50C to ensure maximum cooling.
According to SCRY, their cooler knocks down the console’s temperature by a noteworthy 30%, bringing it from a sizzling 64C down to a much cooler 55C. On their site, thermal camera scans showcase this impressive 9-degree Celsius drop, specifically at the PS5’s rear hottest spot, near the ethernet port.
The ultimate aim of these cooling systems is to nix overheating issues with Sony’s latest gaming console. Last year, we heard so much about these problems across several games, including Final Fantasy XVI. In rare cases, the PS5 developed enough heat to actually melt some back connectors!
Besides the cooling attachment, SCRY is also highlighting a Gen 4 M.2 SSD with a heatsink in their campaign, offering another intriguing piece of tech for PS5 enthusiasts.
If they hit that $125,000 stretch goal, backers can also snag a free “vertikal” universal PS5 stand. They’re keeping mum on additional stretch goals at the $75,000 and $100,000 marks for now, promising to reveal them once they’re unlocked.
