A Sony patent filed early this year describes a vaporization-based cooling system that would replace the liquid metal thermal interface used in the PS5, directly addressing the overheating and leakage issues that dogged the current generation.
The patent, spotted by Tech4Gamers and published in April, details a heat dissipation device using improved heat pipes with tapered and extended sections that rely on fluid vaporization for cooling. Instead of liquid metal. The system uses a sealed working fluid, potentially water, inside a pipe with a sintered body layer and cavity.
"The demand for structures with higher cooling performance" in multiple orientations is cited in the filing, according to Yahoo Finance's coverage. The patent describes "an electronic device is provided that can improve cooling capacity of a heating element built into an electronic device disposed in a plurality of postures," as Kotaku reported.
This is a direct response to the PS5's most persistent hardware flaw. Early PS5 units using liquid metal cooling suffered from uneven pooling when placed vertically, reducing contact between the chip and heat spreader.
Some users reported leaked liquid metal on their motherboards and overheating issues, sparking endless debates about whether it was safe to keep the console upright.
Sony never formally acknowledged the problem but introduced minor fixes with the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro, adding grooves to the APU's heatsink and altering the cooling application pattern. Those changes limited issues but didn't eliminate them.
The PS6 approach is more aggressive, ditch liquid metal entirely. The new design uses extended sections in multiple rod-shaped heat pipes that regulate fluid circulation in both horizontal and vertical orientations. In vertical mode, where gravity creates the most risk, the extension portions act as containers, lowering the fluid level to ensure better vaporization.
A patent filing doesn't guarantee the final product. But the specificity of the solution, tapered pipes, sealed fluid, orientation-independent performance, points to a cooling architecture that Sony has been developing specifically for next-gen hardware. The application was filed in early 2026, suggesting active engineering work.
For a console generation likely arriving in 2027 or 2028, the shift matters beyond thermal performance. If the PS6 ships with a handheld variant, as some reports have suggested, eliminating leak-prone liquid metal becomes even more critical. A portable device in bags and laps can't afford the same spill risks as a stationary console.
The PS5's liquid metal solution was a cutting-edge choice that became one of the generation's most visible engineering headaches. Sony appears ready to leave it behind.
