PS5 users warned they are ‘killing’ their console by making this common mistake

Just when you think you know all there is to know about your beloved gaming console, something else pops up on social media.

Which sometimes, is great! You can uncover hacks to help battery life, or discover a way to unlock free store credit.

However, other times you find out you've 'accidentally been killing' your PS5 without even realising.

Everyone who owns a PS5 knows about the console’s design flexibility, meaning it can be placed either vertically or horizontally, depending on different preferences or space constraints.

However, according to one gamer on TikTok, this flexibility comes with a hidden cost.

They suggest that using the PS5 in its vertical position could lead to long-term damage due to a critical design flaw involving the cooling system.

How does storing my Play Station 5 cause damage?

Well, the video explains that there's an issue with the PS5’s liquid metal cooling system, and that when the console is placed vertically, there's a risk that this liquid metal could spill or become uneven.

This, in turn, affects, the cooling of the APU, the TikToker said, potentially leading to overheating and damage.

And this TikToker isn't the only person concerned by this. Several cases had been reported online where the seal between the PS5's APU and its cooler became compromised.

The idea is that, in such scenarios, if the console is stood vertically, the liquid metal could flow unevenly, potentially causing damage to its internal components.

One expert has also weighed in on this, and taken to social media to share images of inside the console, and what actually can happen to it.

Given these concerns, the recommendation from some corners of the tech world was to play it safe and keep your PS5 horizontal until Sony provides an official statement on this issue.

However, the issue might not be as wide-spread as it sounds.

Follow-up reports challenged the notion that standing your PS5 upright is a one-way ticket to console destruction.

Console hacking site Wololo.net, which had initially reported on the issue, later clarified its stance.

They say the real risk of liquid metal leakage is rare and not specifically tied to the console's orientation - It might be that the issue could only affect PS5 consoles that have been tampered with, as opposed to a widespread problem inherent to all PS5 units as originally reported.

So, it could all come down to personal preference in the end.