PlayStation 5 not only runs extremely quiet but its improved ventilation system ensures that the next-generation console remains cool as well. This is despite hours of gameplay on PS5 in rather warm conditions.
According to hands-on impressions by Japanese publications Dengeki Online and 4Gamer earlier today, the “quietness of the [PS5] fans” was shocking. Sony Interactive Entertainment allowed both publications to play Godfall and Astro’s Playroom for nearly two hours in a studio where the intense overhead lighting made the room temperature “feel quite hot.” However, there was “no noticeable fan noise” coming from PS5 at the end of the session and the body of the next-generation console itself felt cool to the touch as well.
Even more surprising is that at certain points during gameplay, the fans were so quiet that one would question if the console was even on. Unlike Microsoft, Sony has refrained from detailing just how the cooling system works for PS5 but based on early impressions, the next-generation ventilation system is doing a remarkable job and that is all that matters.
That being said, games like Godfall and Astro’s Playroom can hardly match games like the upcoming God of War: Ragnarok in terms of resource-hogging. Astro’s Playroom is a platforming demo for DualSense. Godfall, while having ray-traced reflections, will probably have a lesser impact on the fans than a rich open-world setting. However, the hands-on impressions for PS5 are still incredibly encouraging.
Similar hands-on impressions have been shared for Xbox Series X where the noise levels were “barely” audible. Microsoft has been hailed for designing the “quietest Xbox” in history and which should quell concerns about the large ventilation fan making noise due to its sheer size.
PS5 and its digital edition launch on November 12, 2020, for $500 and $400 respectively. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launch a bit earlier on November 10, 2020, for $500 and $300 respectively.
