Why Does My PS4 Keep Overheating? Complete Fix Guide!

Wondering why does my PS4 keep overheating? Keep reading!

The PlayStation 4 will overheat when the ventilation openings are blocked or the positioning surface is blocking the hot air to escape the enclosure. The solution includes cleaning the vents and relieving the device’s workflow.

Signs Of PlayStation 4 Overheating:

During the hot summer seasons, every type of computer/console machine requires good ventilation to reduce temperatures, hence, keeping normal operation.

Here are some noticeable signs of overheating in PS4:

• The PS4 is making more noise than usual
• All fans are spinning at full speed
• The top panel of the PS4 feels really hot on the touch

Let’s now learn what factors can cause overheating with your PS4:

Why Does My PS4 Keep Overheating?

The PS4 is Near a Heat Conductor!

If your PS4 is near a heat conductor, overheating can potentially happen.

This excessive heat that the console catches from the warmer environment can cause the hardware to increase temperature and therefore overheat.

PS4 Ventilation Openings Are Clogged

If not cleaning your PS4 for too long, this can cause an excessive buildup of dust on the console’s ventilation openings.

This prevents proper ventilation, thus increasing temperatures to a point where the machine starts to throttle.

The Console Is Overwhelmed

What some call “extreme circumstances” is whenever you use your PS4 are exposed to pressure for too long.

This can be caused by heavy games, downloading with fast speeds, or benchmarking services.

Let’s review the best ways to end your PS4’s overheating for good!

How To Fix When My Playstation Overheating?

We’ll begin with simpler tasks, and later proceed with more complex solutions!

Solution #1 Give Your Console A Break

The remedy for resolving overheating issues with devices of any kind is to give them a break.

Overheating generally occurs after a while of using the console (and also depends on what are you doing exactly on the PlayStation).

Overheating can either be chronic (due to a hardware failure) or occur rarely in warmer seasons and whenever the environment exceeds a certain temperature level.

You need to provide your PS4 with some time to cool down and reset, and then restart the device!

• Shut down your console and unplug it from power for 10-15 minutes.

This time interval should be enough for the console to cool down and reach its normal operating temperatures.

Once this is done, you proceed further with the solutions!

Note: Disconnecting the console directly, exposes the hardware to the generated heat, without the fans working. Exit the games and wait for a while before turning the device OFF.

Solution #2 Re-Adjust PS4’s Position

The position of your console is vital for airflow and cooling. Since the fans that blow the hot air out of the device are underneath the unit, the positioning should be considered.

It’s recommended to position your PlayStation on a solid surface such as wood.

Most users use a desk or a shelf from a solid material and avoid placing the PS4 on carpets.

This will allow the hot air to leave the PS4 and not be blocked within.

Notice: Avoid positioning the PlayStation on a heat-conducting surface!

Solution #3 Clean The Vents

Opening your console to clean the insides is a very tough task and will also void the warranty.

Also, there is no guarantee that you will be able to rebuild the device.

What you can safely do at home is clean the vents from dust and debris. That will re-open the ventilation and lower the internal PlayStation temperatures.

There are multiple ventilation openings on the panel of the PS4 that you should clean as much as possible.

Here’s how to clean your PS4’s vents from any excessive dust:

1. Grab a slightly wet and dry cloth.
2. Disconnect your PS4 from power.
3. Turn the console upside down.
4. Locate the vents of the PS4.
5. Use a wet cloth to collect all dust.
6. Dry the vents using a dried cloth.
7. Wait for the PS4 to dry up fully.
8. Check if the device would still overheat.

Tip: Using a can of compressed air, always works like a charm. It also scatters the dust from the inside, allowing a vacuum cleaner to finish the job.

Solution #4 Lower Room Temperature

One of the causes for overheating in all consoles is a high room temperature.

All devices and not only consoles, find it hard to maintain regular hardware temperatures whenever the environment conducts too much heat.

In that regard, attempt to lower the temperature of the room where your PS4 is located and see how that helps.

You will have to stop any heat conductors, open some windows and simply let the room temperature drop a few degrees.

Keep your room ventilated for a couple of minutes and put your PS4 to a pressure test. If the console still overheats, move on to the next solution.

Tip: If you have AC in your room, set the temperatures down by a couple of degrees and wait for the changes to take effect.

Solution #5 Update Game’ Software

If you notice that overheating is only about to occur when playing a certain game, the game software itself may be problematic.

If that’s the case, we suggest updating the problematic game to prevent your console from overheating any longer.

Here’s how to update the software of the problematic app or game on your PS4:

1. Select the problematic game from the home screen of the PS4.
2. Open the Settings.
3. Select “Check for Updates”.
4. Choose “Update Now” if there are new updates.
5. Wait for the game to be updated.

Alert: Do not shut down your console while the game is being updated.

Solution #6 Use PS4 Moderately

After years of usage, the ventilation of your PlayStation could be impacted by a lot of dust, which you might not be able to clean at home.

In such cases, users need to bring their console to a professional cleaning service, which also voids the warranty, but it’s safer!

In the meantime…

Shorten your gaming sessions, and do not expose the console to excessive pressure!

The best approach is to avoid heavy games and apps until your console’s hardware is cleaned by a professional. 

We don’t recommend attempting to open PS4, since it has been proven that this is one of the hardest models to open and eventually put back together.

Solution #7 Change The Thermal Paste (Technical)

This solution is quite complex and is not recommended for non-techy people and consoles with an active warranty.

In case there is nothing to lose and you’re ready to open your PS4 to clean the insides and change the thermal paste, follow the steps below.

• You will need a Torx T8 – T9 and Philips PH0 – PH1 screwdriver!

1. Remove the 4 x stickers on the back side of the PlayStation.
2. Unscrew the 4 x screws behind the stickers using the Torx.
3. The bottom panel comes off.
4. There are 4 more screws holding the cover of the power supply. Remove them.
5. Unplug the flat cable connecting to the board and disconnect the WiFi antenna.
6. Turn the console upside down.
7. De-attach the top panels of the PlayStation and remove the HDD.
8. Disconnect the fan cable and remove the metal cover.
9. Lift up the motherboard gently.

Once you’re at this point you’ll need an ear stick and some alcohol to remove the old thermal paste from the processor. 

Do not apply too much alcohol. When you’re ready apply a few drops of fresh thermal paste and use an object to spread it evenly across the CPU surface.

While you’re at it, remove as much dust as possible! When you’re ready follow the steps in reverse to put the PlayStation back together. Test for overheating.

Quick Recap:

Hence, when PS4 is overheating the solution mainly requires cleaning. You should unclog the ventilation openings, reposition your PlayStation away from heat conductors and use a surface that will not block the hot air coming out from the console.

Final Thoughts:

Now that we’ve learned why does my PS4 keep overheating and what the solution includes, we can solve the problem at home?

However, in case the device’s warranty is still intact, we strongly recommend taking the PlayStation for a professional cleaning instead of disassembling the device at home.

We hope that this post was helpful and for more relevant guides, check our blog!