The PlayStation 5 arrived in Europe on Thursday, completing the second leg of its launch without incident. And if you are one of the buyers frustrated by the strange noises emanating from the console, the problem may not be serious.
Supercell developer Frank Keienburg, who purchased his PS5 in Finland, was plagued by an unhealthy sound every time he turned it on. Naturally, he suspected a fan failure, as most people do after playing this clip:
However, knowing that it would take a very long time to send it back to Sony, given the low supply of game consoles, Keienburg decided to investigate the problem himself. He decided to look into it.
After ruling out the coil whine, noting that the sound was not coming from the bearings, and reproducing a similar noise in the air, he decided it was worth risking Sony's warranty to investigate the problem himself. Sure enough, the problem turned out to be a sticker that had been removed, and when he removed it, the PS5 became as quiet as a mouse.
It is unclear what the sticker is for, and Keienburg notes that it is blank, with no text or identifying features. However, thanks to the PS5 teardown video, another user has identified what it is:
Your noisy PS5 may be the cause of something else entirely, so be very familiar with repairing electronic equipment or be willing to risk Sony's willingness to provide support at a later date Unless you are, we recommend that you do not follow Keienburg's example (although he notes that the warranty sticker is not in the way).
Nevertheless, the temptation is understandable: the launch of the PlayStation 5 was an incredible success for Sony, with pre-order inventory selling out almost instantly every time it went online. However, it was less of a success for consumers, who missed their chance to purchase and had to resort to Ebay, which was overpriced.
It is not surprising that people would be tempted to do the repairs themselves, knowing that it would likely take months for a replacement unit to arrive.
For those still looking for a PS5 before Christmas, we're checking inventory in our Where to Buy a PS5 guide; Best Buy, Gamestop, and Walmart will have the PS5 in stock on Black Friday, so get your credit cards ready after Thanksgiving! You may want to have it ready.
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