According to various reports, the PS6 is on schedule to release in 2027 and cost roughly $1000, though there are rumors it will be delayed to 2028. While the PS6 may only be a year away, we don’t know anything about it. Until Sony announces the console or it hits production lines and starts leaking, this won’t change. For now, all we have is the occasional rumor, speculation, and an interesting new patent from Sony that may have leaked an upgrade being planned for the next-gen PlayStation console.
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One of the biggest challenges of console manufacturing is cooling. This generation, both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have done relatively alright in this regard, though the PS5 has had issues with liquid metal drip that may or may not brick PS5s in the coming years. It wouldn’t be shocking for the PS6 to copy the PS5 in the cooling department, but it appears Sony is actually investing heavily in this area of research and development.
New Sony Patent Surfaces Online
A new Sony patent, spotted by Spazio Games, describes a brand new cooling system that would make use of new heat pipes that are equally effective vertically or horizontally. Of course, the PS5 already does this. The problem is that vertically, the liquid metal in the PS5 can drip rather than pool and get on other pieces of tech inside as a result. This new patent doesn’t mean liquid metal wouldn’t be used, but if the console can stay cooler as a result, then dripping liquid metal won’t be as much of a concern.
The patent reveals the design would make use of extensions within the heat pipes, with the purpose of fighting gravity. This would mean better redistribution of the cooling liquid, not just while vertical, but when changed from vertical to any other position.
At the moment, it is all a bit ambiguous, but it appears Sony is investing considerable attention and resources into cooling. The PS5 doesn’t have the same overheating issues the PS4 had, but it’s certainly not the coolest machine of all time. To this end, this is not the most glamorous prospect, but it’s an important one.
That said, it is important to note this is just a patent, and a patent that does not mention the PS6. This work is obviously being done with the PS6 in mind, but we see many patents that never evolve from the conceptual stage. Sony patenting this does not automatically mean it will be in the PS6. Meanwhile, as you would expect, Sony has not commented on the patent nor the speculation it has created. If this changes, we will update the story accordingly.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the video game conversations over on the ComicBook Forum.
