While we’ve yet to be shown what an actual, retail PlayStation 5, images of the console’s dev kit did leak as early as October of last year, and the hardware looks…unique. Featuring a large V-shaped indentation and plenty of cooling vents, it seems Sony is very concerned with making sure the PS5’s variable frequency GPU doesn’t overheat.

　　Well, a new patent for the PS5 dev kit has been added to the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) database, and while it doesn’t delve too deeply into technical details, it does show us how the machine is being cooled. Check out a few diagrams from the patent, below.

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　　So, it looks like we have six fans, divided evenly between the two “wings” of the PS5 dev kit. Three of the fans are dedicated to cooling the power supply and three for the APU. We also have a vapor chamber, which will use advanced liquid cooling to keep the PS5 APU cool. Here’s a bit more detail from the patent:

　　As shown in FIG. 6, the electronic device 10 has a heat sink 30. The heat sink 30 is connected to the integrated circuit 11a (see FIG. 6) which is a heat source mounted on the circuit board 11 and receives heat from the integrated circuit 11a. The electronic device 10 has a plurality of cooling fans 15, and the heat sink 30 is cooled by receiving the air flow formed by the cooling fans 15. The heat sink 30 is one of the cooling target components described in the claims.

　　The bottom 31 is a vapor chamber. That is, the bottom portion 31 is, for example, a metal plate having a space in which a liquid that easily vaporizes is enclosed. The bottom portion 31 may be a metal plate (metal block) having no such space. The fins 32 are welded to the bottom portion 31 and are arranged in the direction along the circuit board 11.

　　Will the version of the PS5 feature a similar cooling system? It seems likely, as we’ve already heard rumors Sony is splashing out on cooling, although let’s hope the final PS5 hardware is a bit more streamlined and stylish than the dev kits.