A patent filed by Sony indicates the PS6 will avoid a flaw in the original PS5’s design, whether it’s horizontal or vertical.
Sony hasn’t confirmed anything about the PlayStation 6 but, based on rumours and the company’s decisions of late, there are a few features that seem a given at this point.
A handheld – whether separate or a hybrid device – has been rumoured for some time and hinted at by Sony on several occasions. Additionally, after the announcement that Sony will no longer release physical games with discs after 2028, there’s the obvious assumption that the PlayStation 6 will come without a disc drive.
A recently spotted patent also points to a notable change under the hood of the console, which may fix a flaw in the original PlayStation 5.
As spotted by Tech4Gamers, Sony filed a patent for a revised cooling system for consoles in early 2026 (which was published in April).
A description reads: ‘An electronic device is provided that can improve cooling capacity of a heating element built into an electronic device disposed in a plurality of postures.’
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This suggests the new design will sport a more efficient cooling system, regardless of whether it’s in a horizontal or vertical position.
For context, early PlayStation 5 models were reportedly subject to overheating and liquid metal leaking issues, especially when placed in the vertical position. As reported by players, this was later revised in the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro models, which added grooves to the heat sink.
The patent doesn’t explicitly mention the PlayStation 6, and the drawings show a PlayStation 5 console, but patent images are notoriously and purposefully imprecise.
While companies often file patents that are never used, there’s a good chance this revised cooling system is for the PlayStation 6. In fact, according to a follow-up report by Tech4Gamers, this patent suggests Sony’s next console will use a vaporisation-based cooling system, instead of the liquid metal system in the PlayStation 5.
It’s claimed this will allow the PlayStation 6 to ‘run more efficiently and stay cool’, while eliminating the liquid metal spill issues.
It’s still unclear when the PS6 will launch, although following the no-disc announcement, some analysts believe the console will come out after January 2028.
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