How to Make PS4 Quieter: 3 Easy Tips That Work!
You probably didn’t expect too much noise when you bought the latest Playstation. After all, you’d expect a new generation console to produce LESS noise than the older one.
Unfortunately, PS4 has led us down in this regard. When you’re playing games with awesome graphics, they’re also demanding on the system. In order to prevent overheating, the fan spins faster and faster.
One gamer said that his PS4 sounds like it’s going to take off. Funny but true. This definitely does NOT add anything positive to the gaming experience.
So here are 5 simple tips that you can use to make your ps4 quieter.
1. Remove dust from the PS4 fan
This first tips is really important, especially if your PS4 is older than a few months. Chances are that there is a significant dust accumulation on the vents and the fan. This makes the fan not as effective. To compensate for the lack of air, it spins faster and produces more noise as a result.
So you’ll need to reach the fan and then use an air compressor or canned air to blow the dust out. Before you do this, I have to warn you that you’ll have to open up your PS4 to reach the fan.
This is not difficult at all, but you will have to tear the warranty sticker, making the warranty void. But if your PS4 is making tons of noise, it’s definitely worth it in my opinion. So here’s how you do it:
1. Find the screws on the back of the console to open it.
2. The screws are covered by the warranty sticker. Remove the sticker to reach the screws.
3. Nnscrew the lower three screws counterclockwise by using a T8 or T9 screwdriver (this is the one you need).
4. Carefully remove the bottom half of the PS4.
5. The part that you just removed has some vents. Remove all the dust that is clogging the vents from the inside.
6. Get an air compressor or canned air.
7. Blow out any dust you find inside. Just make sure NOT to blow air into the PS4 Disc Drive or it could stop working
8. If you’re using canned air make sure to keep it upright while blowing dust, because otherwise it can expel some liquid on the console and damage it. It’s safer to use an air compressor for this reason.
9. Place the plastic cover back on and screw it into position using the screws you previously removed.
You can also check out this video tutorial:
How to clean the PS4 without opening it
There is also a more unorthodox way to clean the PS4, without opening it at all. You can check out that video as well. Basically, the dust is sucked out through the vents with a vacuum cleaner.
However, I don’t recommend this “clean method”, because it’s risky. It could dismantle some parts on the inside of the console. Then you’d really have to open it to see what’s happening or send it back to have it fixed. But if you’re worried more about the warranty sticker, it might work for your better than the common 9-step method explained above.
Now that you’ve cleaned up the PS4 from the inside, the fan will be as quiet as it can be. Any extra noise coming from the console will be due to other problems, so let’s address those.
2. Prevent the dust from coming inside the console
If your PS4 unit is new or you’ve just cleaned it thoroughly, I suggest preventing new dust accumulation from forming. You can do that by covering your PS4 with a dust cover.
There is an excellent dustproof and waterproof cover designed specifically for Playstation 4. It’s really affordable and looks neat. You can check out how it looks, the price and customer reviews on Amazon.
3. Place the PS4 on rubber pads
Like most machines that have loud fans and spinning discs, PS4 can resonate some sound on a hard surface. In fact, some gamers have noticed that placing their console on anti-vibration pads has completely fixed the noise they were experiencing.
You might worry that your PS4 will overheat due to the noise its producing. However, PS4 has an in-built feature that prevents it from overheating. If it gets anywhere close to overheating, it shuts off. You may have experienced this when you were playing some demanding games. But it sure gets the fans spinning like crazy.
By placing the rubber pads on each corner of the console, more air can come inside the console and it can cool better. This will not only reduce noise but also improve performance. It’s very similar to laptops. Most laptops have the fans and the vents on the bottom. That’s why placing something on the corners to lift the laptop from the desk helps. The same method works for Playstation. This is also why you shouldn’t keep your laptop or Playstation on a carpet, blanket, or any other soft surface that can block the air vents.
While you could place any objects on the corners for better ventilation, like Lego blocks for example, I suggest placing these rubber pads. They’re a cheap investment, but one that can really improve your gaming experience. For some reason placing rubber pads also reduces noise coming from the disc drive. I’m not sure why that is, but people on Playstation forums have reported this pleasant side-effect.
Another reason I wouldn’t use Legos or bottle caps, as some users, is because the PS4 can easily slip from those. Pull on a wired controller in a bit of excitement and your PS4 will come crashing down from that faulty structure. On the other hand, the rubber pads are non-slip, making them a safer option. Also, bottle caps and Legos won’t absorb any vibrations as rubber pads do.
Final Thoughts
All the noise coming from the PS4 is directly related to heat. If the CPU is working extra hard to produce awesome graphics on the screen, it will generate a lot of heat. The fans are there to cool down the whole system. The vents are exit passages for hot air and entrance points for some fresh air from the outside.
By getting rid of the dust and lifting the PS4 with rubber feet, you’ll do the whole system a favor by reducing the amount of heat. That way the fans won’t have to spin as much (and as loudly) as they do at the moment. Hope this helps! If you have other tips for PS4 noise reduction, please share them in the comment section below.
