If your PlayStation 4 gives an on-screen warning that the console is overheating, followed by a red flashing light, three beeping sounds, and a black screen, then your PS4 is overheating and it’s time to fix it.
Sometimes, your PS4 could overheat and shut down without these warning signs. What do you do when this happens? What could be the cause?
In this article, we’ve recommended a couple of fixes that will solve PS4 overheating shutdown. Now let’s explore these solutions in detail.
Solution 1: Give enough room for ventilation
Your PS4 will not perform optimally, if it is in an enclosed area with little or no room for ventilation.
It’s hard to miss the vents that line the sides, and the back of the PS4. The PlayStation 4 air vents are designed to keep it ventilated. When the PS4 is powered on and in use, the vents release hot air generated within the system.
Keeping your PlayStation 4 in an enclosed place like a TV stand cupboard isn’t really the best. A bookshelf may not be ideal, either. A TV stand cupboard may restrict air circulation sufficient for cooling. So do not keep the PS4 in a shelf where the vents do not have plenty of room to release hot air.
Again, it is important to have adequate clearance between the PlayStation 4’s base and the surface it sits on.
We recommend keeping the PS4 in an area that is well-ventilated. A perforated stand is good.
If the PS4 is in a hot room, lowering the ambient air temperature of the room facilitates cooling.
Remember prolonged heat can destroy the PS4’s circuit boards and damage the console.
Solution 2: Clean dust completely
Dust or dirt is one of the major causes of PS4 overheating shutdown. Dust causes airflow restrictions.
Check the air vents to ensure that they are not covered by dust and other materials.
To eliminate dust completely from your console, we recommend opening up your PS4 and using an air hose or a can of compressed air to blow out dust. Clean air vents, plug ports and USB ports. We recommend cleaning your console every few months. You don’t have to wait until there is a problem before doing this.
The PlayStation 4’s cooling fan will blow really fast and loud when there is a lot of dust in the system. It is worth mentioning that excessive dust could prevent your cooling fan from functioning.
Removing dust usually fixes the problem assuming the cooling fans are not faulty. You won’t hear a very loud fan noise after cleaning the dust thoroughly.
If you’ve cleaned the PS4 game console, allow it to cool down and restart it when the temperature isn’t high anymore. This should stop PS4 overheating shutdown.
Solution 3: Check power management devices
Some gamers do not plug their PlayStation 4 directly into the wall socket. If you use power management devices like, power conditioners and surge protectors, be sure to check that they are working correctly.
One way to do this is to unplug your PS4 from the power management device and plug it directly into the wall.
If the PS4 works when plugged directly into the wall, it is time to replace the power management device.
Solution 4: Take a look at the power connector
Your PlayStation 4 will not function if the AC adapter is not properly plugged into the wall or if it is not plugged into the right wall outlet.
Again ensure that the AC adapter is properly plugged into back of your console.
If you checked all of these, then power on your PS4, by pressing and releasing the power button.
Solution 5: Apply thermal paste
If the thermal paste on the heat sink of your PlayStation 4 has expired, the cooling system won’t function effectively.
Thermal paste also referred to as heat sink compound, CPU grease, thermal gel, or thermal grease serves as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources like semiconductor devices such as GPUs and CPUs.
They aid heat transfer and removal by getting rid of the air gaps from the interface between heat sinks and heat sources. In simple terms, they prevent overheating of the semiconductor devices like GPUs and CPUs.
Clean the heat sink properly and apply thermal paste. Arctic Silver is highly recommended.
This will hopefully stop PS4 overheating shutdown.
Solution 6: Check cooling fan
Your console will keeping overheating and shutting down if the cooling fan is bad. If you don’t feel any air being blown out, you may have a bad fan.
A bad cooling fan is by far the most common cause of this type of problem. It is worth noting that if the connection at the end of the fan wire is broken or disconnected, your fan won’t work, which results in PS4 overheating shutdown.
If you can’t replace the fan yourself, send it to an experienced technician who can replace it without issues. Again, the connection at the end of the fan wire could be damaged while changing the fan if not done by an experienced technician.
Solution 7: Check wall voltage
A possible cause of PS4 overheating shutdown is low voltage. You won’t get the most out of your PlayStation 4 if the wall voltage is low.
Check your voltage and make sure it is not low.
Solution 8: Change HDMI cable
Another extra quick fix for PS4 overheating shutdown is changing the HDMI cable and HDMI output.
Solution 9: Update your PlayStation
To rule out outdated software as a possible cause for this problem, we recommend updating your PS4 to the latest version. As a matter of this should be down whether or not your console is shutting down as a result of overheating.
Most gizmos will function effectively when drives and important components are up-to-date.
So to get the most out of your PlayStation 4, update the system and close apps you’re not using. This will hopefully stop PS4 overheating shutdown.
Solution 10: Send your console to the manufacturer
If all else fails and none of this helps, you might consider sending the console to the manufacturer. Sony has trained technicians who have handled this issue in the past. So they will hopefully fix your PS4.
Sony sells the PlayStation 4 with a 1-year free warranty. For most PlayStation 4s, a 1-year warranty is typical.
What if your warranty is up? Well in some cases, the manufacturer will still help you fix the console for a fee.
Bottom Line
One of the solutions we’ve recommended should fix the problem and stop PS4 overheating shutdown. We hope this article helps.
