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The theory is the wacky designs are to discourage you from stacking it or putting it at the top of a stack. I have no idea why they push vertical orientations.
by pfranz 6y ago
The theory is the wacky designs are to discourage you from stacking it or putting it at the top of a stack. I have no idea why they push vertical orientations.
I imagine the size is to disperse heat, manage dust, and keep noise down. I don't think it's popular in recent years, but people often put equipment like this in an enclosed cabinet under their TV or directly on the carpet (where most dust comes from). This also has the power supply built in, which increases the size (I hate those in-line power bricks).
You hear complaints about most gaming console's size, but you also hear lots of noise and dust complaints as well as failures due to heat. On forums you often hear about people replacing the thermal paste and diligently cleaning the inside of their consoles to get the noise down.
- bartread 6y agoThose reasons certainly make sense, given the less than ideal environment into which many will install their console. My media unit is (very deliberately) open at the front to allow for maximum airflow, although this does make it something of a pain to dust. Still, it is possible to design components - even those that generate significant heat - to be stackable. My hi-fi amp generates quite a bit of heat but uses a massive heatsink along with vents all around the case to manage it. I do wonder, if the PS5 were simply a cuboid with a couple of larger (and quieter) fans, the kind of heavy duty heatsink it already has, plus plenty of vents around the case, whether that would work. But, as you say, it comes back to dust, and those air vents would be the perfect route for that dust to enter the device, particularly if it's sat on the carpet (which its form factor pretty much guarantees it will be in many homes).