How to clean a PS5: dust, vents, covers and controller

Step by step: how to clean a ps5

Safety first. Turn the PS5 off, unplug the AC power cord and other cables, and wait for it to cool: Sony warns the console can be hot right after use. Make sure the covers click fully back on before you power up, because badly fitted covers can make it overheat.

1. 1

   Power off, unplug and let it cool

   Turn the PS5 off fully (not rest mode), then unplug the AC power cord from the back and disconnect every cable. Leave it for 15 to 30 minutes so the console is cool to the touch.

2. 2

   Move it to a clear, flat surface

   Lay a towel on a table and set the console on it. Remove the stand or feet if your model has them, and keep any screw somewhere safe.

3. 3

   Take off the covers

   Follow Sony’s cover instructions for your model. On newer slim and Pro consoles, you lift each cover slightly away from the console to release its clips. On the original model, you grip a corner and slide each cover off. No tools are needed.

4. 4

   Vacuum the vents and the dust under the covers

   With a low-powered handheld vacuum and a brush or micro nozzle, go over the air vents on the front and back and any dust you can see where the covers were. Sony’s safety guide recommends exactly this. You should see gray fluff disappear from the vent slots.

5. 5

   Brush what the vacuum misses

   Loosen packed dust in vent slots and corners with a soft, dry brush while holding the vacuum nozzle next to it, so the dust is sucked away instead of falling inside.

6. 6

   Wipe the covers with a dry cloth

   Wipe the covers inside and out with a soft, dry microfiber cloth. Sony says not to use chemically treated cloths or volatile substances such as alcohol, benzene or paint thinner, which can discolor the finish.

7. 7

   Check the ports and power socket

   Look into the USB ports and the AC IN socket with a light. Sony’s safety guide says to make sure there is no dust or small particles in the plug or connectors before you plug in. Clear any fluff with the vacuum or a dry brush.

8. 8

   Click the covers back on and power up

   Line up the clips and press each cover until you hear it click, then refit the stand or feet. Put the console back with space around it, plug it in and turn it on.

Where should a PS5 sit so it stays cleaner and cooler?

Give it open air on every side and keep it off soft surfaces. Sony’s fan noise page says to leave at least 10 cm (about 4 inches) of free space around each side of the console.

• Do not put it on a carpet or rug with long fibers, or in a narrow, cramped cabinet.
• Do not let dust build up in or around the air vents; a loud fan is often the first sign.
• Do not rest the controller or headset on top of the console, which Sony also lists in its safety guide.
• A shelf at waist height collects less floor dust and pet hair than the floor beside the TV.

How to clean a PS5 controller

Wipe the DualSense with a soft, dry cloth and clear the seams with a toothpick; skip alcohol and sprays. Sony’s safety guide applies the same rule to peripherals as to the console: no volatile substances such as alcohol, benzene or paint thinner, and no chemically treated cloths.

• Turn the controller off and unplug the USB cable.
• Wipe the shell, grips and touch pad with a dry microfiber cloth. For sticky grime, use a cloth dampened with water and wrung almost dry.
• Run a wooden or plastic toothpick along the seams and around the buttons to lift grime, then brush it away.
• Keep moisture away from the USB-C port, the headset jack and the gaps around the triggers.

Should you use a vacuum or compressed air on a PS5?

Use a low-powered vacuum: it is the tool Sony names on both its noise page and in its safety guide. Compressed air blows dust off the surface but can push some of it deeper into the console, where you cannot reach it.

Do not take the console apart beyond the covers. Opening the case itself is a repair job, and Sony’s cover page only covers removing and refitting the outer panels.

Mistakes to avoid

• Cleaning the console while it is in rest mode or still plugged in.
• Spraying cleaner or alcohol on the glossy covers, which Sony says can discolor them.
• Ramming a full-power vacuum nozzle into the vent slots.
• Powering on with a cover not fully clicked in, which can cause overheating.
• Putting the PS5 back in a closed cabinet or on a shaggy rug.