There's no such thing as a perfect console launch. When new console hardware gets into the hands of millions of people, there's bound to be unforeseen issues or rare unpredictable problems. The PS5 is no different than other platforms in this regard. Some users have pointed out issues with fan noise in the PS5, though there's no consistent explanation for the noise. One PS5 owner, after opening their console at home, discovered a surprising cause for the noise that may help others, too.
Twitter users Frank_Supercell, who happens to be the game lead at Clash Royale developer Supercell, had a major noise problem with their new PS5. When the console was turned on, it created a very loud buzzing noise that Frank said was loud enough to fill their apartment. Frank, however, was apparently unwilling to send their PS5 in for Sony to repair and instead took the matter into their own hands. After opening the console and unscrewing the fan, the culprit ended up being a surprising source. It was a simple sticker.
A photo shared by Frank shows a sticker stuck out from between the PS5's main board and paneling. The sticker was shown to be partially torn. Apparently, the fan would rub up against the sticker while spinning, creating the noise. It's unclear if Frank pulled the sticker out or if he cut the part that was sticking into the fan area, but he says that it was removed and that the PS5 no longer sounds like a running blender.
Further investigation by other Twitter users in Frank's replies shows that this may not be a one-off situation. A screencap taken from a PS5 teardown video shows that Sony uses a sticker to hold down a wire within the PS5 at this approximate location. The sticker is, obviously, not supposed to stretch into the fan housing, but it's easy to see that mistakes could be made with the sticker placement. As such, it's possible that others will also have problem with their PS5s. Worse, it's possible that the wire the sticker holds could shift into the fan housing, too.
PS5 owners who may be experiencing loud noises from their console's fan should be wary of opening it up themselves. It's unclear if Frank's fix technically voids the PS5's warranty or not. It is preferable to contact Sony about the issue first. The company has aggressively sent out replacement consoles since launch to ensure problem PS5s don't stay out in the wild.
This sticker issue isn't necessarily the only reason why the PS5's fan might be making noise, either. Again, new consoles can have any number of problems. Still, it's one problem that has been solved and is worth keeping in mind.
The PS5 is available now.