Highlights
Concern among attendees has been raised as reports from EVO 2023 competitors indicate that a significant number of PS5 consoles have encountered USB port failures and meltdowns, predominantly due to inadequate heat dissipation.
The widespread problem of PS5 USB meltdowns at EVO 2023, supported by witnesses and photos, is currently under investigation to determine the cause. Considering the ongoing issues of PS5 USB ports overheating, organizers might contemplate using an alternative console for future events.
Reports have emerged from participants of the EVO 2023 fighting game tournament stating that their USB ports on the Sony PlayStation 5 consoles have melted due to overheating. Supported by photographic evidence and witness accounts, there appears to be valid concerns regarding the PS5's heat dissipation and the potential melting of its essential input/output ports. Notably, this incident is particularly significant as EVO 2023 marks the competitive debut of Street Fighter 6. While this tournament has not faced similar issues in the past and is not the first to utilize the PS5, it suggests that there may be undisclosed factors contributing to the reported incidents.
According to competitors in EVO 2023, a significant number of PS5 consoles have experienced USB port failures due to inadequate heat dissipation, resulting in meltdowns. Numerous reports and images, including those shared by Eduardo Cuervo on Twitter, provide evidence of this issue, indicating a major problem at the tournament. These incidents have caused damage to both the PS5 consoles and the connected cables simultaneously. The exact cause of these problems remains uncertain, but their prevalence has raised concerns among the community.
Posts on Reddit have also highlighted this problem, with SyrupyCereal sharing their own picture of a melted USB cable. Given the significantly higher sales of PS5 consoles compared to Xbox Series X/S, there is a potential for this issue to affect a large number of users. Sony has not yet released an official report addressing this issue. It is possible that the frequent plugging and unplugging of devices at EVO 2023 has contributed to the problem, but further information is still awaited.
The current issue with PS5 USB meltdowns may remind gamers of last year's incident with Nvidia GPU power cables melting. However, these problems were due to users not fully plugging in the cables, making it unlikely that a similar widespread issue occurred at EVO 2023. It is more plausible that the problem lies with the PS5 consoles themselves.
Nevertheless, EVO 2023 had some positive news. The viral success of a blind Street Fighter 6 player's tournament victory showcased the significance and impact of these events. However, if these meltdowns persist, it may lead organizers to consider using a different console than the PS5 in order to prevent further issues.
