Unfortunate as it might be, cleaning is a necessary part of life, and your PS5 is not exempt from this rule. Making sure that your PS5 console and controllers are clean and free of dust or debris is a vital part of caring for your system.

If you are anxious about opening up your PS5 to clean it, don’t be. You can perform adequate maintenance on your system without having to completely take it apart.

How Often Do I Have to Clean My PS5?

No matter how clean you are or how often you wash your hands, dust and dirt are unavoidable. As well as being generally annoying, dust can also pose a dangerous risk to electronics when left unchecked.

Dust can get inside your PS5 console and become lodged in the fan. Over time, this dust can affect the fan's ability to properly cool your system, causing your console to overheat. To prevent this, it's recommended that you clean your console every couple of months.

When it comes to your PS5 controller, it is a great idea to clean it weekly or even after each use. Even if you wash your hands before each gaming session, they still release natural oils and sweat which collect on the controller and make it dirty.

Dust also poses a risk to your PS5 DualSense controller. Since your controller sits facing upward, it can fall between the buttons or collect around your joystick. Over time, this can cause your controller to drift.

What Are Some of the Symptoms of a Dirty PS5?

If you aren't servicing your console or controller at regular intervals, there is more chance of your device exhibiting some of the classic symptoms of dust buildup that let you know when it's time for a clean. If you experience any of the below issues, a cleaning is definitely in order.

• Your fan becomes much louder than usual.
• You experience graphical issues such as artifacting.
• Your console turns off due to overheating.
• Your controller starts drifting.

Dust is one of the main causes of heat buildup, and giving it a good clean is the first thing you should do if you want to stop your PS5 from overheating.

What Products Do I Need to Clean My PS5?

Cleaning your PS5 console and controller is simple and doesn't require expensive equipment. The best products to use to clean your system are as follows:

• A terrycloth or microfiber cloth.
• Isopropyl alcohol.
• Q-tips.
• A low-powered vacuum.
• Compressed air.

When cleaning your PS5 it is important to only use the recommended products. Substituting any of the above products for others that you already have on hand can cause more harm than good to your console.

Liquids like soapy water can seep inside the console and damage electrical components. Isopropyl alcohol has an evaporative nature which makes it safer to use on your PS5. Since it dissipates quickly, it reduces the risk of damage to any electrical parts.

Similarly, it is important not to substitute a low-powered vacuum for a household vacuum cleaner to suck dust and debris from your PS5 console or controller. Household vacuum cleaners are too powerful and also generate a lot of static electricity, which has the potential to seriously damage your console.

How Do I Safely Clean My PS5?

Thankfully, both the PS5 console and DualSense controller can be easily cleaned without having to be fully dismantled. As long as you are using the correct methods and products, not much can go wrong. To learn how to safely clean both your PS5 console and DualSense controller, see the instructions below.

Cleaning Your PS5 Console

The only thing you will have to remove from your PS5 console to clean it is the covers. These covers are intentionally easy to remove for cleaning and even customization purposes. Here’s how:

1. Turn your PS5 off and remove all wires connected to the console.

2. Remove the base by gently sliding it off.

3. Place the PS5 on a flat surface.

4. Position the console so the PS logo faces up, and the power button is away from you.

5. Place your thumb on the PS logo and simultaneously pull up and to the right until the cover releases. You will hear a click when the cover is free. The covers are very secure, so removing them requires a decent amount of pressure.

Once you’ve removed the top cover, you will notice two holes in the body of your PS5. These are designed to catch dust. If there is a lot of dust in these reservoirs, use your low-powered vacuum, compressed air can, or cloth to remove it. You may also notice some dust in and around the fan. Gently wipe or blow this away before putting the cover back on.

If you were planning on customizing your PS5, this is the point in the process where you would do so. Check out our guide on how to change your PS5 console covers if you would like to know more about that process.

To put the cover back on your console, lay it in place and slide the cover to the left. You don’t need to add any pressure or push down here. The cover should simply slide and click into place.

Flip your PS5 onto the opposite side, positioning it so the PS logo faces down and the power button faces towards you. Grip the top left corner of the cover, and pull up and to the right until it slides out of place. Follow the same methods to clean any dust or debris out of your console before reapplying the cover.

Cleaning Your PS5 DualSense Controller

The DualSense controller is even easier to clean, and you can do so without removing any parts at all. Since the back of the controller is textured, it grabs hold of dirt and grime very easily. To clean this off, apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol to a microfiber cloth. Your cloth should be damp but not wet.

Then simply wipe down your controller. Although isopropyl alcohol evaporates very quickly, it is still a good idea to dry it off once you are done cleaning.

It is not uncommon for dust and dirt to become lodged in the joystick and work their way inside your controller causing drift. To remove this dust before it causes any problems, dip a Q-tip in a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and clean around the joysticks. Rotating the stick can help the Q-tip can get into all those hard-to-reach spaces.

If you are still experiencing drift even after cleaning your DualSense controller, check out our guide on how to fix drift in your PS5 controller to learn about some potential solutions.

Prevention Is the Best Cure

Your console and controller are always going to get dusty regardless of the methods you use to prevent it, but there are certainly ways to help reduce the amount of dust that collects in your system.

The best way to prevent dust and dirt buildup in your console, in particular, is to avoid storing it on carpets or fluffy rugs. Having your system sitting on a fabric surface vastly increases the rate at which dust builds up in the fan. If your console seems to be getting dusty very quickly, try sitting it in an entertainment system or even on a tile or piece of wood on the carpet to separate it from the fabric.

Improve Your PS5’s Lifespan by Cleaning It Regularly

Regularly cleaning your PS5 console and controllers might sound simple, but it can drastically improve the longevity of your system. Your PS5 works hard, as did you to purchase it. Taking good care of your system is the best way to ensure it remains in peak condition, so you can keep gaming for years to come.