Sony has quietly updated its PlayStation 5 Slim with a grooved heatsink design borrowed directly from the PlayStation 5 Pro, console modder Modyfikator89 shared via X this weekend. The new models, starting with the CFI-2116 revision, now feature precision-machined grooves around the APU’s heatsink, rather than the flat contact surface found in older PS5 and early Slim units.
The change solves a problem that has affected PlayStation 5 owners since the console’s launch: dry spots and occasional leaks from the liquid metal. Console repairers have long documented how the liquid thermal interface material (TIM) can pool unevenly or oxidize over time, degrading cooling performance and occasionally causing physical damage. The grooved design creates a capillary effect that holds the liquid metal in place more reliably, keeping it spread evenly across the die rather than creeping away from critical contact zones, Tom’s Hardware reports.
Modders and repair experts say the CFI-2116 Slim is now the most stable version of the console you can buy, with thermals that should remain consistent throughout its lifespan.
Sony never officially announced this change, making it a true “silent upgrade” discovered only through hardware teardowns. With the PS5 still in its prime and a successor likely to arrive in 2027, these changes definitely show Sony is taking long-term reliability seriously, even for a console released nearly 6 years ago.