Warning to millions of gamers – hardcore play could permanently damage your system

HARDCORE players are noticing an issue with their computers and consoles after epic gaming sessions.

Gamers need to take precautions against this to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to their systems.


Warning to millions of gamers – hardcore play could permanently damage your system
Hardcore gaming can melt the plastic inside your USB cables.

There are a number of consoles and PC gamers who are required to use controllers with USB cables in order to play their games.

Whether this is using a PS5 controller while charging it, a wired mouse, or a fight stick, it can happen to any device that uses USB ports.

Not only does this damage your controller, it can damage your console or PC too.

What happens is, when playing intensive games, or playing games for a long time, your system can generate a lot of heat.

This heat can begin to melt the plastic components inside the USB connectors, allowing them to detach.

The best-case scenario is that you only damage your USB cable, but it can even damage the USB port inside your system.

As spotted by VGC, this issue was noticed by professional esports players who spend long sessions playing their games.

Many reported the USB cables and ports breaking on their systems, both on PCs and consoles like PS5.

There are of course many ways to prevent your devices from suffering the same fate.

The obvious one is to limit your gaming sessions. Taking breaks and powering off your system occasionally will stop your devices from overheating.

The other is to reduce the heat of your console in the first place, which can be done in a number of ways.

Firstly, you can keep your system in a well-ventilated area, making sure that the fan is not obstructed.

You can even place an additional fan facing the system, which will additionally aid the system’s cooling.

Finally, when playing triple-A games that are particularly intensive on your system, you can lower their intensity.

The easiest way to do this is to lower the graphical settings as much as possible without distracting you from the game.

Overall, the heating issue shouldn’t be a problem if you are playing less intensive games, or playing in shorter sessions.

But it is something to keep in mind if you use your system and USB devices regularly.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.