1. Vertical Just Doesn't Run As Hot

The PS4 was designed so that air is drawn in through the front of the console, proceeds to run through the heatsink and then is almost immediately exhausted through the back of the system. Thermal imaging tests show that the vertical position is the best option to keep the console cool. The horizontal position appears to decrease the amount of heat that the console is able to quickly exhaust by around 10° Celsius.

Image Credit: Planet Extech

2. Gives Your PS4 Increased Air Flow

Image credit: GameFaqs Forum

3. Keeps The Console Away From Other Heat Sources

Even if you’re not stacking consoles directly on top of each other, if you have your console sitting directly next to a cable box or secondary console there will be some heat transfer. Set-top boxes are so energy inefficient, in some cases they end up draining more energy than your air conditioner or fridge.

Then the common concern turns to “What about having a console next to my TV?” Well let's talk about that. TVs got a bad rap for heat while plasma technology was still developing during which time plasma TVs could get, admittedly, extremely hot. Now, the majority of TVs are either CCFLs or LED-LCDs which are incredibly efficient and give off about as much heat as a couple people standing in a room. So unless you’re also concerned about standing too close to your console causing it to overheat, you shouldn’t be overly concerned that your television will be adding excess heat to the equation. Additionally, the majority of the heat is placed forward towards the screen itself, with many of today’s television’s backsides actually being cool to the touch even after prolonged use.

4. Lowers The Amount of Dust The PS4 Sucks In

If your PS4 is sitting on a desk, shelf, or in a media center chances are more than likely that you’re forcing your PS4 to inhale a fair amount of dust on a regular basis. Cleaning the vents and fan is definitely recommended and you can find a tutorial here. Better than regular cleaning, is just not putting your PS4 in that position in the first place. Mounting it on the wall won’t eliminate the need to clean the fan, but it will definitely make that need a little less frequent, and probably have your console running a lot quieter as an added bonus. 

Image Credit: Allegro21

5. Aside From The Literal Interpretation... It's Cooler

Seriously, we never cease to be amazed by the awesome product images we get from customers! We love getting customer images that show off their awesome gaming setups. We have a whole page of our website dedicated just to showing off great customer images. Check out our #afterHIDEit image gallery, and send us some pictures of your setup #afterHIDEit!