The problem of cockroaches in PlayStation 4 units is much more prevalent than you may think, as the pests apparently love hanging out in the console as a bug hotel.
PlayStation 4 owners apparently not only have to deal with things such as Wi-Fi issues and PlayStation Network outages, but they should also take measures to prevent their console from being infested by cockroaches.
PlayStation 4 Cockroach Problem A Common One
According to employees from Manhattan's XCubicle console repair shop, they get at least one case of a cockroach-infested PlayStation 4 per week. In fact, such an issue is so common among the console that the shop has started charging a so-called roach fee of $25, said owner Patrick Che.
Che even showed Kotaku's Cecilia D'Anastasio that XCubicle has roach bags, which are black garbage bags filled with dead cockroaches. This shows just how often the shop encounters PlayStation 4 consoles that are infested with the pests. Some console repairmen have even said that at least half of the PlayStation 4 units they receive are packed with cockroaches.
Console repairmen have said that there have also been cockroaches found inside Microsoft's Xbox One, but there are more PlayStation 4 units that house the pests partly due to the higher number of PlayStation 4 consoles out there compared to Xbox One units, and partly because the PlayStation 4 offers more to cockroaches than the Xbox One.
Cockroaches In PlayStation 4: The Explanation
Most gamers place the PlayStation 4 inside dark and closed off areas, such as in media centers. In a horizontal position, cockroaches find it easy to crawl into the PlayStation 4 due to ventilation grates located at the console's bottom. The vents also offer wider spaces in between compared to other consoles, giving the bugs more room to show themselves into the PlayStation 4.
The internal power supply of the PlayStation 4, compared to the external power supply of the Xbox One, warms up the interior of the console better, and in combination with dark and enclosed spaces, make for a perfect bug hotel for cockroaches.
Cleaning Up Cockroach-Infested PlayStation 4 Consoles
Sony does not accept cockroach-infested PlayStation 4 consoles for repairs, leaving the dirty duty to the hands of independent repair shops. Cleaning a PlayStation 4 once filled with the bugs requires a good scrubbing of the power supply, which will likely have been tainted with cockroach poop.
iFixIt employee Matt Zieminski claimed that, in most cases, owners who send in their PlayStation 4 units for repairs do not know that their console is packed with cockroaches. All they know is that their PlayStation 4 stopped working, which is what happens when the bugs get fried on the hot internal power supply.
PlayStation 4 units may need to have their power supply replaced to fix the problem, with repairmen also usually sterilizing the console afterward.
Gamers who do not want to have their PlayStation 4 consoles treated as a hangout place by cockroaches should place it in the open and in a higher position, to prevent the pests from thinking about crawling into the console's vents. Of course, keeping the PlayStation 4 and its immediate surroundings clean at all times will help keep the bugs away.
