EVO players claim that PS5s used in tournaments have "melted" the USB connections on their controllers. One player even says his controller was damaged after just one set, with others hypothesizing that a "faulty" PS5 is to blame.
Players have taken to Twitter to share their complaints, with one showing the damage to the USB itself. Here, we can see that the controller has been affected, likely unable to be used again, and seemingly due to overheating.
Sony, who also owns EVO, is yet to release a statement on the matter. However, some players are already adamant that the PS5s used for matches are to blame.
Eduardo Cuervo is one of the affected competitors, sharing an image of his damaged USB. He says this was the result of just one set.
"What the heck @PlayStation. My @horiusain octa USB plug MELTED during my match at @EVO," says Cuervo. "Mine was not the only controller that melt[ed] down. This is just terrible. You need to do something about that lack of heat dissipation especially if you are going to use PS5s in tournament."
Twitter user @Sabre_AZ backs up this claim, sharing their own grievances with the set-up at EVO.
"EVO is proving that PS5 is NOT the answer," says SabreAZ. "USB ports are melting like craY. @Kyoku236H's USB on his controller melted. This is not isolated. We need to go PC or Xbox at least [sic]"
Another Twitter user, @AmeAfterDark, agrees. "The PS5 could not handle the heat of the venue and running [Street Fighter] for hours on hours," she says. "Right after my husband's first game both ports in that PS5 were out of commission and he noticed every single PS5 had delays which impacted everyone."
In another instance, it seems that one player inadvertently damaged the PS5 itself when removing their controller. In the image, we can see that part of the USB port has stuck to the controller.
Some express doubt that this is a design flaw on Sony's part, especially considering that we haven't heard reports of melted controllers before this year's EVO event. The PS5 has been available since late 2020 without this issue, so it may be a problem with one particular console, or perhaps the set-up at EVO this year. Those affected suggest that the venue may have been too hot for the consoles to cope, especially since they'd be powered up and used for far longer than in casual play.
Sony is yet to comment on the matter.