Source: https://www.mysmartprice.com/gear/ps5-sony-adjust-fan-speed-firmware-update-post-launch-console-heating-noise-issues/

“Ootori explains that once games are released for the PS5, Sony will gather data on how the console deals with heat. This data is key to understanding not just how millions of PS5s handle a wide variety of video games, but also how they handle them in diverse areas that are hot, cold, dusty, and so on,” Sony’s mechanical design department VP Yasuhiro Ootori told 4Gamer in an interview. 

Is it a good thing that they can adjust and improve over an already good solution or is it concerning that perhaps the cooling wasn't fully tested yet?

I think overall it's a good thing because there's only so much you can test in a lab environment, specially the variable nature of the ps5.

The systems being fairly powerful and somewhat large and get real hot reminds me of launch 7th gen systems. Those systems held their own for a couple of years. PS4 and Xbox felt way behind then. It just feels like PS5 and XSX at least for the moment feel adequate enough next to PC but like any console that moment is fleeting. I feel like the hardware will age better this round than PS4 and XBO. 360 and PS3, didn't feel too bad not having a 1GB of ram PC with a Geforce 7 and a Core 2 duo CPU at 4 grand or whatever. Esp after Gears of War. So I wonder what will be that hame this coming gen in 2021 that tells us visually for real next-gen is here.

One would think temperature sensors exist and the cooling adjusts with that.

But I guess now we'll have firmware updates every morning when it's cool and every day when it's hot.

It would be cool if they can use the data so console can analyze itself and tell you when it thinks dust filters are full because cooling is less efficient etc.
I would assume they have more conservative settings now, so they could use this to release the throttle a bit more, allowing more system performance,
like how RAM allocations have been eased up releasing more to games after they figured out they don't need the full system allotment anymore.

I'm sure the console and its cooling have been "fully tested" but the option of increased data and feedback over the period of its life is of course good. 

Like 100% of drugs that have been fully tested will still require scrutiny post approval. There are too many variables and we've seen this with every single console ever manufactured. 

They also get to use that data when designing a Pro version.

Not really worried. Having the ability to change and improve over time shouldn't exactly be seen as a negative today. Are game updates, fixes, and patches a big worry? They can be if the game is totally broken at launch, but how many ship that way? The console won't ship broken, it just may not be as optimized or efficient as it can be with direct user hardware data. I mean, it would be really 'cool' if SNY could send out the updated fan settings based on your location. Someone from India probably needs the fan running faster than someone from Canada.

It could also just be set to something more user preferred if it's within heat tolerance. Say the fan is ramping way up and down on a game constantly and many users complain. SNY could just find the sweet spot and set the fan there so it's consistent and doesn't have to ramp up much from that fan speed, while also being reasonably quiet. I'd guess this would be a more rare situation, but if it can be handled on a game by game basis, why not?

It can help with a bunch of things. Would help overall when designing a Pro or Slim. Would help once future third party NVMe SSD's start being used and add more heat to the system. Can probably even help them evaluate the liquid metal degradation as per the temps and heavy user play time. Maybe they know they've gone overkill with the liquid metal formula, and would like to get better data on how well it withstands the gamers pushing it the hardest throughout the gen. If SNY can change the formula a bit to save money on upfront costs, while still offering worthy heat transfer and longevity, again, why not?

That is true. As I was explaining to a friend why it is odd to complain that devs don't find all the bugs before release and needs patching. Basically I said, even if they had 100 testers doing 10h test per day over 6 months before launch that would give them 100*10*180 = 180.000 hours of testing (which is plenty and certainly more than what is done and even necessary, since that would basically mean start from finish completing an average game 500 times). But after it is sold let's say it sell 1 million copies on first day and those people play 1h on the release date, that will already have 1 million hours of play. It certainly will have some stuff done that the devs weren't able to foretell or test. It is important to collect this post launch data and patch.

I work in aviation. Part of the certification process of an aircraft is that after everything that was possible to foretell and test is done and the aircraft is certified to be sell they will still have some prototypes flying almost non-stop to test aging, stress and other conditions to improve their maintenance plan and if any safety concerns rise they will have ADs (equivalent to recall, but they are mandatory in aviation if one wants to keep flying that machine). Also they may see improvement in functions or new needs, that will generate a SB. This have been happening for over 40 years. Not sure why console gamers fell so insecure about a way of working that is used on the safest transportation method.

From what I understand from both PS5 and Series X the console itself doesn't get real hot, it is just that the exhaust area of Series X is very hot (but the SoC and other parts inside are within expectation).

Yes Sony engineer said it, but they want to optimize the use of the sensors and fan with real world data.

The console have some sensors, so yes it could be implemented a warning when let's say Sony collects the data and verifies that on average Sackboy runs at 50C temp on some sensors, but on your consoles it is reaching 60C. It would warn you of deficient cooling and hint a cleaning activity.

I do agree. But well I have seem several comments saying they think Sony rushed the console and isn't sure of their cooling so they are going to correct post launch. Even saw jokes like "I have seem people downloading virtual graphic cards and ram, but this is the first time I'll see download of virtual fan".

This is true, but I don't think other devs code would directly deal with the fan.

It would be odd but cool to see Sony allowing you to set up the fan speed on the margin of "as cool as possible" "as hot as acceptable" "constant speed" or whatever as long as those fall within working boundaries.